Hip Hop News: Death Row Defeats Wu-Tang Clan To Be Named Greatest Rap Crew (2024)

Moments ago tonight (June 25), Busta Rhymes received the BET Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award before delivering an emotional speech. B.R. was presented the prestigious award by Marlon Wayans and Swizz The post Death Row Defeats Wu-Tang Clan To Be Named Greatest Rap Crew first appeared on Ambrosia For Heads.

Moments ago tonight (June 25), Busta Rhymes received the BET Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award before delivering an emotional speech. B.R. was presented the prestigious award by Marlon Wayans and Swizz The post Death Row Defeats Wu-Tang Clan To Be Named Greatest Rap Crew first appeared on Ambrosia For Heads.

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Jun 27, 2023 - 01:00
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Death Row Defeats Wu-Tang Clan To Be Named Greatest Rap Crew

Moments ago tonight (June 25), Busta Rhymes received the BET Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award before delivering an emotional speech. B.R. was presented the prestigious award by Marlon Wayans and Swizz Beatz, who spoke before and after a video vignette featuring testimony from Diddy, Pharrell Williams, Mariah Carey (who praised M.O.P.’s “Ante Up (Remix)” with Busta and others), Chuck D, Dave Chappelle, and others.

Busta accepted the award, joined on stage by longtime Flipmode Squad family Spliff Star and DJ Scratch as well as Swizz. From the podium, an emotional Busta spoke about a meaningful career pivot. Notably, Trevor Smith pointed back 30 years ago to getting fired from Leaders Of The New School. Although he shouted out Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and Cut Monitor Milo in his speech, the MC recalls that losing his spot in a group challenged him. Busta recalled raising a young son (his first child of six) and having to make ends meet. “By default, I pioneered the feature,” proclaimed Busta—who has become a master of the artform in addition to his respected catalog. Having already delivered a standout verse on “Scenario” alongside his then-group, Busta stayed in the inner circle of fellow Native Tongues artists, A Tribe Called Quest. He also worked with Craig Mack and others to keep his name hot.

Busta Rhymes Opens Up About His Near Death Experience

B.R. spoke of calling studio receptionists and maneuvering into other artists’ sessions. Showing up with herbal goodies, Busta reveals how he used a relaxation session to write to the beat and get a spot on songs. The artist says he supported his family off of feature dollars between 1993 and 1996, a three-year hiatus between getting ousted from L.O.N.S. and delivering his solo debut, The Coming. The artist reveals that he has reunited with the Elekta Records executive who staked him then, Sylvia Rhone. Now, the exec and artist are reunited at Epic Records—where Busta just released a new single, “Beach Ball” alongside Bia. This latest development follows years with Cash Money Records and years working with Dr. Dre, as well as a 2020 tenure with EMPIRE for the acclaimed Extinction Level Event 2.

He then challenged Hip-Hop to do better and stop the violence. “One thing I need y’all to know: we gonna stop these little petty beefs that we be doin’ in Rap.” He urged, “Y’all messin’ up the bag. Y’all messin’ up the energy. I don’t like when I talk these dudes that run these streaming platforms and they talkin’ about, ‘we’re turning the consumer off because there’s so much little this and little that goin’ on with you rappers.’ We’re gonna stop that. We’re gonna love each other, and we’re gonna get to this money. Executives, start promoting everything that can be great in the music, too. It ain’t just gotta be about the ass-shakin’ and how much drugs we sold, and how much dudes we tied up, and how much drugs we doin’. I’m from the Chuck D era and the [Big Daddy] Kane era, but I’m a timeless great.”

Busta Rhymes, Big Daddy Kane & Conway Slap The Competition On A New Song

In the extended speech, Busta credited Chuck D, Big Daddy Kane, and EPMD for their mentorship of his career at the onset. Then, he shouted out the leaders of Rap’s new school. “Everything about me is about leading the new; that’s why my group was called Leaders Of The New.” He bigged up Ice Spice and Coi LeRay as well as Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, before praising Wu-Tang Clan and Nas for remaining active and prolific. “We’re gonna stop this narrative like we don’t love each other,” Busta said, referring to generations. “This divide thing—that’s corny. It’s tired; it’s wack. What’s really happening [is] they’re scared [of] us to get together. We might give y’all too much information. We might give y’all too much information, but we ain’t goin’ nowhere.” Busta then spoke about learning some things from the O.G.s in Brooklyn. Now an O.G., Busta celebrated his class’ health and wealth, while peers like E-40 smiled from the crowd.

