Kanye West

Kanye's "New Slaves" Video Bomb: An Eyewitness Account

Between his video premieres and SNL performances, Kanye West managed to confuse me in a good way all weekend. So it's Friday night in Chicago and I had planned my night of catching up on television shows I've missed all week. But I checked my Twitter and my timeline was filled with Kanye West tweets ... More >>

5 Kanye Songs No Kid Should Hear, Least of All Kanye's

The big music news of the new year so far is that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are expecting their first child. Everybody seems to have an opinion on that, and I won't go into how I feel about it because it's irrelevant. As long as Yeezy is still making music we all love, what business is it of our ... More >>

The Art of Storytelling Gone Wrong: The 5 Worst Hip-Hop Concept Albums

Hip-hop is a genre based around storytelling skills. Some people can't form a coherent story and it sometimes still works for them, but the absolute best are the ones who can keep you hanging off their heavy wordplay and take you through the twists and turns of a good story. Ghostface Killah and MF ... More >>

You Won't Get Into Heaven Listening to Christian Dubstep

Driving home the other night, I thought I had come up with the perfect get-rich-quick scheme: Christian dubstep. Roll your eyes if you'd like, but one thing I've noticed is that going to an EDM show is a lot like going to church: They both feature music, alcohol, and standing on your feet for long ... More >>

Death Be Not, Uh... True: The 8 Most Asinine Musician Death Hoaxes

Why do people perpetrate death hoaxes? Why would someone deliberately set out to spread rumors of a famous person's demise that they know simply aren't true? Is it some kind of Munchausen-By-Proxy thing, where they hope to absorb some of the residual sympathy and outpouring of goodwill? Is it a mad ... More >>

Laughing & Rhyming: 4 Great Hip Hop/Comedy Crossovers

Fans of Childish Gambino can be split in to two groups: those who like hip hop and appreciate his wordplay, and those who use the phrase "I don't normally like hip-hop but..." before admitting that they just happen to like the guy from Community a lot. That he's a strong enough on the mike to gain t ... More >>

Happy Birthday, Kanye West: 10 Gift Ideas for the Mighty Yeez

Today is Kanye Omari West's 35th birthday, and that's a bit of a problem. We're happy to celebrate, of course, but Rocks Off is big on giving gifts, and Yeezy's already got it all: Hit records, a world tour, a celebrity paramour and sunglasses with no glass in them. What do you get the man who has e ... More >>

Hey, Look: Chief Keef, Kanye, Future, 2 Chainz, Delo, Etc.

No dalliances, do wayward (and likely unrelated) anecdotes, no nothing. Just good, interesting music: Chief Keef, "I Don't Like": There are some details* behind this song that might be interesting to, like, 80 people or so, but mostly this song is important because IT FUCKING ROCKS TITS. Plus, it ... More >>

We Tell You Who Will Win Grammys So You Don't Have To Watch Them

SPOILER ALERT​The best thing about the annual Grammy nominations and awards shows is the clamor of anger that rises up when the mere mention of the event even comes up. Immediately people begin calling it a travesty, trotting out all the people who have been snubbed -- Jethro Tull beats Metall ... More >>

Four Epic Twitter Rants in Honor of Kanye West

Photo by Marco Torres​When Kanye West tweets, magical things happen. West's high powered account lay dormant for quite sometime after his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album but last night, the floodgates were opened from West's creative mind. What emerged was a sprawling 85 tweet rant tha ... More >>

Last Night: Kanye West, Jay-Z and the Watch the Throne Tour at Toyota Center

Photos by Marco Torres​8:08: You know what's just never a slick move? Red wine in a plastic cup. Just an FYI, ladies. "Oh, you're drinking red wine? That's classy. Wait. Is that a plastic cup? Never mind. I forgot this was the Walmart break room." 8:58: Ooh, neat. There's a guy here wearing ... More >>

Watch the Throne: Jay-Z and Kanye West

Watch The Cradle: When Babies Meet Jay-Z & Kanye

​Houston's December 5th date on the Watch The Throne tour, with Jay-Z and Kanye West up front is just a few weeks away. Obviously the Rocks Off team is excited, and everyone is fighting for tickets around here. No doubt everything about the show will be amazing, from West's new skirt-like outf ... More >>

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 >>

Kanye West Saved By The Bell = Kanye'd By The Bell

​Today on Tumblr we found Kanye'd By The Bell, a site that links evocative Kanye West lyrics with screenshots from everyone's favorite high school saga Saved By the Bell. The site has five pages and counting of the adventures of Screech, Slater, Zack, Kelly and the rest matched with the most p ... More >>

