Redman sits down with Ambrosia For Heads for his FIRST exclusive interview about the decade-long journey behind Muddy Waters Too. This intimate conversation showcases the life-changing decisions, creative evolution, and personal growth that shaped the long-awaited sequel to his classic album.
What to Expect: Redman shares why he quit bud and became celibate for 2.5 years How he overcame fears about his relevance to create his best work The evolution of Muddy Waters Too from its early 2010s version to now His reflections on Hip-Hop’s timelessness and artistry Who he would include in his 9 Hip-Hop Avengers
Timestamps:
0:00 Open
0:43 Stankin’ intro
2:04 Redman discusses the hurdles he overcame to make Muddy Waters Too
5:43 The skills he’s learned to succeed as an independent artist
8:07 Learning to shoot and edit his own videos
9:48 What he learned from the ’90s about building and engaging
10:23 Why he did his J@q Boi Be@tz Freestyle series
13:33 Why people want Redman to win
17:13 What Jersey Hip-Hop means to him today
18:13 How Redman transformed himself physically
22:07 The three words he believes are key to self-healing
23:03 Why he has dramatically cut back on smoking herb
25:57 How to stick to your goals and make lasting change
29:47 Why he quit bud and became celibate for 2.5 years
36:43 The power of being vulnerable, accountable, and transparent
42:43 Why Hip-Hop has no age limit
47:13 How he made Muddy Waters Too sound contemporary with ’90s sensibilities
50:13 Why he made a completely new version of Muddy Waters Too from what he had in the early 2010s
54:33 How his production style differs from Erick Sermon’s
59:33 On making “Jersey” as a club record
1:03:23 Redman names his 9 Hip-Hop Avengers
1:07:43 The 5 comedians who have influenced his style of humor
1:09:43 How Redman and Bill Murray are alike
1:14:33 Why Redman is an a$$hole
1:17:43 Redman gives an incredible shout-out to the team who helped him make Muddy Waters Too
1:23:58 How he overcame his fear that he might no longer be relevant
1:27:43 His advice to young artists about building a team
1:29:43 Outro
Key Highlights: Redman’s evolution as an independent artist How he stayed true to his roots while evolving his sound His advice to the next generation of Hip-Hop creators 📢 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more exclusive content about the best in Hip-Hop. Join the AFH community and stay tuned for what’s next!
The D.O.C. joins this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast. He discusses his new documentary, his first verse in 19 years, performing for the first time in 33 years and more. He also details his formula for how to be a great MC. 0:00 The D.O.C. has begun performing again for the first time in 33 years 3:15 The D.O.C discusses why the message in Rap music has changed for the worst 5:35 The D.O.C. is considering putting out more new music. 6:50 The D.O.C. explains how he is able to sing 7:38 The D.O.C. discusses the possibility of using AI to rap again 8:45 The D.O.C. says his documentary will show where he’s going in the next 10 years of his life 14:00 The D.O.C. discusses how he developed Snoop Dogg and Eazy-E 15:42 The D.O.C. explains why all rappers have their own individual cadence 18:37 He discusses the times he’s written rhymes that MCs were not able to rap properly 19:30 The D.O.C. details the formula for developing a rap style 21:14 The D.O.C. explains why he was mad at Biggie until he met him 24:00 Method Man is the one guy who’s cadence The D.O.C. cannot replicate 24:44 The D.O.C. explains what made Suge Knight a successful business man 25:58 The D.O.C. discusses his enduring relationships with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg 31:15 The D.O.C. says “The Grand Finale” was a battle between him, Ice Cube and MC Ren 32:45 On recording his verse for The Codefendants’ “Fast Ones” 34:48 Who The D.O.C. would take in a crew battle between N.W.A. & The Posse and Death Row 36:14 The D.O.C. speaks on the character that may have based on him in CB4 37:30 On his shoutout from JAY-Z on The Black Album’s “PSA” 38:00 Why his documentary will be the best music documentary ever.