Moments after the speech, Busta performed a medley of his hits, including the “Ante Up Remix” with M.O.P.’s Billy Danze and Lil Fame, plus Remy Ma. Past BET Awards Lifetime Achievement Award winners include Queen Latifah, Diddy, Michael Jackson, Prince, James Brown, and Whitney Houston.

M.O.P. & Cormega Are Cut From A Different Cloth Of MCs

#BonusBeat: A late 2020 episode of Ambrosia For Heads’ What’s The Headline podcast that declares Busta Rhymes’ ELE 2 a classic:





Moments ago tonight (June 25), Busta Rhymes received the BET Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award before delivering an emotional speech. B.R. was presented the prestigious award by Marlon Wayans and Swizz Beatz, who spoke before and after a video vignette featuring testimony from Diddy, Pharrell Williams, Mariah Carey (who praised M.O.P.’s “Ante Up (Remix)” with Busta and others), Chuck D, Dave Chappelle, and others.

Busta accepted the award, joined on stage by longtime Flipmode Squad family Spliff Star and DJ Scratch as well as Swizz. From the podium, an emotional Busta spoke about a meaningful career pivot. Notably, Trevor Smith pointed back 30 years ago to getting fired from Leaders Of The New School. Although he shouted out Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and Cut Monitor Milo in his speech, the MC recalls that losing his spot in a group challenged him. Busta recalled raising a young son (his first child of six) and having to make ends meet. “By default, I pioneered the feature,” proclaimed Busta—who has become a master of the artform in addition to his respected catalog. Having already delivered a standout verse on “Scenario” alongside his then-group, Busta stayed in the inner circle of fellow Native Tongues artists, A Tribe Called Quest. He also worked with Craig Mack and others to keep his name hot.

Busta Rhymes Opens Up About His Near Death Experience

B.R. spoke of calling studio receptionists and maneuvering into other artists’ sessions. Showing up with herbal goodies, Busta reveals how he used a relaxation session to write to the beat and get a spot on songs. The artist says he supported his family off of feature dollars between 1993 and 1996, a three-year hiatus between getting ousted from L.O.N.S. and delivering his solo debut, The Coming. The artist reveals that he has reunited with the Elekta Records executive who staked him then, Sylvia Rhone. Now, the exec and artist are reunited at Epic Records—where Busta just released a new single, “Beach Ball” alongside Bia. This latest development follows years with Cash Money Records and years working with Dr. Dre, as well as a 2020 tenure with EMPIRE for the acclaimed Extinction Level Event 2.

He then challenged Hip-Hop to do better and stop the violence. “One thing I need y’all to know: we gonna stop these little petty beefs that we be doin’ in Rap.” He urged, “Y’all messin’ up the bag. Y’all messin’ up the energy. I don’t like when I talk these dudes that run these streaming platforms and they talkin’ about, ‘we’re turning the consumer off because there’s so much little this and little that goin’ on with you rappers.’ We’re gonna stop that. We’re gonna love each other, and we’re gonna get to this money. Executives, start promoting everything that can be great in the music, too. It ain’t just gotta be about the ass-shakin’ and how much drugs we sold, and how much dudes we tied up, and how much drugs we doin’. I’m from the Chuck D era and the [Big Daddy] Kane era, but I’m a timeless great.”

Busta Rhymes, Big Daddy Kane & Conway Slap The Competition On A New Song

In the extended speech, Busta credited Chuck D, Big Daddy Kane, and EPMD for their mentorship of his career at the onset. Then, he shouted out the leaders of Rap’s new school. “Everything about me is about leading the new; that’s why my group was called Leaders Of The New.” He bigged up Ice Spice and Coi LeRay as well as Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, before praising Wu-Tang Clan and Nas for remaining active and prolific. “We’re gonna stop this narrative like we don’t love each other,” Busta said, referring to generations. “This divide thing—that’s corny. It’s tired; it’s wack. What’s really happening [is] they’re scared [of] us to get together. We might give y’all too much information. We might give y’all too much information, but we ain’t goin’ nowhere.” Busta then spoke about learning some things from the O.G.s in Brooklyn. Now an O.G., Busta celebrated his class’ health and wealth, while peers like E-40 smiled from the crowd.

