Lil' Flip

The Best Concerts In Houston This Week: Collie Buddz, The Killers, Carolyn Wonderland, etc.

Collie Buddz House of Blues (Bronze Peacock Room), May 6 Just when the week is getting started, here comes the "Light It Up" tour to slow it down to a mellow Caribbean groove; you know what that means. Headlining over Cris Cab and New Kingston, Bermuda-raised Collie Buddz already has a solid Housto ... More >>

Top 20 Songs Dedicated to Drank, Part 2

Friday we brought you the first installment of songs passionately devoted to syrup. So far we've confirmed that Houston is indeed the only City of Syrup. It's also safe to say that the late Screwed Up Click legend Big Moe sang about sipping more than anyone ever could, as he dominates this list with ... More >>

Top 20 Songs Dedicated to Drank, Part 1

Some call it lean; others call it barre or simply drank. Whichever you prefer, promethazine with codeine cough syrup is the ever so popular recreational drug used by many people. Houston's hip-hop culture has made lean something everyone has wanted to talk about or even try for decades. If you type ... More >>

Sex and the Radio: A Weekend With 97.9 The Box

For those who may not know, being a blogger and writer also means you sort of have to support yourself with a 9-5. Some chose teaching, others chose busting their ass at a prospective company. Somehow I chose to be a town-car driver. An entrepreneur, a goddamn transporter of people. There are perks ... More >>

New Doc The Art Of Rap Spills Hip-Hop's Secrets

Rap wasn't always like Lil Jon's yelling his famous "What!?" and "Okay!", or repeating your name over and over throughout the song like Houston's own Lil Flip. Nowadays most see rap as lyrics telling a woman how to position herself or look for a man, rhymes about money and talk of toking up. But th ... More >>

Ex-Rocket Steve Francis Turns Rapping Twitter Phenom

Every rapper dreams to be a baller and every baller dreams to be a rapper. It rings true today and former Houston Rocket Steve Francis renews the saying with his recently discovered hip-hop label Mazerati Music. Rocks Off cringed when we saw Dan Devine's Ball Don't Lie sports blog on Francis' rap ... More >>

Five Spot: The World's Ending? Nah, Bro. Here's What's Going To Happen In 2012, Guaranteed.

Well, the first week of 2012 is done, which, duh, means it's time for everyone to begin putting together their Best Of 2012 lists. We're working on ours already. Some doozies are included this time (75 Best Songs With Titles That Have The Letter "F" In Them; 31 Best Albums That Have Album Covers Tha ... More >>

Three Days of Thanks: Rap Round Table

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: Not Invited: This Week's Prompt: There are a bunch of things we're responsible ... More >>

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.

Ask A Rapper: Scooby on Officially Being a Solo Artist (But Also Still Part of a Group)

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 >>

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 >>

The Sour Notes Are Not Going To Save The World, It Seems

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Photos via thesournotes.comR ... More >>

Remember Yungstar's Throwed Yung Playa?

Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​Yungstar Throwed Yung Playa (Straight Profit Records, 1999) Man, remember Yungstar, the acute ... More >>

The Seven Most Memorable Rap Beatdowns

Wreckx-n-Effect went New Jack Swing on A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip in 1993.​When pop stars and Hollywood types need to settle a score, they take it to the courtroom. Hip-hop, however, operates by a different code: If you act up, you will get smacked up. Rocks Off was reminded of this when a m ... More >>

Which Houston Rappers Guessed Sunday's Super Bowl Score?

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, Z-Ro, Lil Flip, Michael "5000" Watts, Riq ... More >>

Who Makes The Mt. Rushmore Of Houston Rap?

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. cred​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Z-Ro, Chamillionaire, Lil Flip, E.S.G., Paul Wall, Fat Tony, A.D.D., Matt Son ... More >>

Chanel Dizzle: Screwed Up Click Star In The Making

UPDATE (1:42 p.m.): Chanel just got in touch. She's a 22-year-old UT senior. We'll have a full interview with her soon. ​We didn't set out for this to turn into "teenage girl week" on Rocks Off, but we're not complaining either. It's even kind of appropriate, since we're also celebrating the ... More >>

Still Standing

A decade later, thangs ain't changed at Screwed Up Records & Tapes.

The Rap Renaissance

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

Eskabel: Ready To Get All Trae Tha Truth Tonight

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 >>

Ramo: What Makes A Rapper "Fresh"?

