Kanye West

Who Should the New American Idol Judges Be?

This past week, when American Idol concluded its twelfth season by crowning Candice Glover (who edged out Woodville's Kree Harrison), it was also announced that the show's latest lineup of judges is kaput. Randy Jackson went first, followed by Nicki Minaj. We're guessing that leaves Keith Urban and ... More >>

A Gallery of Awesome Taylor Swift Memes

When I think of Taylor Swift, my mind immediately goes to the category it has labeled as "sheer hilarity." From the Kanye incident to the bleating goat videos, the poor girl has become synonymous with accidental antics, and those are the best kind in my opinion. Taylor, who has skyrocketed to fame ... More >>

Where Is Lil Wayne In the Lyrical Hot Water Hall of Fame?

Proving that it is almost never wise to compare the results of rough sex to Emmett Till's face, Lil Wayne was dropped from his Mountain Dew campaign last week. Emmett Till, for those of you who aren't familiar, was a 14-year-old boy who was beaten to death, shot, and dumped in the river for whistlin ... More >>

Today's Top 5 Female Punk Rockers

Spike Jonze's Top 9 Music Videos

There's no doubt that Spike Jonze is an enigma of a director and artist. He's worked in all types of mediums: he filmed bullriders at the Astrodome, changed the world of skateboard videography, and visually recreated the brilliance of Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are. Plus, he's made us al ... More >>

A Showcase Of Inappropriately Dubbed Puppet Musicians

I spend an unfortunately large amount of time on two activities. No. 1, I am paid under the table by the felt lobby to promote puppet music. No. 2, I have an irresistible compulsion to ruin children's entertainment. It's not that I'm a bad person; it's that I'm a horrible person who must ruin all t ... More >>

Musical "Holograms" We Don't Want To See Anytime Soon (OK, Yes We Do)

A lot has been made about the Tupac "hologram" at Coachella. First off, it's not really a hologram as much as it is CGI "magic" and it's nothing new, seeing that they have been doing it Japan for a few years now. But they do lots of things in Japan. It's even to get swept up in the madness because ... More >>

30 Seconds With John Mills-McCoin

There is no one in Houston like John Mills-McCoin. The Rock 'N' Roll Circus that is scheduled to raise the bar on Houston shows this weekend was birthed from the depth of his brain's wackiness. We waded into to see what we could learn about him in 30 seconds. Rocks Off: What is worst song in the w ... More >>

From Fan Clubs To Militarys: 40 Years In The Evolution Of Fandom

The Beatles had a problem. They were getting up to 400 pieces of fan mail every day. Not a bad problem to have, but consider the math: That's 2,800 letters a week, 12,000 letters in a short month, and up to 146,000 letters in a year. Even with four members answering their share of the letters, that' ... More >>

Friday Night: John Legend At Reliant Stadium

John Legend RodeoHouston, Reliant Stadium March 2, 2012 With a soft smile, seducing glare, and smooth voice, John Legend hit the Rodeo Friday night with his brand of neo-soul, hip-hop and R&B for HLSR's Annual Black Heritage Day. The Springfield, Ohio native, nee John Roger Stephens, looked very co ... More >>

The Beats Go On As Grammys Take Care Of Their Own

Hands up, everyone who is surprised.​The Grammy Awards on CBS Sunday night could have easily turned into a wake - or worse, a funeral. After Whitney Houston's death Saturday, the mood was appropriately somber until a dance party broke out, or perhaps a coming-out party for dance music. Foreve ... More >>

The End Is Near: 11 Great Second-To-Last Songs

I'm not a linguist but I'll confess that I'm fascinated by jargon. Ever heard the phrase the 11 O'Clock Number? It's theatrical shorthand for the big show stopping musical number late in act two. If your musical starts at 8:30 p.m. and you want the crowd awake for the finale then you better have a g ... More >>

Estelle

The 39th Pazz And Jop Poll Features Quite A Few Surprises

​And by surprises, I mean that I didn't like most of the albums in the top ten. Usually I fall lock-step in with the crowd, but this year not so much, with my love for arena-rock and Americana dominating my list. Pazz And Jop is the Village Voice's annual critics' poll, with critics from music ... 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 >>

Taylor Swift

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.