Moments after the speech, Busta performed a medley of his hits, including the “Ante Up Remix” with M.O.P.’s Billy Danze and Lil Fame, plus Remy Ma. Past BET Awards Lifetime Achievement Award winners include Queen Latifah, Diddy, Michael Jackson, Prince, James Brown, and Whitney Houston.

M.O.P. & Cormega Are Cut From A Different Cloth Of MCs

#BonusBeat: A late 2020 episode of Ambrosia For Heads’ What’s The Headline podcast that declares Busta Rhymes’ ELE 2 a classic:





The Def Squad has been going strong for over 30 years. As Hip-Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, the three-MC core of Erick Sermon, Redman, and Keith Murray showed up in style at the 2023 BET Awards.

Erick Sermon kicked off the medley performing his 2001 solo song “Music” from his album of the same name. This BET Awards performance occurred in a year when “The Green-Eyed Bandit” revealed that he had overcome an opioid addiction while suffering some public losses. The self-produced Marvin Gaye-sampling track shouts out Sermon’s Def Squad band-mate Keith Murray. Moments later, the host, DJ Kid Capri, urged the Central Islip, Long Island MC to the stage.

Redman Wants Another Def Squad Album & He Explains The Muddy Waters 2 Delay (Audio)

Keith performed his 1994 solo breakout “The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World” from his debut of the same title. E-Double produced the Jive/Zomba Records track. After recent reports of erratic behavior and controversial interviews from the respected MC, Keith Murray shows that his stage presence remains sharp, and his catalog has aged gracefully. Dressed in a suit, Keith meant business.

Redman followed, making an entrance through the crowd with a glow-in-the-dark bike. Reggie Noble performed “Da Goodness,” his self-produced 1998 collaboration with Busta Rhymes from Doc’s Da Name 2000. Busta, Jadakiss, Big Daddy Kane, and others cheered from the crowd while Red’ moved his nimble body to the beat, not missing a word. Notably, Busta Rhymes is the recipient of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from the BET Awards.

Redman Gets Real About Def Squad, Leaving Def Jam & Staying True To Self (Audio)

Redman is at work at Muddy Waters Too. In 2019, Sermon released Vernia. That same year, Keith dropped Lord Of The Metaphor 2. Several new Redman collaborations, including songs with Logic and Royce 5’9, are currently on the Ambrosia For Heads playlist.

#BonusBeat: AFH‘s 2019 interview with EPMD:

The Def Squad has been going strong for over 30 years. As Hip-Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary, the three-MC core of Erick Sermon, Redman, and Keith Murray showed up in style at the 2023 BET Awards.

Erick Sermon kicked off the medley performing his 2001 solo song “Music” from his album of the same name. This BET Awards performance occurred in a year when “The Green-Eyed Bandit” revealed that he had overcome an opioid addiction while suffering some public losses. The self-produced Marvin Gaye-sampling track shouts out Sermon’s Def Squad band-mate Keith Murray. Moments later, the host, DJ Kid Capri, urged the Central Islip, Long Island MC to the stage.

Redman Wants Another Def Squad Album & He Explains The Muddy Waters 2 Delay (Audio)

Keith performed his 1994 solo breakout “The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World” from his debut of the same title. E-Double produced the Jive/Zomba Records track. After recent reports of erratic behavior and controversial interviews from the respected MC, Keith Murray shows that his stage presence remains sharp, and his catalog has aged gracefully. Dressed in a suit, Keith meant business.

Redman followed, making an entrance through the crowd with a glow-in-the-dark bike. Reggie Noble performed “Da Goodness,” his self-produced 1998 collaboration with Busta Rhymes from Doc’s Da Name 2000. Busta, Jadakiss, Big Daddy Kane, and others cheered from the crowd while Red’ moved his nimble body to the beat, not missing a word. Notably, Busta Rhymes is the recipient of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from the BET Awards.

