Bushwick

Here's a Video of the Entire Geto Boys Show From Saturday's Juggalo Gathering

There are benefits to going to a concert, of course. Like, there are the obvious things. The surge in energy in the room right before the performer comes out is always fun. It will never not be cool to start a show by shutting off all the lights. The moment when whatever song it is that everyone's ... More >>

Top 6 Rap Songs That Criticize the USA

Word to your mamas, sucka emcees. It's the Fourth of July (or, as the Native American guy that I went to college with used to half-jokingly refer to it, "The Most Fucked Up Holiday I Can Think Of... Why Don't We Just Go Ahead And Start Celebrating 9/11, Because That's Basically What This Is For Me") ... More >>

A Houston Rap-Related Shooting Timeline

Most people will tell you that Houston rappers are overall a peaceful bunch, but people do carry guns. No less a beloved figure than Pimp C was caught after he got into an altercation at the Foot Locker in Sharpstown Mall; supposedly a policeman saw a gun under Pimp's coat during the fight, followed ... More >>

Last Night: Delta Spirit At Fitzgerald's

Delta Spirit Fitzgerald's April 12, 2012 I am concerned that younger bands these days are not learning the proper value of restraint. It's not even a generational thing, really. I had very little appreciation for or understanding of restraint myself until fairly recently, but a heart attack at age ... More >>

Circle Takes The Square: Casting The H-Town Version of Hip Hop Squares

News broke last week that MTV2, MTV's sister network nominally dedicated to actual music, is reviving the classic Hollywood Squares format as Hip Hop Squares, an over-the-top tic-tac-toe game featuring urban personalities including actor/comedian Nick Cannon; record producer DJ Khaled; rappers Fat J ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: These are the Best Non-Houston Samplings of Houston Rap

The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place - lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good - so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com.̴ ... More >>

Artist of the Week: The Underappreciated O.N.E. Suits Up

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com.​O.N.E. has long been a Hou ... More >>

Rap Round Table: Which is the Best Halloween-y Rap Song?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Slim Thug, Mug, Yung Redd, Delo, Preemo, Chane, Brad Gilmore, Herney the Great, ... More >>

Recasting The Geto Boys From Houston's Under-25 Ranks

​So here's how this happened: Thursday night, while prepping the next installment Houston Press Underground Rap Awards, which we were planning on featuring in this space at this exact moment, a side note for an award spiderwebbed into a way-too-long e-conversation with several people that wa ... More >>

We Can't Be Stopped: Best Houston Album Ever Turns 20 Years Old

​Today is the 20th anniversary of the release of the Geto Boys' We Can't Be Stopped. It is the most important Houston album of all time. Everyone understands this reflexively, even if they don't understand why they understand that. It has likely been written about more than any other piece o ... More >>

Who Makes The Mt. Rushmore Of Houston Rap?

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. cred​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Z-Ro, Chamillionaire, Lil Flip, E.S.G., Paul Wall, Fat Tony, A.D.D., Matt Son ... More >>

Karina Longworth's Top Ten Movies of 2010

The Stories Behind Five H-Town Rap Anthems

​You know the song as soon as the beat drops. You rap them better than the artists themselves do at concerts. You'll slap your little brother for butchering the lyrics. But do you know the real life stories behind these five H-town rap anthems? Pull up a chair, grab a bag of popcorn, and a co ... More >>

Toy Story, Now Starring Houston Rappers

​At the Serrano household - among the toddler sect, anyway - the Toy Story trilogy is generally regarded as man's greatest creative achievement, followed closely by Reese's Sonic Blasts and poop jokes. There was no way our two boys weren't being Woody and Buzz Lightyear for Halloween this year ... More >>

Remember Willie Dee's Controversy?

