LL Cool J

How to Spot Hollywood’s Nonthreatening Black Man (NTBM)

So About This Idiotic "Accidental Racist" Song...

So somewhere along the line, a very strange, slightly racist, and incredibly awkward brainchild -- aptly named "Accidental Racist" -- appeared to Brad Paisley and LL Cool J. Instead of shoving that idea into the box labeled "Hell no," they decided to record it and put it out into the universe for al ... More >>

Saturday Night: Rakim at Fitzgerald's

Rakim Fitzgerald's February 16, 2013 In the beginning, The God MC, legally known as William Michael Griffin, Jr., best known as Rakim, became one-half of one of hip-hop's very first groups, Eric B. and Rakim. The pair recorded a series of classic albums (Paid in Full, Follow the Leader) that have ... More >>

Know Your Local Media: Jim Kovacik of 97.9 The Box Talks About Being White and The Atascocita Thugz

It is difficult surviving local music radio in any city, but Houston in particular. Imagine doing that when you are basically the antithesis of the stereotype most assigned to your position. Think a punk rocker working at a country station. Jim Kovacik -- Jimbo or Jimbeazy as he is known to listener ... More >>

Goat Graffiti Officially In The Running For World's Lamest Tagging

In case you haven't noticed the latest menace haunting Houston's streets, someone keeps spray-painting the word "goat" on stuff along Washington Avenue and in a couple other areas around the city. This week they hit Kung Foo Saloon and the corner store by Blue Moose. This is annoying for a lot of r ... More >>

Celebrity Tech Endorsements: 5 Cool and 5 Highly Annoying Examples Of Product Pimpage

Celebrity endorsements are nothing new. They have been around as long as there were celebrities and companies willing to pay them to say they smoked Kool's or drove Chevy, or force us to explain to children and the elderly why we would giggle every time we saw the milk-stained upper lip of a famous ... 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 >>

Ain't Nobody Better: The LL Cool J Valentine's Day Playlist

​ Once upon a time, LL Cool J was merely a Kangol wearing rapper who aimed for the ladies long before urban radio knew of such things from rappers. Now, he's on CBS Tuesdays on an NCIS spinoff and is hosting The Grammys this year. Not bad for someone I thought would shrink into musical obscurity a ... More >>

Grammys Wrap Nominations, Performances Into Live Show Tonight

In this week's edition of "no one cares so do whatever you want," the Grammy's will be announcing nominations tonight for their annual awards presented in February. Normally, a simple press conference would suffice, but NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) thinks it would be a goo ... More >>

Remember Le$'s The Beautiful Struggle?

Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​Le$ The Beautiful Struggle (Self-released, 2010) Le$, the least burly, most modern Boss Hogg ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Basic Cable Blues -- The 10 Movies You Will Always Watch When They Come On

​You know the feeling: it's 11 p.m., you're lying half-conscious on your couch and thinking tonight -- tonight -- is the night you're finally going to go to bed before midnight and get a decent night's sleep. Maybe this will be start of a new chapter in your life, one in which you no longer cl ... More >>

2 Sexy 4 Shirts: Video Boys Of Summer Frolic Au Naturel

​The only summer trend that matters this year - to us, anyway - is "Boys Gone Wild." So, what happened, H-town dudes? It's as if when Free Press Summer Fest wrapped up, none of you has wanted to strut around town sweaty and shirtless since. This is one of the reasons why we can't really see a ... More >>

Top 10 Musician Movie Cameos

Rocks Off has no idea why Mick Jagger might prefer Performance to Ned Kelly.​Over recent years, Rocks Off has been repeatedly surprised by the quality performances of musicians in films. Naturally, there are some duds in the mix; even Mick Jagger himself, who starred in 1970's Ned Kelly, disow ... More >>

More Like "Hall Of Lame," Am I Right?

​Ladies and gentlemen, your 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is ready to admit a new class: Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Neil Diamond, Darlene Love and Dr. John have all been inducted for 2011, the foundation announced Wednesday. With the exception of Wai ... More >>

Ten Rock-Star Crushes We Still Haven't Outgrown

​Artists like Elvis Presley, Madonna, and Mick Jagger undoubtedly helped define the consumate rock star crush. But there have been a handful of worthy others along the way - armed with that certain je ne se quoi - who haven't left our radar. Years later, turns out we're still smitten with thi ... More >>

ICP's "Echo Side": The Only Truly Spooky Rap Song Ever?

​Frequent visitors here will note that Rocks Off is not much of a rap guy... and Halloween is one of the reasons why. See, we grew up as rap and hip-hop grew did, and consequently we got to watch the genre go through an adolescent phase just as awkward and embarrassing as anybody else's. One o ... 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 >>

Bon Jovi, Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers? It Could Happen...

Stay classy, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame...​This morning the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced this year's ballot of nominees, with the winners to be announced in December and inducted next March in New York. Fifteen names are on this year's ballot, ranging from hip-hoppers, proto-metal icons, ... More >>

Turning The Screw: New Hollywood F.L.O.S.S. Track, Mixtapes Galore, Kid Cudi, LeBron, Diddy, Weezy, Sade, Pink 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 Said...," Hollywood F.L.O.S.S. Wire To Wire Slim Thug released that Welcome 2 Texas mixtape. Do ... More >>

Inside the Rappers Studio

Are you an aging hip-hop performer? Then the Rap Institute of Acting is for you!

In Honor of Michelle Obama and "Shortsgate," the Best Ass Songs of All Time

In a year when the biggest news stories aren't about war or the environment but a mentally unbalanced woman having a litter of children and the death of a creepy pop singer who hadn't put out a decent album in 25 years, it should come as no surprise that so many people would be up in arms ... More >>

Where the Boys Are

Guava Lamp is a good-natured gay bar in disguise.

Turning the Screw: J-Dawg, DMX, Birdman/Weezy, Kelis/Nas, Weezy/Obama, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Geto Boys 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: J-Dawg, "Never" Wire To Wire Did you know that it costs $240,000 to impersonate an FBI agent? DMX does. ... More >>

Turning the Screw: OG Ron C, Bun B, "5000" Watts, DMX, The Kanye, Rihanna/Chris Brown, Big HAWK 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: "Killa Joe," Michele Thibeaux Wire To Wire Houston's OG Ron C, head honcho of the GO DJ Coali ... More >>

Turning the Screw: H.I.S.D., Trae, Lupe Fiasco, Prodigy, Soulja Boy, Roy Jones Jr., Ice Cube and More

LL Cool J: Exit 13

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

The Wayback Machine: 15, Ten and Five Years Ago in Houston Music

10 Great Moments in White Rap History

Aries Spears

Comedian Aries Spears pokes fun at race relations

The Astrodome Speaks...

Rap Not So Macho

Way Out of Sync

The Essence of Soul

Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige and more hit H-town

Spray-On Soul

Getting Up is a flawed but fascinating ode to graffiti's early years

Baller's Ball

Where to party this All-Star Weekend

God Save the Queen

A talented rapper narrowly survives another lousy movie

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Going Mental

Mindhunters is truly stupid fun

De La Soul

The Grind Date (Sanctuary)

Lighting Seven Up

Party with purpose at "Illume"

Fallen Angels

Charlie's gang gives good jiggles but no plot

Deep Shallow

Undercover cop film is underdeveloped, too

Rap Actor

LL Cool J rocks microphone, silver screen

Superflies

R&B royalty roll out for Budweiser Superfest

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