Redman Gets Real About Def Squad, Leaving Def Jam & Staying True To Self (Audio)

Redman is at work at Muddy Waters Too. In 2019, Sermon released Vernia. That same year, Keith dropped Lord Of The Metaphor 2. Several new Redman collaborations, including songs with Logic and Royce 5’9, are currently on the Ambrosia For Heads playlist.

#BonusBeat: AFH‘s 2019 interview with EPMD:

In recognition of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, BET Digital, in partnership with Ambrosia For Heads, is celebrating the culture by hosting a bracket-style competition that allows you to determine Hip-Hop’s greatest crew.

Rather than having “experts” tell you who is the greatest of all time, this is your opportunity to collectively make that decision. After giving the opportunity to any and all fans to provide feedback on which crews should be included, 32 collectives from different regions, styles, and generations have been selected—all vying for that #1 spot. When the final battle is over, and the last vote is cast, you will have determined who is your Greatest Rap Crew of All Time—and that just happened moments ago, with an announcement during the 2023 BET Awards pre-show in Los Angeles, California.

Tha Dogg Pound Announce They Are Back On Death Row & Making Dogg Food 2 After more than a month of voting and over 30 matchups, that winner has been determined by user votes, including at BET.com and through social media hashtags. Voters have decided The Death Row Family is the Greatest Rap Crew of All Time. The crew, including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Tha Dogg Pound, Warren G, DJ Quik, The Lady Of Rage, and others, defeated the Wu-Tang Clan crew in the championship round to secure the top position. To some, this may mark an upset, given the Wu crew’s nine-MC group as well as respected crew members including Cappadonna, Killah Priest, and others. However, it was a crew based out of the West Coast that took home this honor during Hip-Hop’s celebratory 50th anniversary.

Previously, Death Row defeated YMCMB, TDE, N.W.A. & The Posse, and the Hieroglyphics Crew during the first four rounds (in reverse order). Appearing on The Breakfast Club this month, Wu’s Method Man said he was “humbled” to compete in the championship round, while pointing to the fact that the Death Row movement gained momentum years before the Clan. “We had heard nothing like that before from the west coast,” said Johnny Blaze.

Kurupt Details The Classic Death Row Songs That Began As Freestyles

More than 30 years ago, the Death Row Family formed after Dr. Dre, The D.O.C., and others left another crew, N.W.A. & The Family. Dre, a co-founder of World Class Wrecking Crew and N.W.A., was an expert in evolution. By 1992, he had launched a new collective, primarily of budding talent—including a lanky MC with a conversational flow, Snoop Dogg Dogg. The D.O.C., one of the top MCs of the late 1980s, joined him as an orchestrator and songwriter—following his career-altering automobile accident where his vocal chords were severed.

Dre and Snoop debuted their incredible chemistry on the soundtrack single “Deep Cover” in early 1992. By the end of that year, Dr. Dre’s solo debut, The Chronic, stood as an album not just emphasizing a respected rap artist’s new chapter and sound but as an ensemble introduction of a new clique. Snoop was front and center, appearing throughout the album. At the same time, Daz, Kurupt, RBX, Rage, Warren G, and Nate Dogg played key roles in a project that goaded Dre’s former crew, soundtracked the angst of post-Rodney King Black Los Angeles, and applied twenty-year-old Funk elements into a Hip-Hop sonic tapestry that was rooted in the most cutthroat West Coast streets. Songs like “Stranded On Death Row,” “Lyrical Gangbang,” and vinyl B-side “Puffin’ On Blunts & Drankin’ Tanqueray” showed that Dre’s new crew was more than the company formed by him, Suge Knight, Michael “Harry-O” Harris, Dick Griffey and The D.O.C.; it was a state of mind. The movement grouped artists committed to their dream and each other. They had stories, styles, and attitudes that stood apart from the general Rap population, and they would succeed because Death Row was more than a label, it was a way of life.