ack Harlow's Jackman. album is his best yet and also his most controversial. We discuss the album, the best and worst posthumous Rap albums of all-time, Pras Michel's conviction and more on this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast. 0:00 Intro 2:34 Jack Harlow’s Jackman. album is his best yet 13:41 Jack Harlow blasts white fans who are down with black culture but not black people on “Common Ground” 40:40 Jack Harlow lists the many things his success is due to outside of his race on “It Can’t Be” 54:18 Jack Harlow says he is the best white rapper since Eminem on “They Don’t Love It” 59:45 Does Jack Harlow have the potential to be as big as Drake? 1:04:47 Jack Harlow talks about many other surprising subjects on Jackman. 1:09:08 Are posthumous albums good or bad for artists and their legacies 1:22:45 The best and worst posthumous Rap albums of all-time 1:32:55 Pras Michel has been convicted of funneling money to influence politicians 1:37:00 Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers tour is the highest grossing Rap tour of all-time 1:39:20 RIP Harry Belafonte
In this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline podcast, we discuss our new partnership with BET to let fans decide who is the Greatest Rap Crew Of All-Time. We also review the new Dear Mama docuseries about Tupac and Afeni Shakur, remember Ahmad Jamal, discuss how AI will transform the music business and more. 0:00 Intro 3:00 Ambrosia For Heads is partnering with BET in a tournament to let fans decide who is the Greatest Rap Crew Of All-Time 21:20 Reviewing the Dear Mama docuseries about Tupac and Afeni Shakur 22:22 Can Allen Hughes objectively view Tupac given that Tupac assaulted him 28:30 Key producers and participants in Dear Mama 31:00 Why did FX premiere Dear Mama in the Friday night “graveyard” time slot 36:22 Key themes in Dear Mama 41:14 Tupac had many different personalities. Which one was really him 48:35 Did Tupac’s being a chameleon play a role in his death 57:40 New things we learn about Tupac from Dear Mama 1:03:20 Current artists who embody Tupac’s spirit 1:07:00 Previously unseen photos and footage in Dear Mama 1:11:15 Remembering heavily-sampled Jazz musician Ahmad Jamal 1:15:40 AI-generated deep fake songs will transform the music business forever 1:23:53 Killer Mike is releasing a new solo album 1:26:10 Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance was a disaster 1:34:00 New music from Swizz Beatz, Jay Electronica and Lloyd Banks
In this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we review Black Thought and El Michel Affair's new Glorious Game album and take an in-depth look at how his solo releases have impacted his legacy as an MC. We also discuss the new J. Dilla documentary, Snoop Dogg's career-altering decision 30 years ago, and more. 0:00 Intro 4:55 Black Thought has released 6 projects in the last 5 years 7:30 Black Thought is in the prime of his career in his 50s 13:30 Black Thought’s career has flourished since he started releasing solo projects 16:45 Reviewing Black Thought’s stellar album Glorious Game with El Michels Affair 38:45 Black Thought is re-writing his legacy outside of The Roots 53:45 Black Thougt’s Streams Of Thought, Vol. 4 album is done and packed with all-stors 58:06 Who would be the ideal next producer for Black Thought? 1:03:00 Is Black Thought still underrated? 1:06:50 Reviewing The Legacy Of J. Dilla documentary 1:19:55 Snoop Dogg gives several details of his life he has not previously shared 1:24:52 Snoop Dogg was days away from signing a deal that would have prevented him from joining Death Row 1:39:30 Snoop and Tupac battled the first night they met 1:41:21 Jake tells an epic story about the time he interviewed Snoop 1:49:20 50 Cent says he has been a billionaire since 2007
