Gucci Group NV

Cupcake Contest: Sugarbaby’s vs. the Cookie Jar

Will Tatum Bell Soon Be Stealing Houston Texans’ Underwear?

T-Mac Puts Up His Benz On E-Bay (Not For Charity, Either)

If you happen to be sitting on a big pile of cash because you never invested in sub-prime mortgages or wrote Bernie Madoff a check, you might want to scoot on over to eBay and bid on Houston Rocket Tracy McGrady's sweet ride.That's right: T-Mac is auctioning his customized CL-Class Mercedes-Benz (Fl ... More >>

Watch out, stock market,, here come the SOES BANDITS

And they're ready to make money the old-fashioned way: By outsmarting the big guys.

Desi Dance

The music is called bhangra, and it's the sound of a whole new way of being Indian. Or Pakistani. Or Bangladeshi.

The Patron

Money can't buy love. But it can buy polo.

Buyer Beware of Confessions of a Shopaholic

Bush and this movie agree: Go shopping! (Wait, don't.)

Down Payment Blues: Musicians With Tax Trouble

Finished that tax return yet? Not to worry: you've still got a few hours until midnight, and the post offices are open late. Over the years, these musicians have gotten in hot water with their countries' internal-revenue collectors as well... Bono Forever a proponent of all things charitable, ... More >>

Best Place to Get Discovered

Taco Milagro

THE REMINGTON BAR'S SEDUCTIVE RED MARTINI

Taco Milagro

Art Capsule Reviews

A picture of our opinions on local exhibitions

Making Scents of the Stars

A buyer's guide to celebrity fragrances

Reliantly Unhelpful

The abyss of customer service gets deeper

Thom Yorke

The Eraser

Gator Aid

Thanks to the Endangered Species Act, alligators are everywhere in southeast Texas. So now the state is going to make it easier for you to shoot you one.

Letters to the Editor

Thanks to the Endangered Species Act, alligators are everywhere in southeast Texas. So now the state is going to make it easier for you to shoot you one.

You Can Quote Me

A Conroe man is ready to help the nation's Enron reporters

Let There Be Gifts

If you want to honor this preacher's wife, don't be cheap

Frozen Mojito

The Flat

Eaten Alive

Rent-to-own stores, pawnshops, payday lenders -- it's hope for sale, with interest

Hotel Envy

Greenspoint says it's just as good as the Galleria, darn it

The Eclectic Horseman

Dancer George Durham is the complete package

What A Girl Wants, What A Girl Needs

Women's gifts

Patriotic Excess

Luxurious Vallone’s most interesting new menu items arean early casualty of the war

Heir Time

Debra Duncan pays her dues, hits her cues and hopes to be the next Oprah

[S]hit

Behind current blaxploitation pulp literature is - surprise! - the music biz

Five Spot: Chamillionaire's Mixtape Messiah 7

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.​Say what you will about Chamillionaire's occasionally irritable nature, but ... More >>

It Was What It Was

Amid a wash of national phooey, plucking Houston rap's pivotal 2009 moment is easy.

Today's Forecast: Cloudy With A Chance Of God-Awful Rap

We have seen some white rappers in our time. But they don't come much whiter than Nick Kosir, morning weatherman on Beaumont's Fox station. This apparently is Kosir's third rap weathercast (Follow his tweets where he pimps himself heavily here.) It's about on the level of some slightly tipsy Junior ... More >>

The Incredible Truth: The Best Southern Rap Albums (and Mixtapes) of 2009, Part 2

5. Z-Ro Cocaine (Rap-A-Lot) ​With Z-Ro's long-awaited album Heroin delayed, Cocaine ended up as the appropriately named followup to 2008's Crack. Though Cocaine was originally intended to be a mixtape put out by little-known producer DJ Drama Queen, it more than holds its own as a proper album. Fu ... 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 >>

Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Best Rap Album Of The Year

​Big Boi has never been a particularly imposing rapper. He just hasn't been. Now wait a second, fuckers. Before you get all "No, he's phenomenal!" just out of sheer contrarian instinct, think on it for a second. When have you ever heard his name mentioned in any Greatest Rapper Ever discussio ... More >>

When Does Rapper Diva Syndrome Become Understandable?

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 sheaserrano@gmail. ... More >>

Top Five Rapper Deadbeat Dads

​Admit it, when you hear the term "deadbeat dad," you immediately think of a black rapper rocking Gucci stunna shades in a perfectly dimmed room, pants drooping to his ankles. Truth be told, hip-hop dads would be wise to step up and heed Ed OG's words: "Be a Father to Your Child." Relationsh ... More >>

Bun B, Rap Superhero, Feeds The Needy... And What Else?

