Hip-Hop and Rap

Rap Round Table: If You Could Only Listen To One Musician For All Of Time, Who Would It Be?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: Killa Kyleon, Zavey, kyle Hubbard, Brad Gilmore, Mac, Doughbeezy, A.D.D., Medicine Girl, more. Not Invited: The guy at our sons' ... More >>

Beats By Dre, Monster Headphones To Split

​Well time to pass the tissue to those of you who love walking through IAH or Hobby with $200 headphones around your head like a fashion statement. In news more likely to occur than Dr. Dre's Detox album, Monster has announced that it will no longer be making Beats By Dre headphones. Chalk up an ... More >>

Last Night: Wu-Tang Clan at House of Blues

It's probably not bad advice to say that if you're planning to catch a Wu-Tang show, you better be ready to lose control. Method Man, for one, hates lazybones. His twin requirements for an ideal concert: weed and energy. "The energy that you give to us, we gonna give back to y'all," Meth proclaims, ... More >>

Wu-Tang Clan

20 Years of Hip-Hop Soul Hits: Happy Birthday, Mary J. Blige

Photo by Marco Torres​Every time we hear a new Mary J. Blige single on the radio, we ask ourselves, "REALLY, MJB? Again? OK, girl." We literally said that in the car last week when we heard her new single "Mr. Wrong." Of course, the proclaimed "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" has never given us reaso ... More >>

Jon Black Dreams Up Five Collaborations The World Needs

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 >>

Rap Round Table: What Are We To Think Of Rick Ross's New Mixtape, Rich Forever?

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, Z-Ro, Killa Kyleon, A.D.D., Roderickvonn, Onehunnidt, Kyle Hubbar ... More >>

Baller Blockin: 7 Independent Hood Rap Movies

We have the post-holiday blues today. Part of it is because we ate too much bread pudding and drank four bottles of Andre champagne. The other part is because, for yet another Christmas, we didn't get Baller Blockin in our stocking. By now we thought we'd be curled up in bed, watching hood DVD's wit ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: Picking Wu-Tang Tracks With DeVille

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 >>

Rap Round Table: Which People DO NOT Need To Be Involved In Hip-Hop In 2012?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: Chingo Bling, Chuckway, Mac, Carolyn Rodriguez, D-Risha Not Invited: 2011. God, we are so over her. This Week's Prompt: Which p ... More >>

Ask a Rapper: The 10 Best Posts of 2011

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. Lik ... More >>

Tips For A Successful NYE from David Anderson, Houston's Party King

Remember that one awesome party, the invite-only one with the open bar that was sponsored by a liquor company, where everyone was beautiful and hip, and you got to mingle with Big Boi or Pharrell Williams or Bun B? Either you do remember, because you wish that every party you attended was half as am ... More >>

8 Hip Hop Collaborations We'd Like to See in 2012

If we learned anything from hip-hop collaborations in 2011, it's that beef ain't what's hot anymore. Gone are the days where an argument manifests itself into a 40-minute mixtape or a DVD. The shelf life for fresh rap beef is approximately 24 hours. Not even two days ago, Twitter was flooded with tw ... More >>

Lil' Flip

The Top 25 Songs From Houston Rap's Glorious 2011: The Mixtape

​So here. These are the 25 best songs from Houston rap's glorious 2011. They've been pressed onto actual cassettes (not pictured above). We only made ten of them, because, fuck, it takes a long time. They are for sale ($600). And, as a way to honor the city's grey tape past while being entir ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: DJ Mr. Luke Picks The Most Intriguing Rap Storylines Of The Year

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

"And A S.W.A.T Team in a Pear Tree": Hip Hop Christmas songs

​Have you grown tired of hearing the same played out Christmas songs on 99.1 yet? Of course you have. Even if you avoid the radio, you hear the music at the grocery store, company holiday parties, even at bars you escape to in order to avoid holiday overcheer. It's almost depressing. Christmas ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: Teenaged Rapper Lil Chris On Lils' Bow Wow And Romeo

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. T ... More >>

Slim Thug, Bun B, and Paul Wall Agree the Cougars are Kind of Awesome

Photo by Marc Brubaker​Well, this is weird. There's an undefeated team in town. And with the 12-0 Cougars hosting Southern Miss this Saturday, H-town loyalty is understandably high. We now have the perfect anthem for this weekend's conference showdown, thanks to a triumvirate of Houston hip-ho ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: E.S.G. and the Rapper That's Going to be Better Than All You Suckas

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 >>

7 Houston Rap Tributes by Non-Houston Rappers

Are you happy with your current city? Yeah? Then feel free to ignore this list of rappers from other cities drooling over all things Houston. It's likely to breed envy. Some of these come from gushing fans and some are random, but the vast majority illustrate just how much rappers love Houston. Dig ... More >>

Rap Round Table: What is the Best Pimp C Song of All Time

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: A Whole Bunch of Twitter Folks Not Invited: Facebook This Week's Prompt: The anniversary of the death of Pimp C is next week ... More >>

Last Night: The NiceGuys, Propain, John Dew and Youngest N Charge at Warehouse Live

Warehouse Live's studio was filled with Houston hip-hop heads on a brisk November night. Women were clad in skin-tight leggings with boots and the men bundled up in leather jackets and hoodies. The host for the evening was MC Kane, who normally MC's hip-hop clubs in the city. He gave the concert a ... More >>

