Das Racist

Dearly Departed: Bands We'll Miss Who Broke Up In 2012

Every year has its fair share of births and deaths, even when speaking of bands. They form, reform, and break up. We talk a lot about reunions, but many bands fade out and break up with barely a whisper. It's unfortunate because some of these bands were old favorites at one time. Today we'll look b ... More >>

7 Sure Signs You Know Your Hip-Hop Group Is Breaking Up

This past weekend, Das Racist announced that they have broken up and, according to member Kool A.D., that they have been split up for two months now. As an avid fan, I wasn't surprised at the news. I've been watching their demise on Twitter and YouTube. Thanks, Internet. In the past few months, Koo ... More >>

Last Night: Kool A.D., Fat Tony & Chingo Bling at Fitzgerald's

Kool A.D., Fat Tony, Chingo Bling, Franchise n Yung, Amber London Fitzgerald's August 14, 2012 Call it Underground Rap, or Alt-Rap, or Underground Alt-Rap, but whatever the fuck you call it, these guys won't really care. They are making music, spitting rhymes, touring the country, and having the ti ... More >>

Friday Night: Fat Tony & Friends at Warehouse Live

Fat Tony feat Tom Cruz & 10ille Warehouse Live July 6, 2012 There is a track on Fat Tony's new Double Dragon named "Good While It Lasted." It tells the story about a girl that Tony spends a lot of time with in the back seat of her black Jeep -- discussing the implications of the Supreme Court's rul ... More >>

30 Years Later: 9 Songs For John Belushi

Thirty years ago today, we lost John Belushi, one of the most brilliant comedic actors of his time. He was a member of some of the best seasons of Saturday Night Live in the mid to late '70s, and starred in the classic comedy Animal House. He was one of the Blues Brothers with fellow SNL-cast member ... More >>

Rap Round Table: Who is the Best Shit-Talker in Rap Currently?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Slim Thug, medicine Girl, O.N.E., Preemo, Chane, Delo, Chingo Bling, Doughb ... More >>

Six Examples of Really Bad Mixtape Cover Art

​When Das Racist came to Fitzgerald's this past October, we got to chat with the subject of this Frida Kahlo knockoff painting: Lakutis. While standing on the upstairs balcony before they went on stage, the group's hypeman's hypeman told us that MishkaNYC was putting out his very first mixtape ... More >>

Rocks Off Lists Our Favorite Downloads of 2011

It's getting to be that time of year, when the temperature drops and the lists start rolling in. Read any blog, magazine or newspaper and you're bound to run across at least a handfull of year-end lists, particularly when it comes to music. We all like to talk about the stuff we like. It's just what ... More >>

2011 HPMA Showcase: No F-Bombs in the Shuttle Bus

Checkout the slideshows of the bands and the crowd at the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase. Photo by Marc BrubakerVivian Pikkles​I'd like to preface this by mentioning that I got a stern lecture from a part-time shuttle driver, full-time pastor on Saturday at the Houston Press Music Awards ... More >>

Rap Boom Reload: Coming Up

Houston has some new rap possibilities

One Fan at a Time

Hollywood FLOSS, nominated for a Houston Press Music Award for Best Songwriter, grows his brand the only way he knows works.

This Just In: SXSW Announces First Round Of 2012 Showcasing Bands, Including Fat Tony and Something Fierce

Photo By Marco TorresFat Tony at a day show at SXSW '11​Sweet lord, it's not even Thanksgiving yet and South By Southwest is making us excited for March in Austin already. Today the industry festival announced a few bands coming to the capitol city next year, and a few Houston names and Rocks ... More >>

Last Night: Das Racist At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Marco Torres​Das Racist, Danny Brown, Despot, Fat Tony, Hollywood F.L.O.S.S. Fitzgerald's October 26, 2011 Boss man assigned us this review conditionally: since we previously reviewed a Das Racist show a few months ago, he told us to be sure and compare the two shows. Initially we t ... More >>

St. Ides & Hip-Hop: Would Today's Rappers Endorse Malt Liquor?

​The early '90s was a time when some of the best hip-hop music ever was being made, and the beverage of choice was malt liquor. Before rappers glorified Cristal, Ciroc and even their own branded alcohol, there were many hip-hop-inspired malt liquor ads. St. Ides in particular enlisted several ... More >>

Full Swag For Das Racist, No Swag For Astros & Paul Wall

​Das Racist is Rocks Off's favorite joke-rap group, ever. It annoys most people we know -including our boss, who is like, "All right, no more Das Racist for everyone's sake, please." That's being nice - Ed. Earlier this year, we traveled to SXSW strictly to catch every show, and we're planning ... More >>

Upcoming: Black Angels, Dolly Parton, J. Cole, Mates Of State, Etc.