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 >>

Z-Ro Is Now On Twitter - Both Of Him

​With the other guys, it made sense. Chamillionaire: The tech junkie? The basketball fan? The guy so confident in himself that he created a whole new unit of money measurement and then named himself after it? Of course he'd be on Twitter. Bun B: He was a little late jumping in, but the e ... More >>

Top Five Rap Duos That Will Probably Never Happen

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 >>

Vanilla Ice And 11 Other Artists Dallas Can Keep

​Tomorrow night at 2016 Mainstage, Houston gets to relive its (our?) dark white-rap past when Dallas native Vanilla Ice hits the stage at the venue formerly known Sammy's On Main. Yes, that Vanilla Ice, from our haughty neighbors to the north who can do no wrong in the eyes of Texas Monthly. ... More >>

Sammus: The Femme Rapper/Producer's Top Five Remix Tracks

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 >>

Footpie, Dread-Free And Jammin' The Suburbs

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. myspace.com/footpie​Foot ... More >>

Five Rap-A-Lot Albums Worth Reissuing

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and, albeit sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. We'll incorporate the number five in there somewhere. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. ​You have to love Rap-A-Lot records. News leaked ... More >>

Take The "Which Houston Rapper Are You?" Quiz

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and, albeit sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. It's five videos and occasional cussing. Send tips to sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​A few weeks back, someone sent along a link to a Facebook application tit ... More >>

"Hood Politician" Delo Chooses A Cabinet Of H-Town Rappers

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 introducingliston@ ... More >>

Farouk Shami Is On Fire. His Campaign Song? Eh...

One of the benefits of writing for a music blog is you don't have to follow politics unless you just want to, or unless some politician is so desperate they think commissioning a campaign song Auto-tuned up the yin-yang and with lyrics that went out of style when disco did is going to improve their ... More >>

Artist of the Week: Why You Should Care About Modern-Rockers Raging Apathy

Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​ Thirty-eight simple rules go ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Lil' Flip and Bun B Help Haiti, Jay-Z & Beyonce, Trae & Soulja Boy, Chamillionaire, Wyclef, DJ Clue and Funkmaster Flex 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: "Feel It In The Air" (Lil' Flip's Haiti Tribute) Solid stuff here. Wire to Wire Bun B - who headlines t ... More >>

Ask A Rapper-Related Underground Mixtape DVD Show: Pitch Control TV

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 >>

It Was What It Was

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

Don't Call it a Comeback. Call It a Cultural Moon Rising.

​ During the Washington, D.C. sniper hunt of 2002, you didn't want to be the person who owned a white van in that metropolitan area. That's because the alleged sniper, who randomly killed ten people and critically injured three, was supposedly driving one. Everyone was looking for that vehicle des ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown: Setting the Table

Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. For the next six months, we'll be 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.​For the last few weeks we have pored over ... More >>

China Girls (and Boys)

Slide Show: Bun B and Friends at Warehouse Live

Marco Torres A who's who of rap talent from both Houston (Devin the Dude, Lil' Flip, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire) and out of town (Lupe Fiasco, the Cool Kids) turned up at Warehouse Live Saturday, June 20, to help the one and only Bun B "Swang on 'Em" for a couple of hours. Photographer Marco Torres w ... More >>

Turning the Screw: K-Rino, Nosaprise, Method Man, T.I., Devin the Dude, Trick Daddy, Flo Rida, The Kanye, Jim Jones, Botany Boyz 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: K-Rino, "Past, Present, Future" Wire To Wire In case you forgot about him, here's the link to Houst ... More >>

A New Class of Rappers Finally Bucked Houston's Syrupy Stereotype This Year

It Is What It Is

Sayonara , Matt Sonzala

Talking SXSW and rap's current malaise with a soon-to-be ex-Houstonian

Houston Rap: Kicked to the Curb?

Dotted Lines

The Didaktiks rock some homegrown hip-hop at Helios

Pop-Up Pop Stars

With the help of city government, Matthew Knowles hopes to find the next Destiny's Child. You got a problem with that?

On Da Lingo

Tracing Houston roots in three omnipresent hip-hop terms

Pop Quiz

Think you know local music? Take the Bayou City Music Mindbender and find out.

Ludacris

Chicken & Beer (Def Jam South)

David Banner

Mississippi: The Album (Street Records Corporation/Universal)

Rocker Robbery

The theft of his trailer capped a bad week for John Evans