​Bun B is many things: Beyond-influential rapper, college professor, entrepreneur and trillman (totally just made that word up). But above all else, he's long been recognized as a decent, caring and wise person. It's why any time his name is added in the tagline of anything good or worthwhile ... More >>

Four Hip-Hop Tattoos Gone Very, Very Wrong

celebritytattoogallery.com​People get tattoos for a number of reasons: to commemorate someone or something special, to make a statement, to remind themselves of who they are, or as a consequence of a drunken night out with friends. Whatever the motivation, tattoos always draw attention. Oh, a ... More >>

10 Things You May Not Know About Notorious B.I.G.

​A lot has been said about the late great Notorious B.I.G., a man whose life was as large as his frame and whose lyrical prowess is well-documented in hip-hop history books. But how well do you know Big Poppa? In commemoration of the 14th anniversary of Biggie's death, here are some interestin ... More >>

Gone Missing

​A lot has been said about the late great Notorious B.I.G., a man whose life was as large as his frame and whose lyrical prowess is well-documented in hip-hop history books. But how well do you know Big Poppa? In commemoration of the 14th anniversary of Biggie's death, here are some interestin ... More >>

Capsule Stage Reviews: Gone Missing, Or, OVO, Sleeping Beauty

​A lot has been said about the late great Notorious B.I.G., a man whose life was as large as his frame and whose lyrical prowess is well-documented in hip-hop history books. But how well do you know Big Poppa? In commemoration of the 14th anniversary of Biggie's death, here are some interestin ... More >>

Capsule Stage Reviews: Gone Missing, I Do! I Do!, An Inspector Calls, OVO, Shards of Love

​A lot has been said about the late great Notorious B.I.G., a man whose life was as large as his frame and whose lyrical prowess is well-documented in hip-hop history books. But how well do you know Big Poppa? In commemoration of the 14th anniversary of Biggie's death, here are some interestin ... More >>

Is Ashley Judd Really Sorry For What She Said About 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 introducingliston@gmail.com ... More >>

I'm Gay & 10 More Recent Dubious Rap Album Titles

​Lil B is obviously an outlandish artist, but his most recent blogworthy activity has many hip-hop fans pretty damn upset. This past weekend at Coachella, The Based God announced the title of his next album. He has named it I'm Gay and according to the Based God, it's a major move to demonstra ... More >>

An Affiliated Soldier Explains What Is And Isn't Gangster

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. Aff ... More >>

The Top Ten Greatest Gays of Texas

Here in Texas, we lay claim to some of the most interesting and influential GLBT men and women of our time. Admittedly, they generally get out as fast as they can, but to us, they'll always be Texans. Here are ten GLBT men and women we're proudest to call Texans, especially during this season of Pri ... More >>

Shantel Moore and Friends: Scammed Cancer Patients and Spent It on Maserati & Gucci

Ill-gotten gains.​If you have a mind sick enough to rip off desperately ill people, you probably think to yourself, "Cancer patients -- hey, they may die soon, so what'll they care?'' Houston police say Shantel Moore, 29, apparently had that kind of coldhearted and inhumane logic. The Staffor ... More >>

9/11 Idiocy, To Go

Ill-gotten gains.​If you have a mind sick enough to rip off desperately ill people, you probably think to yourself, "Cancer patients -- hey, they may die soon, so what'll they care?'' Houston police say Shantel Moore, 29, apparently had that kind of coldhearted and inhumane logic. The Staffor ... More >>

10 Popular Rappers' Disney Alter Egos

Watch The Throne.​Were you ever mildly attracted to Jafar in the Disney movie Aladdin? We were, probably because he reminded us so much of Prince. So, needless to say, Rocks Off is pretty stoked that Disney is bringing back some of our beloved iconic villains-like Jafar and Scar-to 3-D. We' ... More >>

Full Swag For DJ Screw & Framboise; Half Swag For Riff Raff

Riff Raff has all the swag.​One of the many things we love about Houston is the diversity of its music. For instance, on Tuesday night we went to Mango's to see Psychic Palms and Mikey & The Drags, two of our favorite local garage-rock bands. After The Drags performed their cover for "Then He ... More >>

Top 6 Most Underappreciated Hip-Hop Albums, By Le$

​This Week's Rapper: Le$ (pronounced "Less," though it's way more fun to call him L-E-dollar sign) This Week's Topic: Underappreciated albums, mixtapes, songs, etc. Last year, Le$ released a very good mixtape called The Beautiful Struggle. It was almost entirely overlooked. So, we asked L-E- ... More >>