The D.O.C. Is Performing Again For The First Time In 33 Years

In the ensuing years, much like with Wu-Tang Clan MCs, individual Death Row crew members beyond Dre and Snoop became stars in their own right. Daz and Kurupt’s Tha Dogg Pound became a multi-platinum, chart-topping group. Rage scored a soundtrack hit with “Afro Puffs,” and Warren G and Nate Dogg made a smash hit with “Regulate.” Warren, who is Dre’s half-brother, found his success away from the Death Row record company—but his lineage represented the crew, including key contributions to Snoop’s Doggystyle debut.

By the mid-1990s, non-homegrown talents joined the movement. Snoop’s friendship with Tupac led to soundtrack and movie appearances from Pac. After Shakur’s prison sentence, the Thug Life artist joined the Death Row family—working with artists new and old, large and small—and repping the crew as hard as any of its original members. DJ Quik, who joined Dre and Suge as a Compton native, appeared with “The Inmates” at the 1995 Source Awards, and he contributed production, soundtrack singles, and compilation work to the movement. Death Row was topping the charts and the consciousness of rap music between 1992 and 1996.

DJ Quik Recalls Making Tupac’s All Eyez On Me & The Advice Dr. Dre Gave Him (Video)

While the Death Row record company was all but done during the late ’90s and 2000s (following the death of Tupac and the incarceration of Suge), the legacy of the family prevailed. Dr. Dre’s Up In Smoke Tour, Snoop’s No Limit Top Dogg, and Tha Pound’s Cali Iz Active involved the crew and the spirit. As he’d done after leaving N.W.A., Dre brought his cohorts with him—visually and spiritually for “Still D.R.E.” and the 2001 album, on his subsequent Aftermath Entertainment label.

Thirty years after the movement launched, Snoop acquired Death Row in 2022, announced just days before he and Dre headlined a Super Bowl Halftime Show alongside Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and others. Since then, Tha Dogg Pound, Rage, and RBX have stepped forward with their super-group, The Inmatez, Tha Dogg Pound has reportedly returned to release more music, and Dre and Snoop are at work on Doggystyle‘s thematic sequel, Missionary. Just like in 1992, the Death Row Family is back, and everybody’s celebratin’.

Kurupt, Daz, The Lady Of Rage & RBX Have Formed A Supergroup

#BonusBeat: A May 2023 interview by AFH‘s  What’s The Headline podcast and one of the players in the Death Row Family movement, The D.O.C.:

In recognition of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, BET Digital, in partnership with Ambrosia For Heads, is celebrating the culture by hosting a bracket-style competition that allows you to determine Hip-Hop’s greatest crew.

Rather than having “experts” tell you who is the greatest of all time, this is your opportunity to collectively make that decision. After giving the opportunity to any and all fans to provide feedback on which crews should be included, 32 collectives from different regions, styles, and generations have been selected—all vying for that #1 spot. When the final battle is over, and the last vote is cast, you will have determined who is your Greatest Rap Crew of All Time—and that just happened moments ago, with an announcement during the 2023 BET Awards pre-show in Los Angeles, California.

Tha Dogg Pound Announce They Are Back On Death Row & Making Dogg Food 2 After more than a month of voting and over 30 matchups, that winner has been determined by user votes, including at BET.com and through social media hashtags. Voters have decided The Death Row Family is the Greatest Rap Crew of All Time. The crew, including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Tha Dogg Pound, Warren G, DJ Quik, The Lady Of Rage, and others, defeated the Wu-Tang Clan crew in the championship round to secure the top position. To some, this may mark an upset, given the Wu crew’s nine-MC group as well as respected crew members including Cappadonna, Killah Priest, and others. However, it was a crew based out of the West Coast that took home this honor during Hip-Hop’s celebratory 50th anniversary.

Previously, Death Row defeated YMCMB, TDE, N.W.A. & The Posse, and the Hieroglyphics Crew during the first four rounds (in reverse order). Appearing on The Breakfast Club this month, Wu’s Method Man said he was “humbled” to compete in the championship round, while pointing to the fact that the Death Row movement gained momentum years before the Clan. “We had heard nothing like that before from the west coast,” said Johnny Blaze.