Three Days of Thanks: Ask A Rapper

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 >>

Five Crazy Rapper Fashion Trends

Dphil Spanglishman needs a Mac endorsement.​Rappers are known for setting trends with their signature fashion styles. Some of these ideas are utterly outrageous and scream "Pay me attention!" Other eye-catching trends are worn by rappers to send out a message to fans. The latest "trend sett ... More >>

Eat It: Houston Rappers Love to Write Songs About Eating

Photo by Chase Steely ​One thing Houston rappers are proficient in-besides rapping great-is eating well. Many of the more influential artists were/are big and fat: Fat Pat, Big Pokey, Big Moe, Big HAWK, Big Mello, and Big Steve. Even DJ Screw was a husky man. That's not to say that their wei ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: J. Cole vs. Big Sean, the Worst Song of 2011, More

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 >>

Friday Night: Smoker's Club Tour with Curren$y, Method Man, Big K.R.I.T. and DZA at Warehouse Live

Photos by Marco TorresMethod Man​The second annual Smoker's Club tour, which kicked off October 12, finally landed at Warehouse Live's ballroom Friday night with bountiful billows of smoke. One of the Smoker's Club tour mantras is "Bring your lungs." A line was still wrapped around the buildin ... More >>

Rap Boom Reload: Coming Up

Houston has some new rap possibilities

Rap Boom Reload

In 2005, rappers put Houston on the map. Then the spotlight moved on. Some musicians are working hard to turn it back this way.

Rap Round Table: Who is Currently the Best Producer in Rap?

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: Slim Thug, Mug, Yung Redd, Delo, Preemo, Chane, Brad Gilmore, Herney the Great, Mic ... More >>

Five Rappers Who Should Be Actors

Acting. You're doing it wrong.​Sometimes it's fun to see some of our favorite rappers take on acting roles outside of their music videos. At other times, rappers taking on movie roles can end up being horrible idea. Not every rapper can be a convincing drug dealer like DMX is in Belly. The big ... 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 >>

Ask A Rapper: Discussing the Six Worse Rap Collaborations Ever

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 >>

10 Rappers As Movie Villains

​Cunning criminals, violent geniuses, charismatic characters. Villains give us chills and keep us on the edge of our seats. With more rappers now dabbling in acting, we decided to cast some of your favorite hip-hoppers as movie villains. Here are ten rappers and their evil alter-egos.

Rap's Most Anticipated Upcoming Albums

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. ro ... More >>

What Is The Best Bone Thugz-N-Harmony Song Ever?

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. ​This Week's Panel: Slim Thug, Z-Ro, Medicine Girl, Mug, Delo, hasHBrown, Floss, Young Sensation, Mic Skills ... 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 >>

The Six Best (Or Worst) Rapper Name Changes

​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 >>

Last Night: Chris Brown & Friends At The Woodlands

Photos by Marco Torres​Chris Brown, T-Pain, Tyga, Bow Wow Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion October 16, 2011 "I work too hard to be ballin on a budget" proclaimed Chris Brown as he stood atop of the massive stage when his F.A.M.E. tour stopped into The Woodlands Sunday night. The production lev ... More >>

How Much Has Hip-Hop Affected Race Relations?

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. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Kyle Hubbard, Mic Skills, Snoopy, Kiotti, Chingo ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: Renzo

​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. ... More >>

Rap Round Table: Which Houston Rapper Needs His Own Television Show?

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. This Week's Panel: Pyrexx, Preemo, Chane, Z-Ro, Slim Thug's grunt, D-Risha, Medicine Girl, Renzo, Kyle Hubbard, D ... More >>

Eight Shows MTV, VH1 & BET Should Bring Back

We live in a time where crappy reality television has taken over three of the networks that were once originally dedicated to music videos, artist interviews and delivering current events from the younger generation's perspective. With all the flack that MTV (Music Television) gets about not really ... More >>

7 Musician Exes (Or Daughters) Who Should Write Tell-All Books

7. Dita Von Teese (Marilyn Manson): Famed burlesque performer Dita Von Teese (above) met Marilyn Manson in 2001. He proposed in 2004, and the couple wed a year later. Von Teese filed for divorce when she couldn't deal with Manson's alcohol abuse and his extramarital affair with actress Evan Rachel W ... More >>

Top Five Movies That Influenced Hip-Hop Culture

​Rappers love to imagine their lives as movies. They see bits of their lives on the big screen and turn to those cinematic treasures to help them make sense of their immediate environment: "If Tony Montana can rise to meteoric heights, so can I; if Frank Lucas can make it out of the game alive ... More >>

Rappers Predict The Best & Worst Of BET's Hip-Hop Awards

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. This Week's Panel: Preemo, Kyle Hubbard, Brad Gilmore, Medicine Girl, D-Risha, Kiotti, Chane, Renzo, Mic Skills, ... More >>

Last Night: Murs At Fitzgerald's

Photos by Jae Tovar​Murs, Tabi Bonney, Ski Beatz Fitzgerald's October 2, 2011 Murs, Tabi Bonney and Ski Beatz dropped into Fitzgerald's Sunday for an intimate show in the Heights, Murs and Bonney's second time at Fitz this year. Bonney entered the stage at 10 p.m., wearing white skinny jeans ... More >>