Royce 5'9 joins this week's episode of What's The Headline, along with his 25-year business partner, Kino Childrey. This is not an interview. It is an amazing conversation between trusted colleagues and friends. Here's what we discussed: 0:00 Royce 5’9 joins AFH for a special edition of What’s The Headline 0:10 How 2020 transformed Hip-Hop 3:00 Why Royce 5’9 does not want to do a Verzuz battle 6:40 Royce 5’9 on being a pioneer of Grown Man Rap and how Hip-Hop’s elder statesmen should move 13:00 Royce 5’9 explains his virtual Heaven Experience in the metaverse 26:00 Royce 5’9 on buying back his master recordings and the importance of ownership 37:40 What caused the tensions within Slaughterhouse and why he felt betrayed 46:40 Royce’s business partner Kino Childrey joins the conversation 48:18 Why Kino and Royce built The Heaven Experience 56:00 Royce and Kino discuss their new artist Courtney Bell and why he will change the game 1:07:50 Royce 5’9 speaks on the lifestyle changes he’s made to stay healthy 1:12:45 How Royce has grown over the years 1:15:35 How Royce and Kino have overcome difficulties with each other over their 25 years together 1:33:00 Royce speaks on whether we will get new music from him, PRhyme and Bad Meets Evil 1:35:50 Royce 5’9 speaks on how he pushes Eminem 1:38:30 Royce and Kino speak on how much of their growth is organic vs. strategic 1:47:00 Royce 5’9 lists the first 5 producers he had, and all are legends 1:53:00 Where fans can join The Heaven Experience virtual world 1:55:55 Who will be bigger between LaRussell and Symba 1:58:30 Why Royce and Kino are such great partners
This week in Hip-Hop was jam-packed. We discuss Nipsey Hussle's legacy 4 years later, the potential Verzuz rematch between The LOX and Dipset, protests against Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Akademik's criticism of J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake, and new music from Larry June & Alchemist, DJ Drama, Royce 5'9, Tyler, The Creator and more. 0:00 Intro 6:00 Remembering Nipsey Hussle 4 years later 19:45 The LOX and Dipset want a Verzuz rematch. Here’s why they should not do it 31:20 How should Afrika Bambaataa’s Hip-Hop legacy be handled in light of allegations against him 53:20 DJ Akademiks called out J. Cole, Drake and Kendrick Lamar for no longer supporting Hip-Hop media outlets 1:09:28 Snowfall’s Damson Idris discusses the behind the scenes help JAY-Z gives people 1:16:57 DJ Jeff explains why He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper was supposed to sound very different 1:21:00 Suge Knight is developing a TV series about his life 1:25:26 Madlib is making new music with Erykah Badu, Mac Miller, MF DOOM and more 1:31:10 Larry June & The Alchemist’s The Great Escape is the year’s first masterpiece album 1:40:55 Tyler, The Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale is more than a deluxe version of his album 1:46:30 DJ Drama is taking a victory lap with the release of his I’m Really Like That album 1:52:00 Royce 5’9 released The Heaven Experience EP featuring Redman 1:54:18 DJ Quik has released his first new music in years
This week, J. Cole released his first interview in years, and it was INSPIRATIONAL. On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we break down Cole's interview and compare his secrets to success with those of Kendrick Lamar, Rapsody, Big K.R.I.T., Ab-Soul and JAY-Z. The similarities are fascinating...We also discuss how Tupac tried to change the culture at Death Row Records, DJ Premier's inside story on the making of Biggie's "Ten Crack Commandments" and new music from Hit-Boy & Nas, Mistah F.A.B., Lloyd Banks and Method Man, and more.
On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we take a hard look at the conflicting versions of himself that Logic has presented over the years. We also discuss the passing of music great Bobby Caldwell, Just Blaze's status as at Top 10 Hip-Hop producer, and some new music by Statik Selektah, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Raekwon, as well as releases by T-Pain and Curren$y and Jermaine Dupri.
On this week's episode of AFH's What's The Headline, we discuss Grandmaster Melle Mel's sharp critique of Billboard and VIBE's list of the 50 Greatest Rappers Of All Time, and his comments about JAY-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Lil Wayne. We also talk about Jadakiss taking record labels to task about some of the content they promote. We discuss Snoop Dogg returning Death Row Records music to streaming services, Dreamville's Creed III soundtrack, Talib Kweli and Madlib's new joint album and more.