When Gravity Attacks: 13 Memorable Onstage Stumbles

Lady Gaga kept a poker face after her Montreal fall.​Concert performances and award shows can sometimes really put the pressure on artists, who often get so nervous or excited that they may just faceplant the stage. We've complied you tube clips of some of the best mid-performance stumbles. So ... 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 >>

ACL: Molly's Revenge & Other Encounters

Jim BrickerColdplay: Also with the pretty lights.​A Zilker field. As Friday's shadows lengthened, a young woman - tall, pale, boots - approached Rocks Off. "Are you going to Pretty Lights?" "I don't think so." "Why not?" "I don't know." "Do you know where I can get some Molly?" "Uhhh... ... More >>

What's The Leading Cause Of Poor Record Sales?

​Last week, the music world laughed up a hiccup as Lil Wayne pranced around the VMA stage in nut-suffocating, Le Tigre-inspired jeggings. While that performance affirmed that Wayne is no fashion guru, his chart performance a week later reminded us that he's very good at something else-selling ... More >>

Jay-Z & Kanye's Throne Tour Stop Delayed To December 5

Toyota Center's Web site is now listing the Houston date of rap titans Jay-Z and Kanye West's joint tour to promote their forthcoming album Watch the Throne as Monday, December 5, rather than the previously announced Wednesday, October 26. Promoter Live Nation confirmed the change, but has not se ... More >>

5 Great, Utterly Absurd Moments In Diva History

​Many performers are referred to, or refer to themselves as "divas." This happens especially when the performer in question has thrown a tantrum for little or no reason. You see, "diva" is actually French for "spoiled pain in the ass." A fine recent example comes from right here in Houston: Th ... More >>

Eminem Vs. Gaga; Nicki Minaj Vs. Britney: Who Wins?

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 >>

Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, And Kanye West Lead ACL 2011 Lineup

Marc BrubakerGoin' back to Zilker: Arcade Fire at The Woodlands, May 4​Moments ago, the Austin City Limits Music Festival announced its lineup for the 10th-anniversary weekend, scheduled for Sept. 16-18 in Zilker Park. Top names include Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, Kanye West, and Bright Eyes. P ... More >>

Arcade Fire On For ACL; Kanye Expected In Midnight Lineup

​Tonight at midnight, the folks at C3 Presents who book the Austin City Limits Music Festival are expected to drop the lineup in full onto the festival's official Web site. And like, duh, Rocks Off will of course be up and about to post it to the blog once it goes live. You are more than welco ... More >>

The Most Anticipated Albums Of 2011

​NATIONAL White Lies, Ritual: They killed at festivals in 2008 and 2009, but do London's Interpol-styled lads have longevity? Dr. Dre, Detox: It's been on hold or gestating since at least Clinton was in office. Will it continue to be hip-hop's Chinese Democracy? R.E.M., Collapse Into No ... More >>

Top Ten Celebrities This Decade Who Overcame Controversy

The center of all things smarmy and controversial.​Celebrities have money and fame and are constantly surrounded by controversy. Many of them never make it back from a serious legal problem or a major embarrassment. Ask Mel Gibson. Others, however, find their footing and manage to right the s ... More >>

The Rap Renaissance

Genre's local and national acts came back hard in 2010.