Kurupt Details The Classic Death Row Songs That Began As Freestyles

More than 30 years ago, the Death Row Family formed after Dr. Dre, The D.O.C., and others left another crew, N.W.A. & The Family. Dre, a co-founder of World Class Wrecking Crew and N.W.A., was an expert in evolution. By 1992, he had launched a new collective, primarily of budding talent—including a lanky MC with a conversational flow, Snoop Dogg Dogg. The D.O.C., one of the top MCs of the late 1980s, joined him as an orchestrator and songwriter—following his career-altering automobile accident where his vocal chords were severed.

Dre and Snoop debuted their incredible chemistry on the soundtrack single “Deep Cover” in early 1992. By the end of that year, Dr. Dre’s solo debut, The Chronic, stood as an album not just emphasizing a respected rap artist’s new chapter and sound but as an ensemble introduction of a new clique. Snoop was front and center, appearing throughout the album. At the same time, Daz, Kurupt, RBX, Rage, Warren G, and Nate Dogg played key roles in a project that goaded Dre’s former crew, soundtracked the angst of post-Rodney King Black Los Angeles, and applied twenty-year-old Funk elements into a Hip-Hop sonic tapestry that was rooted in the most cutthroat West Coast streets. Songs like “Stranded On Death Row,” “Lyrical Gangbang,” and vinyl B-side “Puffin’ On Blunts & Drankin’ Tanqueray” showed that Dre’s new crew was more than the company formed by him, Suge Knight, Michael “Harry-O” Harris, Dick Griffey and The D.O.C.; it was a state of mind. The movement grouped artists committed to their dream and each other. They had stories, styles, and attitudes that stood apart from the general Rap population, and they would succeed because Death Row was more than a label, it was a way of life.

The D.O.C. Is Performing Again For The First Time In 33 Years

In the ensuing years, much like with Wu-Tang Clan MCs, individual Death Row crew members beyond Dre and Snoop became stars in their own right. Daz and Kurupt’s Tha Dogg Pound became a multi-platinum, chart-topping group. Rage scored a soundtrack hit with “Afro Puffs,” and Warren G and Nate Dogg made a smash hit with “Regulate.” Warren, who is Dre’s half-brother, found his success away from the Death Row record company—but his lineage represented the crew, including key contributions to Snoop’s Doggystyle debut.

By the mid-1990s, non-homegrown talents joined the movement. Snoop’s friendship with Tupac led to soundtrack and movie appearances from Pac. After Shakur’s prison sentence, the Thug Life artist joined the Death Row family—working with artists new and old, large and small—and repping the crew as hard as any of its original members. DJ Quik, who joined Dre and Suge as a Compton native, appeared with “The Inmates” at the 1995 Source Awards, and he contributed production, soundtrack singles, and compilation work to the movement. Death Row was topping the charts and the consciousness of rap music between 1992 and 1996.

DJ Quik Recalls Making Tupac’s All Eyez On Me & The Advice Dr. Dre Gave Him (Video)

While the Death Row record company was all but done during the late ’90s and 2000s (following the death of Tupac and the incarceration of Suge), the legacy of the family prevailed. Dr. Dre’s Up In Smoke Tour, Snoop’s No Limit Top Dogg, and Tha Pound’s Cali Iz Active involved the crew and the spirit. As he’d done after leaving N.W.A., Dre brought his cohorts with him—visually and spiritually for “Still D.R.E.” and the 2001 album, on his subsequent Aftermath Entertainment label.

Thirty years after the movement launched, Snoop acquired Death Row in 2022, announced just days before he and Dre headlined a Super Bowl Halftime Show alongside Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and others. Since then, Tha Dogg Pound, Rage, and RBX have stepped forward with their super-group, The Inmatez, Tha Dogg Pound has reportedly returned to release more music, and Dre and Snoop are at work on Doggystyle‘s thematic sequel, Missionary. Just like in 1992, the Death Row Family is back, and everybody’s celebratin’.

Kurupt, Daz, The Lady Of Rage & RBX Have Formed A Supergroup

#BonusBeat: A May 2023 interview by AFH‘s  What’s The Headline podcast and one of the players in the Death Row Family movement, The D.O.C.:

The post Death Row Defeats Wu-Tang Clan To Be Named Greatest Rap Crew first appeared on Ambrosia For Heads.

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