0:00 Intro
6:30 Grandmaster Melle Mel offers a sharp critique of the Billboard/VIBE list of the 50 Greatest Rappers Of All-Time
11:40 Why Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five’s “The Message” is one of the 3 best Rap songs of all-time
14:15 The criteria Billboard and VIBE used to create their list
15:00 Why was Melle Mel ranked so low as #48 on the Billboard/VIBE list of the 50 Greatest Rappers Of All-Time
19:30 Melle Mel says Busta Rhymes is a greater MC than JAY-Z and explains why
30:00 Melle Mel say Tupac is greater than both Biggie and JAY-Z
38:00 Melle Mel says nobody wants to rap like Kendrick Lamar and he does not deserve to be #2 on the list
42:40 Melle Mel says Eminem only gets placed at #5 because of his race
49:00 Melle Mel criticizes Lil Wayne for using autotune
51:30 Does Melle Mel’s opinion hold more weight because he is a pioneer of Hip-Hop
55:50 Jadakiss says record labels should be held accountable for releasing violent content
1:04:00 Use of the N word by non-Black people when listening to Rap
1:10:30 Death Row Records music is back on streaming services through Snoop’s partnership with a new major player in music
1:19:45 Many of Hip-Hop’s greatest icons came together to celebrate the release of De La Soul’s music on streaming services
1:22:00 DJ Quik details the behind the scenes intimidation that took place at Death Row Records
1:27:00 The D.O.C.’s first verse in 19 years shows he still has the formula
1:31:53 J. Cole’s Dreamville has created an incredible soundtrack for Creed III
1:41:10 Talib Kweli and Madlib have released their joint album Liberation 2
Biggie Smalls was the illest…Big had a top-notch flow, a booming voice, and lyrics drenched in authenticity and humor. The all-time great MC born Christopher Wallace said it was all a dream, and then he took us on a ride from his time as a stressed-out kid in the streets of Bed-Stuy…to when he made that dream a reality by becoming one of the biggest stars on the planet. And he did it all through sheer force of will and talent.
As metamorphic as Big’s life was, his iconic style shape-shifted too. Heads watched Biggie’s fashion transformation play out in real time. In five short years, The Notorious B.I.G. went from wearing bandanas and t-shirts to rocking tailored suits and silk shirts. As Biggie himself said on “Sky’s The Limit,” his style went from “ashy to classy…” And, it turns out, that was by design.
Behind the music videos, the Source magazine covers, and the unforgettable red carpet looks were two people who helped transform Biggie Smalls into Big Poppa. One husband and wife team helped turn a man who described himself as “far from handsome”... and who sewed fake logos on his clothes as a kid…into an international sex symbol whose fashion influence was generational. This is the story of how those two people helped take Biggie from ashy to classy.
On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we discuss the life and legacy of Dave from De La Soul. We also talk about Billboard's recent list ranking the top 50 rappers of all-time, debate whether Drake has surpassed Lil Wayne, and more. We also breakdown the sale of Quality Control, Pharrell's new position at Louis Vuitton and more.
0:00 Intro
3:48 Remembering the life and legacy of Dave from De La Soul
8:50 What De La Soul has meant to us as fans of Hip-Hop
14:54 How De La Soul was different than any other Rap artist
20:50 Is it possible for De La Soul to continue without Dave
23:55 Celebrating Dave as an individual
31:20 Our personal interactions with De La Soul
36:08 Dave spoke about his health problems before his passing
41:14 Our favorite Dave verses
44:28 Billboard and VIBE published a joint list naming the 50 greatest MCs of all-time
47:43 Has Drake surpassed Lil Wayne
57:20 Should Drake be #2 on the list
1:03:54 The most questionable rankings on the list
1:09:48 Do these lists do more harm than good
1:13:50 The biggest omissions from the list
1:23:00 The Quality Control record label was sold for $300MM
1:26:50 Black-owned record companies have been undervalued historically
1:33:10 Pharrell Williams has been named the Creative Director of Menswear for Louis Vuitton
1:38:31 The New York Times refers to Pharrell as “the American rapper and producer”
1:45:49 50 Cent has signed a development deal with FOX
On this week's episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we breakdown the highs and the lows of the 2023 Grammy Awards, with deep dives on the year's biggest surprises, best performances and the most important Hip-Hop moments.
