Rap music is forever turning out to be a fun influence on things we'd least expect. When your grandmother starts using terms like "turn up," you realize that there is no getting away from it. Even the creative and artsy folk over at Etsy.com combine their passion for crafts with their admiration of ... More >>
"So I'm watching the Daytona 500, and they cut to a shot of Erin Andrews making her way through the pits and she bumps into 50 Cent..." Honestly, if I were to start a sentence off with that lead-in, how excited are you for the rest of the story? Giddy, right? There are hooks and there are hooks, bu ... More >>
Hip-hop is a genre based around storytelling skills. Some people can't form a coherent story and it sometimes still works for them, but the absolute best are the ones who can keep you hanging off their heavy wordplay and take you through the twists and turns of a good story. Ghostface Killah and MF ... More >>
Recently Green Day have been trying to promote their latest album by infiltrating all forms of mainstream media and somebody in the band must have realized that Angry Birds is a thing so why should it be left out? That is, presumably, how the world came to see Green Day members immortalized as gree ... More >>
Once upon a time, record labels were the most important thing to an artist who chose to work within the music industry. They could make or break anyone and even world renowned artists knelt at the feet of their masters. Getting dropped from a label was, at one time, a death sentence. Even today man ... More >>
If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the chaos, Village Voice Media's roving music editors have selected t ... More >>
Most of the world's biggest rappers - Jay-Z, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, T.I., 50 Cent - have performed in Austin within the past week, are about to perform, or are at least in the city partaking in the SXSW festivities. Rocks Off was leaving Stubb's late Thursday night and heard Snoop Dogg performing ... More >>
Ed. Note: This article is about some of the more unusual, but perfectly legal, forms of behavior some people choose to do in the boudoir. Sensitive readers might want to keep that in mind. Everyone's got a fetish. Some are kinkier than others, but everyone has something they like about their partne ... More >>
InterscopeI was in college when Get Rich or Die Tryin' dropped. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing "In da Club"-- house parties, techno clubs, AA meetings, everywhere. My friends used to sit around and debate 50's feud with Ja Rule. Anyone brave enough to take Ja's side was ridiculed to ... More >>
The Super Broker Shuffle: Your eyes and ears will never forgive youI'm a sucker for lists, I've said that before. If it makes me a less cerebral person, so be it. I'm not apologizing. For a "list addict" like myself, Forbes magazine is like a big plate of list cocaine. They'll come up with a ... More >>
Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn't a national holiday, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn GrayThis Week's Panel: Fat Tony, Kyle Hubbard, Real Elliot Ness Not Inv ... More >>
Rice University just got a lot more... trill. Never thought you'd hear those words in the same sentence? Yeah, us too. But as hiphopdx.com reports, you just might be seeing a lot more "Diamonds and Wood" and "Front, Back & Side to Side" in the Rice University parking lot. That's because B ... More >>
Photos by Marc Brubaker / Click here for a slideshow9:24 p.m.: While waiting at the box office to get our tickets a kid walks up and asks, "Excuse me, how much are tickets?" He looks absolutely crushed when he hears that they're about $50. It's super sad to see. I mean, he just wanted to see ... More >>
Photo illustration by John Seaborn GraySome rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday (that isn't a national holiday) Rocks Off will have some of them hear discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: Fat Tony, Yung Redd, Thurogood Wordsmith and K ... More >>
Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and, albeit sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. We'll incorporate the number five in there somewhere. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Lionel Deluy/ Interscope Records​50 Cent is one of th ... More >>
50 Cent decides to be a little more selfish on upcoming LP Black Magic.
Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: Juicy J & Project Pat feat. Slim Thug & New Genesis, "Ike Turner Pimpin'" "I'm a motherfuckin' ... More >>
​The geniuses that first let you rock 'n' roll with guitar legends in Guitar Hero decided to bring out a new instrument for gamers to party on. This time, Activision brought out the turntables for their newest title, DJ Hero. Available for the Playstations 2 & 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii, DJ ... More >>
Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: "Down For My Block," Archie Lee and Coota Bang Wire To Wire Michael passed. Three thoughts: 1. Michael ... More >>
Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: "Associates" Wire To Wire Poor, poor Willie D. We were excited the other day when we read this thing a ... More >>
Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Anthony RathbunSingle of the Week: "Criminal," Mic Skills Wire To Wire Foxy Brown, recently an indirect victi ... More >>
How the Houston rapper turned a near miss on MTV into a victory for himself — and his city
Eminem feat. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent, "Crack A Bottle" The Good: Many bottles will be popped during tonight's festivities, we imagine, if not quite as many models. Also, the ongoing partnerships between this trio of rap titans says something about the present state of race relations in this country, ... More >>
And now it's time for the "I love you like a fat kid loves cake" memorial Worst Lyrics of 2008, March Madness-style tournament, this year a terrifying mélange of appalling oral-sex requests, bargain-bin philosophies, grammatical atrocities, and cringe-inducing pillow talk. To elevate the drama, I p ... More >>
Rappers and their ten-figure dreams
Who made the shit list
My Man-Crush on 50 Cent
The top WTF moments of 2005
Mrs. Fresh Prince brings her "spiritual hardcore" to the Scout Bar. Deal with that.
50 Cent wants to be an actor...but he's not
Friday, September 2, at Texas Tumbleweeds, 13101 Kuykendahl, 281-872-7829.
All or Nothing
The Kings of Hip Hop, Compiled and Mixed by DJ Premier and Mr. Thing
T.I. and Lil' Flip rumble in Cloverland, bringing one of the great rap feuds of recent years to a head
The Massacre
Beg for Mercy (Interscope)
Grab your gift certificates and trade in your white elephants -- here's what you really wanted for Christmas
Trotting out the clichés for a year-ender piece
Latinos take on rap music and make it their own
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)
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