Top 5 Musicians Whose Art Trumps Their Politics

Once again we have yet another example that if a musician opens his or her mouth without the benefit of a guitar or piano close by, trouble is usually not far behind. In this case it's Rockin' Randall Hank Williams Jr., who compared this year's Obama/John Boehner "golf summit" to Adolf Hitler hittin ... More >>

"Drank In My Cup" Producers Sound M.O.B.'s Top 5 Beats

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 >>

ACL Last Night: Kanye West At Zilker Park

Marco Torres​By the end of the first night of this year's Austin City Limits, Kanye West had gone over his allotted set time by 15 minutes, turning in one of the most un-rap, rap shows, injecting a Bjork and Talking Heads stage-commanding sensibility into a collection of champion singles. It w ... More >>

Crusty Texan Bounces Watch The Throne From Amazon's Top MP3 Album Spot

Now Kanye has something else to cry about.​Proving once again that old age and treachery beats youth and skill every time, grizzled Texas singer-songwriter emeritus Guy Clark has knocked Jay-Z & Kanye West's Watch the Throne from the top MP3 albums sales spot on Amazon.com. Employing the same ... More >>

How Jay-Z & Kanye West Kept Watch the Throne From Leaking Online

howfresh2.comJay-Z's business plan: Don't leak the masters, get a Rolex.​The kingdom is safe. The throne has been watched. In an age where albums spring leaks like baby diapers, Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne arrived on the appointed date without even as much as a drip. For the first ... More >>

Kanye West Vs. Adolf Hitler: Tale Of The Tape

Photo illustrations by Monica FuentesActual line from Watch the Throne's "Who Gon' Stop Me": "This is something like the Holocaust/ Millions of our people lost"​Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies, formulated by humorist and writer Mike Godwin, states that eventually, any heated discussion (especi ... More >>

Watch The Throne: Two Self-Appointed Supermen, Acting Normal As Can Be

​Kanye West is a rapper from Chicago and Jay-Z is a rapper from New York. They made an album together and they called it Watch the Throne and DAS CCRRAAAZZZYYY!!!! It's silly to pretend like Throne isn't good, or at least interesting. Or at least rich. Or at least contemplative. Or at least i ... More >>

ACL Fest Schedule Released; Your Guide To The "Death Duels"

Stevie Wonder on FacebookStevie Wonder: Even My Morning Jacket will be watching.​This morning, the organizers of the Austin City Limits Music Festival announced the schedule for the September 16-18 Zilker Park throwdown. We all knew there would be some tough choices, but Rocks Off found that w ... More >>

Beyonce Throws A "Party" With Kanye, Andre 3000 & Slick Rick

​Beyonce's wildly anticipated 4 has leaked three weeks ahead of its scheduled release date. One of the songs on the album, "Party," finds Bey joining forces with Kanye West and rap's greatest hermit Andre 3000. It starts with a classic Kanyeism: "You a bad girl and your friend's bad too/Oh, y ... More >>

Will Mainstream Rap Ever Stop Objectifying Women?

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: Bun B, Lil Flip, D-Risha, Renzo, Kyle Hubbard, Do ... More >>

Balaclavas, Moccs, Fat Tony Place In Pazz & Jop Poll

Show of hands, everyone who is surprised this is No. 1.​Music writers all know that once they get their Village Voice Pazz & Jop ballot in their e-mail inbox, that it's time to tally their loves from the last year. It's sort of like the leaves changing or the first freeze of winter coming. You ... More >>

Music's Top Five Hottest Trends For 2011

Photo illustrations by John Seaborn Gray​Every year-end Rocks Off prognosticates the likeliest trends in music for the upcoming year. So far, we've got a 100 percent success rate, although since the FBI made us take down all of our previous predictions, we have no way to prove it. So you'll j ... More >>

Top Five Christmas Rap Songs

​Show us one hip-hop head who isn't obsessed with corny Christmas sing-alongs and we'll show you a liar. Nothing says "hip-hop" like cheery holiday tunes about sharing and caring. In the spirit of holiday music, Rocks Off compiled a list of five Christmas rap songs guaranteed to make you the f ... More >>

Top 10 Non-Traditional Christmas Songs

"Baby Jesus, born to rock..." ​Amidst the time of year when we're bombarded with cliché holiday tunes and trite Christmas-carol covers, Rocks Off will now take time to appreciate a few original nontraditional takes on festive songs. Whether they're dismal adaptations of holiday malaise, tale ... More >>

Sorry, Pitchfork & Rolling Stone, Kanye's Fantasy Is Not Perfect

​Out since Monday, Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy finally hit stores to what is seeming to us like mass audience acclaim. It's hitting in the right spots, lyrically and musically, and now, one by one, the critics are weighing in. A week or so ago Rocks Off turned in our own ov ... More >>

Hot Saturday Night

Roky Moon & BOLT release debut LP.