0:00 Intro
5:08 The lead up to the 2023 Grammy Awards
13:40 Slick Rick is honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
15:36 The Roc Nation Brunch experience
17:30 A famous star mistakes Reggie for Stevie J
19:04 Grammy party gift bags
21:50 How Will Smith’s slap changed comedian behavior at live events
24:30 Were Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé sending messages by being late to the show
28:00 Is Kendrick Lamar preparing to release a new album
31:20 Why did JAY-Z and Beyoncé come back to the Grammys after years of absence
33:35 Quavo’s in memoriam tribute to Takeoff
35:30 Beyoncé is now the artist with the most Grammys
37:00 Most surprising Grammy wins of 2023
46:00 Chris Brown throws shade toward Robert Glasper for Glasper’s win
50:50 Kendrick Lamar dominated the Rap categories
53:00 Stevie Wonder performs in honor of Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson
1:00:15 Did the performance of DJ Khaled’s “GOD DID” ft Rick Ross, Lil Wayne and JAY-Z live up to expectations
1:08:52 The Questlove curated Hip-Hop 50 tribute featured 5 decades of Rap legends
1:12:30 The 17-song playlist was mind-blowing and truly for Hip-Hop heads
1:15:30 The Grammy Awards finally gave Hip-Hop its proper respect
1:22:20 Songs of the Week
On this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we discuss De La Soul's announcement that music they recorded for Tommy Boy is coming to streaming services, as well as Black Sheep's lawsuit against Universal Music Group for $750 million. We also talk about Dr. Dre's impending sale of his music catalog, as well as new music from Skyzoo and Dr. Dre.
0:00 Intro
2:56 RIP Gangsta Boo
3:56 De La Soul’s music is coming to streaming services after years of battling
6:48 A timeline of De La Soul’s history with Tommy Boy Records
19:20 The legal barriers to putting De La Soul’s music on streaming services
24:00 Part of De La Soul’s older music has been re-recorded
29:20 Why having music on YouTube is not enough
37:00 Black Sheep is suing Universal Music Group for $750 million
45:20 If Black Sheep wins it will fundamentally change the music business
51:00 Dr. Dre is selling part of his music catalog for $200 million
1:00:40 RIP Laylaw
1:01:50 Boldy James is recovering from a very serious car crash
1:03:05 Slick Rick is getting a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
1:06:18 Skyzoo has released an album The Mind Of A Saint rapped from the perspective of Snowfall’s Franklin Saint
1:11:07 Black Thought is releasing a new album with El Michels Affair
On the final episode of the year for AFH's What's The Headline, we run down Ambrosia For Heads' 15 Best Rap Albums of 2022, and discuss why each one made the list. 0:00 Intro 3:40 Our process for reviewing albums for this list 7:00 Key trends in Hip-Hop in 2022 13:20 Why we don’t rank our year end list 16:00 The 15 best Rap albums of 2022 (in no particular order) 16:12 Black Thought & Danger Mouse - Cheat Codes 20:36 Joey Bada$$ - 2000 26:55 Lupe Fiasco - DRILL MUSIC IN ZION 32:28 Black Star - No Fear Of Time 39:14 Ab-Soul - HERBERT 46:32 Roc Marciano & The Alchemist - The Elephant Man’s Bones 50:05 Open Mike Eagle - Component System With Auto Reverse 55:50 JID - The Forever Story 1:00:47 Elzhi & Georgia Anne Muldrow - Zhigeist 1:05:16 Apollo Brown & Philmore Greene - Cost Of Living 1:08:02 Nas & Hit-Boy - King’s Disease III 1:12:44 Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future 1:16:53 Cormega - The Realness II 1:21:26 Pusha-T - It’s Almost Dry 1:25:32 Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers 1:30:40 Our personal picks for Rap song of the year
On this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we discuss the best Rap verses of 2022 and which ones made our top 10. Check Spotify or the site to follow along with a playlist on our page.