Young Sensation Has All The Answers

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 >>

Music We're Thankful For This Year

​After the turkey comas subside and Black Friday opens the holiday retail floodgates, this year in music will be all but over. Yes, there's another month until the calendar flips over, but from here until early January, the only "new" music coming out will be the tide of reissues, box sets and ... More >>

The Top 10 Female-Friendly Rap Songs

streethop.comLadies Love Cool James: LL Cool J on The View​Chris Rock once said that women don't pay attention to rap lyrics. Truth be told, most casual hip-hop fans - male and female - rarely pay attention to lyrics. As long as the beat is catchy, they'll drop down and get their eagle on all ... More >>

Phranchyze Crowned Houston's Freestyle King At Red Bull EmSee Contest

Photos by RizohThursday's unanimous winner Phranchyze advances to the national Red Bull EmSee finals in Detroit.​Outside on Westheimer, a small crowd of young music lovers has gathered in front of Numbers. Before Rocks Off even makes our way into the building, we're immediately greeted by soul ... More >>

Top 5 WTF Music Award Acceptance Speeches

Dana DonovanLittle Joe Washington and a pair of enthusiastic fans at the 2007 HPMA ceremony​As we may have mentioned once or twice, tonight Rocks Off and the Houston Press reveal the winners of this year's 2010 Houston Press Music Awards over at Warehouse Live. It's a free show, with performan ... More >>

Bun B Has A Trill Tuesday At Greenspoint Meet & Greet

UPDATE (9:59 a.m.): Hip-hop journal The Source has just published its opinion of Trill OG, giving it the magazine's first five-microphone rating in more than five years. Photos by Marco Torres​Like Kanye West before him, Houston's beloved Bun B is getting to know this thing called Twitter. Tu ... More >>

Toy Story

How Transformers led to underground MC Mic Skills's rap career.

Slim Thug, Texas Takeover, Bun B, Mack 10 Vs. Ice Cube, Rappers on Twitter, Erykah Badu, Z-Ro, Freck Billionaire, Etc.

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: "Callin' My Phone," Slim Thug feat. Slim Wire to Wire Texas Takeover is doing an NCAA-style bracket ... More >>

New Devin, Scarface And Big Pokey Product, The Kanye Abides, Snoop <3s Justin Bieber, Akon Vs. Sri Lanka, Etc.

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. Unexpected Fubu Advertisement Featuring Slim Thug That Bites Apple Commercials of the Week Wire to Wire Here's that Devin t ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Bun B, Z-Ro, LeBron, Prince, Ice Cube, The Kanye, Aziz Ansari, Omarion, Waka Flocka Flame (Just Read), Ja Rule 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: "O.G." C. Loc, Bun B and Z-Ro Wire to Wire Bun B is still leaking tracks from his non-mixtape mixtape i ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Bertell, Skillz, Diddy, Teddy Riley, Kid Sister, The Kanye, Cudi, Raekwon, Reflection Eternal 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: "She Bad," Bertell feat. Bun B Wire to Wire Before we get started with beginning this year's goofiness, ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Killa Kyleon, Chamillionaire, Wendy Williams, 50 Best Rap Albums of the '00s, Drake, Weezy, Chris Brown, UGK, etc.

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: Killa Kyleon, "Ego" (remix) P.S. Kyleon is one of Houston's best remixers. Remember his "A Milli" remix ... More >>

Turning The Screw: Spitten King, Paul Wall, The Kanye, KiD CuDi, Steve Lobel, Common, Weezy, Rick Ross, Pastor Troy, Mos Def, Grand Puba, The Chuck E. Cheese Conspiracy

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: "The Gold Room," Spitten King Wire To Wire: A regular reader of Turning the Screw (who asked to r ... More >>

Estelle

T.I.: Paper Trail

Turning the Screw: Hollywood F.L.O.S.S., LL Cool J, The Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, Russell Crowe (!?), MF Doom, Beyonce and More

Warehouse Live Thanksgiving Bash

Featuring Fat Tony, Nosaprise, The Television Skies, Otenki and D.E.M.O.

Ain't Saying He's a Gold Digger

Local hip-hop duo the Legendary K.O. throws a left cross Dubya's way with an Internet smash hit

God Save the Scene

Sassy Brits, hoochie mamas and a dude named Beans attempted to invigorate a stagnant year for hip-hop

God Save the Scene

Sassy Brits, hoochie mamas and a dude named Beans attempted to invigorate a stagnant year for hip-hop