Kanye's Best My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Lyrics

​It doesn't hit the streets, legally, until Monday, but Kanye West's long-gestating My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy leaked a few weeks back. Since then, Rocks Off has been spinning our preview copy quite a bit at the office. It's not the completely finished version about to hit stores and ... More >>

Rappers Vs. Uncle Sam: N.W.A., Eminem, Kanye...

​Mike Myers will probably go down in history as the most uncomfortable white guy next to a black guy in TV history, thanks to Kanye West's unscripted outburst during that infamous Hurricane Katrina telethon. It began with Myers reading his part of the script verbatim. Two-thirds into the PSA, ... More >>

Backmasking Bieber, Black Keys, Kanye, Etc.: What Do You Hear?

​"It's my sweet Satan ... Oh I will sing because I live with Satan." "Turn me on, dead man." "Turned out nice again." "Eat donkey crap." Every since the beginning of rock and roll, listeners and disgruntled parents alike have been searching for hidden meanings in music. Was Paul dead, w ... More >>

What Is The Best Album Cover Ever?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. ​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Lil Flip, Hollywood FLOSS, hasHBrown, Kyle Hubbard, Renzo, Brad Gilmore and Nash White Not Invited: Kanye, bec ... More >>

Five Celebrity Costumes To Avoid At All Costs

This one is, uhhh... not on the list.​Halloween: The one night grown men and women have a legitimate excuse to look like clowns. Call us crazy, but we stopped dressing up for Halloween at 13. We still love you and your ridiculous costume. We really do. That's why we've taken the time to offer ... More >>

Should Kanye Be Dissing Celebrity Clothing Lines?

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@gmai ... More >>

Rap's Top 10 Heroes Of 2010 So Far, Part 1

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 introducinglisto ... More >>

FAIL: Kanye And Taylor, Lupe Fiasco, Kings Of Leon

​Taylor and Kanye Need To Move the Hell On: The MTV Video Music Awards happened this past Sunday, so you had to know there was going to be at least one sizable fail in there somewhere, and of course they didn't disappoint. Taylor Swift took the stage and sang a melodramatic tune she'd written ... More >>

Accessories Houston Rappers Don't Leave Home Without

fashionbombdaily.comSlick Rick: The ruler's back at Reliant Arena, November 6​Rappers have always been obsessed with accessories. It's mandated in rap contracts, right next to girl songs and Bun B collaborations. The tradition dates back to hip-hop's early days. Before Kanye popularized shutte ... More >>

The Seven Worst Back To School Soundtracks

Sorry Kanye, Twitter is over capacity.​Going back to school sucks, and Rocks Off feels the pain of students far and wide. We've got another two semesters left before we graduate from college and get to move out of our parents' house. Yay! In the meantime, there are a few songs/albums/artists ... More >>

So What's Up With Kanye's "Power" Video?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn't a national holiday or pre-empted by HPMA showcase coverage, Rocks Off will have some of them hear discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Paul Wal ... More >>

Kanye West's New Toy: Twitter

​If there was any other pop-culture wonder in need of a worldwide soapbox to spout off from it was Kanye West. Yesterday sweet dreams became a beautiful nightmare when West got his own verified Twitter account, @kanyewest. Little wonder this comes right before the run-up of publicity for his n ... More >>

Five Spot: The Kanye Is Not Going To Act Like A Dick In 2010... Until He Does

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 take in a ton of music each week... turns out that's actually a major p ... More >>

The Kids Are All Right: Hip-Hop Finally Comes of Age, Part 1

​While year-end, catch-all wrap-ups are common to every musical genre, in no other style of music do they turn into the hand-wringing, "state of the game" examinations that hip-hop seems to provoke. We worry because we care, of course. But at some point, like a thirty-something parent, those of us ... More >>

Sound Off on The Kanye's Jackassery at Sunday Night's VMAs

This is what happens when MTV pulls all its VMA footage from YouTube... their lawyers were up early this morning.​ By now you've seen or at least heard about Kanye West's latest bit of spotlight-grabbing at Sunday night's MTV awards - Rocks Off doubts morning-drive DJs are talking about little els ... More >>

All Falls Down: Kanye West's Six - Well, Seven Now - Douchiest Moments

​If you're aware of Kanye West's - whom Pollstar is reporting stops at Toyota Center with Lady GaGa January 22; good luck selling tickets for that one now, kiddo - past behavior at all, then you're probably surprised this article isn't longer. His habit of blurting out inappropriate, nonsensical n ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Paul Wall, Pink, The Kanye, Jay-Z, Eminem, Necro, Bow Wow, Black Eyed Peas, Big Moe and More

Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: "Bizzy Body," Paul Wall feat. Webbie Wire To Wire Pink is upset at The Kanye because of his appreciatio ... More >>

Common: Universal Mind Control