Hard to believe it's been 20 years since gangsta rap went overground with N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton. Through Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg to Tupac and Eminem, it launched most of hip-hop's biggest stars for a good decade, but these days even artists like T.I. and Lil Wayne have sacrificed serious street knowledge for bizarre metaphysical narratives and crossover-friendly celebrations of the high life (both kinds).
Which makes sense. People just aren't as easy to shock as they were in 1989.
It took a little longer than Rocks Off expected, but it appears "prison city playaz" Huntzville's hammer-cocking song "Backpack Fulla Gunz" is finally ruffling some feathers. The protégés of Geto Boy Willie D appeared on Fox 26's morning news program Friday to perform the (anti-)school-shooting track on the "Fox Rox" segment. By 6:30 p.m. that evening, there was a message on the station's Web site saying, "Fox 26 apologizes to those viewers who were offended by the musical group Huntzville's
Reagan Hamilton goes into Texas jails and tells inmates they better stay in touch with their kids. Her sadly powerful message has sparked some successes. Too bad they don't include her own father.
Okay, imagine you're a third overall draft pick, and two years into your football career, you've lost your job as starting quarterback to an aging, recovering alcoholic, racist retread. You're teetering on the brink of being labeled one of the biggest busts in recent football history.
What's more, your team fairly recently lost one of its star players in part because he "made it rain" at a performance by the rapper Nelly.What do you do?If you're Vince Young, apparently you go to a Nelly show at
Above is some video from B L A C K I E's performance Monday night at New Orleans' Dragon's Den, the first show of his mini-tour. The feedback-loving local rapper visits Baltimore Friday and Brooklyn's Afro!!Punk!!Fest!! Sunday.
Rocks Off has heard through the proverbial grapevine that there's a Michael Jackson tribute at Discovery Green tomorrow at 6 p.m. Dance Houston and several other local dance groups will be demonstrating how to do the "Thriller" dance just like those Filipino inmates.
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