The best album cover in rap history​Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Willie Dee Controversy (Rap-A-Lot, 1995) Note: Yes, we' ... More >>

Hip Hop Honors Doesn't Totally Embarrass The South

VH1 honored the Dirty South for the 2010 edition of Hip-Hop Honors. We flew out there and sat in on the taping this past weekend. Or we Tivo'd it while we put our kids to bed and then watched it afterwards. One of those is true. Willie D​ 8:00 p.m.: Oh, good. Darrell from The Office is hosting to ... More >>

Donald Ray Spencer: Tiny Terror Tries To Grab Cop's Gun After Burglary Bust

Photo courtesy HCSOSmall, but feisty​It's a cliché, but criminals come in all shapes and sizes.On Saturday night, the Houston Police Department picked up 20-year-old Donald Ray Spencer for burglary of a habitation, a felony.Evidently Spencer did not go down without a fight, because he is also cha ... More >>

Smoot On Shamed Texans LB Brian Cushing

The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place -lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good- so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email it to introducingliston@ ... More >>

Five Spot: Linking Jay-Z To Houston, And Not Through Beyonce

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and, sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. It's five videos and occasional cussing. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Jay-Z is in town Monday. This is huge. Jay is the most commercially, mainstr ... More >>

The Hot Seat: Lee-Coc, Richmond Revolutionary

Every Friday, Rocks Off will beam hip-hop artists into our demented, imaginary, incredibly witty, fantasy world of pretend scenarios. We predict it'll soon be known as a feared interrogation of hip-hop artists, revealing their most-inner thoughts and desires. In reality, it's just a fucking cool Q&a ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 1: The Geto Boys' We Can't Be Stopped

Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. We're counting down the 25 best of all time every Thursday - or we were. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Note: With all due respect to Prince Johnny C, Raheem, K-9, ... More >>

Five Spot: New Videos from Bushwick, Chamillionaire, Trae; A Classic from Big Mello

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and, sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. It's five videos and occasional cussing. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Several key artists in Houston released new videos this week. However, before ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 16: Bushwick Bill's Little Big Man

Roughly 84,000 rap albums that have been released in Houston since 1989. We're counting down the 25 best of all time every Thursday. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Bushwick Bill Little Big Man (Priority, 1992)​"Get to the house, ... More >>

Ask a Rapper: Soulbrotha

The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place - lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good - so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email it to introducinglisto ... More >>

Five Spot: Big Pokey

Welcome back to The Five Spot, a Rocks Off recurring feature. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and list five reasons why it's either brilliant or dumb-assed. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Wednesday, RapRadar.com threw up an interview with former Roc-A-Fella rapper ... More >>

Phone Home Page

Two Houston poets create a modern-day party line online.

The Willie D Scam: Read Along As It Goes Down

Willie D is still cooling his heels in a Federal lock-up as we write this, but there's updates o'plenty. Hair Balls's old buddy Matt Sonzala posted a Willie D round-up on his blog yesterday. To us, the most fascinating link Sonzala unearthed was this one, in which you can document in real time the r ... More >>

Five Spot: Hangin' With the Geto Boys (Almost)

If we had to rank the three most disappointing things not to happen in our lives, it would be these. We have never: 1. Dunked a basketball on a regulation goal. We play basketball, in some form or fashion, at least five times a week. Frankly, we love it. Yet apparently we did something so horribly a ... More >>

Aftermath: Geto Boys at Warehouse Live

Over the Weekend: Geto Boys, Willie Nelson, Hot Dogs and Vintage

The Geto Boys Reunite

Ten Great Hip-Hop Breakup Songs (Because Valentine’s Day Is for Suckas)

Laptop Battles

Blogging: Hip-hop's new element?

Hip-hop as She Is Rapped

Translating the German Wikipedia entries of Houston's top MCs

HouTube.com

Ten of the Bayou City's best short music films

Best Beats from the Bayou

H-town's top ten rap jams

Answering the Musical Question

Wesley Willis's ghost in the machine pays rock 'n' roll tribute to notorious Houstonians

Local Rotation

Mama's Got a Brand-New Bag

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings carry old-school funk into the new millennium

Home from La-La Land

Tony Avitia picks up the pieces of his Broken Note

And Then There Were Two

Static

Sounds Like a Winner!

1996 Houston Press Music Awards