0:00 Intro
5:40 The criteria for what makes a great verse
9:30 14 verses are contending for the 10 best verses of 2022
10:30 JAY-Z - “GOD DID”
19:00 J.I.D. - “Crack Sandwich”
24:10 Kendrick Lamar - “Mother I Sober”
28:08 J. Cole - “Johnny P’s Caddy”
34:11 Lupe Fiasco “On Faux Nem”
38:30 Kendrick Lamar - “The Heart, Pt. 5”
43:52 Drake - “Middle Of The Ocean”
50:33 Black Thought - “No Gold Teeth”
53:48 Conway The Machine - “Stressed”
57:26 Remy Ma - “Remy Rap”
1:01:47 Symba - “GOAT”
1:05:05 Coast Contra - “Never Freestyle”
1:08:51 Joey Bada$$ - “Head High”
1:12:59 Elzhi - “King Sh!t (Say Word)”
1:17:00 Honorable mention: Coast Contra - “Scenario Freestyle”
1:20:14 The 10 Best Rap Verses of 2022
Nas has released King's Disease III, the third in his series of KD albums produced entirely by Hit-Boy. In this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline podcast, we review the album song by song and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. We also rank the albums in the King's Disease series.
0:00 Intro
1:55 The problem with hot take reviews
7:15 Attending the release party for Nas’ King’s Disease III
11:45 Reviewing Nas’ King’s Disease III song by song
11:48 “Ghetto Reporter”
14:54 Hit-Boy has Nas sounding like he’s in his prime in his 40s
27:30 21 Savage recently said Nas was not relevant
32:01 “Legit”
35:30 “Thun”
39:42 “Michael & Quincy”
43:30 What producer should Nas work with next
47:26 “30”
51:10 “Hood2Hood”
53:57 “Recession Proof”
55:30 “Reminisce”
56:11 What are Nas’ 7 best albums
1:00:50 “Serious Interlude”
1:02:47 “I’m On Fire”
1:04:08 “WTF SMH”
1:05:41 “Once a Man, Twice a Child”
1:10:17 “Get Light”
1:11:06 “First Time”
1:14:20 “Beef”
1:16:17 “Don’t Shoot”
1:18:05 “Till My Last Breath”
1:21:34 How we rate Nas’ King’s Disease III album on a scale of 1 - 10
1:22:55 Ranking the album in the King’s Disease series
The nominations for the 2023 Grammy Awards are in, and they are not without controversy. Some of Rap's best artists have been snubbed, and the stage is set for an epic clash of the titans between JAY-Z and Kendrick Lamar. On this episode of Ambrosia For Heads' What's The Headline, we break down each of the categories featuring Rap artists, assessing the nominations, discussing the snubs, suggesting who should win and predicting who the eventual winner will be.
0:00 Intro
3:57 Best Rap Performance
6:38 Was “The Heart Pt. 5” Kendrick Lamar’s best song this year
19:52 Who will win the night between Kendrick Lamar and JAY-Z
24:34 Best Melodic Rap Performance
28:40 Best Rap Song
34:40 If "GOD DID" were to win, should this count as a first Rick Ross Grammy
36:05 Song Of The Year
41:20 Kendrick Lamar and JAY-Z are competing in four categories. There is a lot of history and a Grammy rivalry here
42:40 Could Kendrick Lamar’s The Heart Part 5 take Music Video Of The Year
44:10 What’s the difference between Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year
45:00 Record The Year
46:40 Song Of The Year
48:00 Album Of The Year
52:20 Will Kendrick Lamar attend the Grammy Awards this time
53:25 Best Rap Album nominations
54:40 Does Kanye West’s role in Pusha-T’s It’s Almost Dry album make it a Grammy liability
55:00 Predicted winner of Best Rap Album
57:00 Joey Bada$$’s 2000, Black Star’s No Fear Of Time, JID’s The Forever Story were snubbed by the Grammys
59:05 Tobe Nwigwe, Freestyle Fellowship, Questlove, Boi-1da, DJ Dahi, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Dave Chappelle, and others received noteworthy nominations
1:05:50 Song Of The Week from a Grammy-nominated project
Last week's death of Takeoff from the Migos marks more than 60 Rap artists who have been lost to gun violence. The latest episode of AFH's What's The Headline examines the history and evolution of violence in Rap music. The conversation, which draws from actual statistics, also looks at why 1987 - 1993 marks a turning point in the musical content and imagery that is very much still driving the consumption of Rap music.