​Aaron Neville: Sun., Dec. 11. House of Blues. Carbon Leaf, Alpha Rev: Wed., Oct. 26. Fitzgerald's. Between The Buried And Me, Animals As Leaders: Thu., Nov. 17. House of Blues. Gunslinger, Black Queen Speaks, Sheila Swift, Tyburn Jig, Tyranny Of Bella: VIP ROOM., Sat., Sept. 10. Verizon W ... More >>

2 Sexy 4 Shirts: Video Boys Of Summer Frolic Au Naturel

​The only summer trend that matters this year - to us, anyway - is "Boys Gone Wild." So, what happened, H-town dudes? It's as if when Free Press Summer Fest wrapped up, none of you has wanted to strut around town sweaty and shirtless since. This is one of the reasons why we can't really see a ... More >>

Fat Tony's 10 Favorite Food Songs

Marco TorresTony does some pre-awards shopping.​Earlier this afternoon, online of course, the Houston Press revealed the winners of our very first ever Houston Web Awards. The awards will be handed out in the flesh tomorrow night at Momentum Audi on Richmond, because it's still very hard to em ... More >>

Fat Tony's 10 Favorite Food Songs

Marco TorresTony does some pre-awards shopping.​You can work up quite an appetite pointing, clicking and surfing all day long. Earlier this afternoon, online of course, the Houston Press revealed the winners of our very first ever Houston Web Awards. The awards will be handed out in the flesh ... More >>

The Best Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

​The year isn't quite half over, but as of today, "summer" is officially here - even if the calendar needs a few weeks to catch up - and by the time summer is over, so will 2011. Or close enough. So Rocks Off asked our staff to give us their favorite two albums of the year so far, plus one out ... More >>

Saturday Night: SPEAK 4 At Mango's

Photos by Allison WagonerNosaprise & Screw Tapes​SPEAK 4 feat. Nosaprise & Screw Tapes, A.D.D., Twenty Eleven, Parking and Fat Tony Mango's March 26, 2011 Aftermath's Saturday afternoon was spent at the beach doing some voluntary biological exploration, which actually consisted more of poking ... More >>

Last Night: Das Racist At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Jim Bricker​Das Racist, Fat Tony, Simple Success Fitzgerald's March 22, 2011 With tickets at the door a surprisingly steep 18 bones, Fitzgerald's was packed tighter than we expected Tuesday for the extensive, diverse lineup featuring Queens, N.Y. weed/joke-rap duo Das Racist. Before ... More >>

SXSW Video: Odd Future's Roof-Jumping Antics At The Scoot Inn

Friday was Rocks Off's last day in Austin and it couldn't have gone any better, even if we had put on sunscreen. While free day parties are great and have tons of free beer and swag - another term for "free promo merch" when it's not used to describe Odd Future Wolf Gang, but we'll get to that lat ... More >>

SXSW Saturday: Hot Sauce Hawker Billy Gibbons Smokes Elmore James At Rachael Ray Party

Craig Hlavaty​ Billy Gibbons sat in with The Cringe at Rachael Ray's Feedback Party at Stubb's just after lunchtime for a cover of Elmore James' blues standard "Dust My Broom". The ZZ Top guitarist also mentioned his BFG hot sauce line, which he had a bottle of in his back pocket.

Das Racist

Rocks Off's Must-See Music Picks For SXSW '11

​As you may have heard, there's a teeny-tiny little music festival going on in Austin later this week. Some of the early birds on team Rocks Off are either already there or well on their way, as a matter of fact. With more than 2,000 artists playing the official part of SXSW alone, trying to ... More >>

Das Racist: Deconstructing The Rappers' References

​Over the past two years, Das Racist has been a Pitchfork favorite and highly revered for their witty, perhaps smarmy delivery of mostly historical and pop-culture references. The duo - trio if you include their hypeman, Dap, and quartet if you include their hypeman's hypeman, Lakutis - is com ... More >>

Upcoming: Das Racist, Echo & The Bunnymen, Surfer Blood, Etc.

​Arcade Fire, Explosions In The Sky: Wed., May 4. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Bob Schneider: Thu., April 7. McGonigel's Mucky Duck. Cory Morrow: Sat., April 23. The Firehouse Saloon. Das Racist, Fat Tony, Muhammadali, Simple Success, DJ iPod Ammo: Tue, March 22, Fitzgerald's. David C ... More >>

Movin' Out: Songs That Will Scare Off Bad Roommates

​Often times in our young adult lives, we come across a roommate who initially seems like a good match. They're capable of paying their rent on time and seem nice enough, so the possibility of your living arrangements blossoming into a sitcom looks fair. Then in a month's time, the Friends r ... More >>