Fat Pat

Saturday Night: ZZ Top at Constellation Field

ZZ Top Constellation Field October 20, 2012 ZZ Top has been writing and performing music for nearly 45 years. Now, granted, there are a handful of other artists that have been around that long too, but most of them have a lot of baggage, the stuff of VH1 documentaries and that Oprah loves to talk a ... More >>

The Rocks Off 100: DJ Gracie Chavez

Who: In a city abundant with talented DJs, Gracie Chavez shines bright above the rest. She began her career in 1999, spinning her first love: Drum 'n' bass music. She grew her dance-music repertoire through house and techno, rocking out raves and clubs such as Karma and Hyperia. From 2005-08, she pl ... More >>

Friday Night: El-P & Killer Mike at Warehouse Live

El-P, Killer Mike Warehouse Live June 22, 2012 A small but lively crowd packed into the studio at Warehouse Live on Friday night for performances by two polarly opposite yet complementary artists, who together have created two of the most adventurous and innovative rap productions to be released th ... More >>

ZZ Top: A Double-Sided Take On The New Texicali EP

Craig Hlavaty: What a way to tease your first album of original material in nine years, ZZ Top. You managed to record three songs and one ballad that instantly fit into your canon alongside the rest of your ballbusters without sounding like a classic-rock act reaching for straws. This is no weak, m ... More >>

Ask A Teenage Rap Promoter: How Did That Happen?

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 sheaserrano@gmail.com. ... More >>

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 >>

Last Night: Screwed Up Click At House Of Blues

Photos by Marco TorresLil Keke​Screwed Up Click House of Blues October 14, 2010 8:19 p.m.: The doors opened for the show at 8 p.m. today, which is precisely why we plan on continuing to not be there until about 10 p.m. Fools no longer, we are. 10:00: Just walked in. Already saw a guy uniron ... More >>

Should Living Rappers Profit From Dead Rappers?

Some 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, Candi Redd, Yung Redd Not Invited: Diddy Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray&# ... More >>

Aftermath: Paul Wall & Chamillionaire, Together Again At House Of Blues

Photos by Marco Torres​ For more pictures from the show, see our slideshow here. 11:03 p.m.: This place is pretty well packed. 97.9 FM's G.T. is on stage. It's unclear whether he's the opening act or is just up there to fill time. He leans on a bunch of Houston classics to gain the support of the ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown: Clearing the Table and Tying Up Loose Ends

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. Well, it's over. We stretched it out just about as long as ... 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 >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 1: Mike Jones' Who Is Mike Jones?

Roughly 84,000 rap albums 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. Mike Jones Who Is Mike Jones? (Asylum, 2005) ​Before you fire off some ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 2: UGK's Ridin' Dirty

Roughly 84,000 rap albums 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. UGK Ridin' Dirty (Jive, 1996) ​When UGK first came into focus with th ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 3: Scarface's The Diary

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. Scarface The Diary (Asylum, 1994) ​Honesty time: Last week's post ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 4: UGK's Too Hard to Swallow

Roughly 84,000 rap albums 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 sheaserrano@gmail.com. UGK Too Hard to Swallow (Jive, 1992) ​How cocksure is Bun B? The first time ... More >>

Low Points Dominate the Decade for Houston's Latino Rappers

​ Sunday, Rocks Off crept down Little York on the "Nawf" side of H-Town to scope out Northside rider Big Cease's video production of "So Off the Chain," featuring Dat Boy X of Dallas and Houston's Lucky Luciano (above). Sure enough, Houston's underground scene was in full effect to provide support ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 6: Scarface's Mr. Scarface Is Back

Roughly 84,000 rap albums 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. Scarface Mr. Scarface Is Back (Virgin, 1995) ​There's this phenomenon ... More >>

For Hip-Hop, Brown Could Be the New Black... or the New Wetback

​ For anyone following the Houston Latino rap theme as of late and are wondering why Rocks Off might be telling more of a cultural story than a hip-hop one with our artist profiles, it's because amongst the traditional hip-hop following in America, Houston's Latino rappers may very well be looked ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 9: E.S.G.'s Ocean of Funk

Roughly 84,000 rap albums 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 sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​In last week's feature we wrote about E.S.G., we mentioned briefly that, fo ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 14: Trae's Restless

Roughly 84,000 rap albums 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. Trae Restless (Asylum, 2006) ​Disclaimer: We dissected this album wit ... More >>

Flashing Back to the Heyday of DJ Screw

Ed. Note: To go along with this week's feature on Mike Jones, Mike Giglio takes a look at the origins of Houston rap's once and future calling card, "screw music." Photos by Mike GiglioScrew: The Next Generation (l-r): Randy, Big Bubb, Bird Wearing corn rows, a wife beater and green courdoroys, ... More >>

Five Spot: The Illustrious Dustin Prestige

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.We suspect the goal of every music writer is to be able to answer "Who are you ... 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 >>

What Makes Cornbreadd Run

How the Houston rapper turned a near miss on MTV into a victory for himself — and his city

Two Nights Ago: Bun B and Other Members of the UGK Family

Mouth of the South

The South Park Coalition Turns 20

Hope Springs Eternal

A northern suburb tops our third installment of rating greater Houston's taste in music

Billy Joel and Goldfish Sandwiches

Four artists share their guilty, and not-so-guilty, pleasures

Fat Beats

The real reason Houston stays near the top of the chunkiest-city charts

Bayou City Music Mindbender, Part II

Another chance to test your knowledge of local lore

Letters to the Editor

Best Beats from the Bayou

H-town's top ten rap jams

Hot Tunes, Summer in the City

Houston Press Music Awards Showcase 2002

Big Moe

Purple World (Wreckshop/Priority)

Turn The Beat Around

Long before DJ Screw, Darryl Scott was Houston's mixmaster, spinning records that eventually spun him into the ground. A reformed Scott has a new rap these days - the word of God.

Life in the Slow Lane

DJ Screw lived mostly for his work, as if he would have time later to celebrate his success. That time would never come.

One Last Spin

Friends, fans and associates cope with the silence following DJ Screw's untimely death

Rappies

The age of rapping movies in Houston is now

Real-Life Product