0:00-2:00 intro - More than 60 rappers have died from gun violence
2:01 - 6:10 - AFH’s coverage of Migos and our personal relationships to the music
6:11 - 9:30 - There is a history and evolution of violence in Rap music. This is not preaching, but analysis and commentary from two Hip-Hop Heads
9:31 - 12:30 - Rap music has always possessed the power to influence in many ways
12:31 - 17:30 - Violence is one of the ways that Rap music can influence. Trick-Trick makes the point that music can put a spell on the listener
17:31 - 21:40 - There was a time in recorded Rap music where violence themes were barely existent
21:41 - 25:50 - Boogie Down Productions, Schoolly D, Ice-T, and N.W.A. changed things substantially, especially by 1987
25:51 - 29:30 - Shortly after BDP releases “9MM Goes Bang,” Scott La Rock is killed. It is also their most-streamed song on Spotify
29:31 - 36:30 - N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton began a time when violence in Rap music went from being the exception to the norm. That coincides with the crack epidemic
36:31 - 40:00 - The Geto Boys’ “Mind Of A Lunatic” took violence in Rap music to that other level
40:01 - 45:50 - N.W.A. raises the stakes again with Efil4zaggin and that album goes to #1 on the pop charts
45:50 - 47:59 This trend continues with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, a critically-acclaimed, commercially successful, radio-embraced albums
48:00 - 49:50 In a five-year span Rap music has gone from barely cursing to glorifying violence and misogyny
49:51 - 53:10 - Art imitates life with Snoop Dogg, the death of Philip Woldemariam, and Murder Was The Case
53:11 - 58:30 - The mid-‘90s emergence of Horrorcore and a whole movement built are violence and death
58:31 - 1:01:40 - The movement continues, into Tupac, Drill music, and beyond. People are addressing real violence in the music
1:01:41 - 1:09:00 - Some powerful statistics about murders in America, and the relationship those figures have to what is happening in the lyrics
1:09:01 - 1:16:00 - A history of anti-violence Rap songs involving KRS-One and H.E.A.L., We’re All In The Same Gang, Heather B, Organized Konfusion, Black Star, Gang Starr, Kendrick Lamar, Main Source, and more
1:16:00 - 1:19:00 - Beyond Rap music, there is an increasing prominence of violence in film, television, and video games
1:19:00 - 1:21:00 - Some powerful statistics about the murder rates and gun homicides of Black Americans versus white Americans
1:21:01 - 1:29:00 - What is the role that we, as Heads, and AFH play in this carnage?
1:29:00 - 1:33:00 - What role do record labels and digital streaming platforms play in this?
1:33:01 - 1:36:10 - Is art really imitating life for some Rap artists?
1:36:11 - 1:40:20 - What can society do to be better with our appetite for destruction?
1:40:21 - Song of the weeks from Heather B and Ab-Soul featuring Zacari
0:00 Intro
3:00 Coolio’s Rap legacy
9:20 Do people think of Coolio as an LA artist?
11:15 The Game names his top 5 LA Rap albums
13:20 What are the top 5 Rap albums of all-time?
29:00 How 50 Cent clowned Ja Rule for making pop records, while making pop records
32:20 The Game says Dr. Dre has never produced a song for him
39:28 Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre are releasing a new album in November
46:30 Why was there a two-year delay between the video shoot for Kendrick Lamar’s "N95" and the release of his Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album?
49:24 Kanye West’s self-destruction should no be televised
1:05:28 The Virgil Abloh exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum is a great tribute to him
1:07:38 Roc Marciano & The Alchemist put on a show for a star-studded audience in Brooklyn
1:11:18 New music from Open Mike Eagle, Cormega, Freddie Gibbs, Kid Cudi, YG, Rome Streetz, and more