Lil' KeKe

For Your Listening Pleasure

Artist of the Week: Coline

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 introducingliston@gmail.com. How else to say this tha ... More >>

Young and Hungry

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 introducingliston@gmail.com. How else to say this tha ... More >>

Made in Houston

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 introducingliston@gmail.com. How else to say this tha ... More >>

Figaro al Fresco

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 introducingliston@gmail.com. How else to say this tha ... More >>

1998 Houston Press Music Awards Nominees

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 introducingliston@gmail.com. How else to say this tha ... More >>

Children of the Korn

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 introducingliston@gmail.com. How else to say this tha ... More >>

Turning the Screw: UGK, DMX, Common, The Kanye, T.I., Ice Cube, Trick Daddy, Lil Keke 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: Hollywood F.L.O.S.S., "Attack of Hollywood" Wire To Wire The new UGK is really good. Buy it ... More >>

Santa Baby

What a few musicians want under their trees this year

Lil Keke: Loved by Few, Hated by Many

What a few musicians want under their trees this year

Los Magnificos Car Show

Web exclusive!

Irie Time at Club Riddims

Who or what the hell is Irie, anyway?

Willie D's Birthday Party

Who or what the hell is Irie, anyway?

Thug Life

Slim Thug has paid the cost to be the Dirty South boss

Local Rotation

Local Music Reviewed

Discman

DJ DMD goes national with his continental, Houston-based rap style

Turning the Screw: Dead End Alliance, Bun B, DMX, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Eminem, The Kanye, Beyonce 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: "Heart of a Hustler," Dead End Alliance feat. Lil Keke and Mike D Wire To WireHow bad-ass is Bun B that ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Bun B, Trae & Lil Keke, Rihanna, Snoop, Eminem vs. Nick Cannon, Jay-Z, T.I., E-40, South Park Mexican 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: "Grey Cassette," Trae feat Bun B and Lil Keke Wire To Wire Ummm, we're not going to link to them, but s ... More >>

Ask a Rapper: Yung Redd of Swishahouse

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 introducingliston@gmai ... More >>

Five Spot: Houston R&B Collaboration King Billy Cook

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.This weekend, Bun B and Mya are shooting the video for "Show Me Something," th ... More >>

Cap'n Kittens and Friends

Whatever its name, Avant Garden is a cornerstone of bohemian Houston.

The H-Town Countdown, No. 13: DJ Screw's 3 N' Tha Mornin' Pt. 2 (Blue)

Roughly 84,000 rap albums have been released in Houston since 1989. We're 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. DJ Screw 3 N' Da Mornin, Part 2 (Big Tyme Records, 1995)​While researc ... More >>

Five Spot: Jigga, Skiing, Gay Sex and Swishahouse

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and list five reasons why it's either brilliant or dumb-assed. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. We've got this notebook that we carry around pretty much everywhere with us. A few bullets from there before we g ... More >>

Filero Battles with the Past, Takes Control of His Future. Second In a Two-Part Series.

[Ed. Note. See Part 1 of Rocks Off's encounter with Filero here.] A hint of things to come? Filero (left) and SPM square off at checkers back in the day.​ When we talked to Filero about how much the rap game has changed since he saw the first Texas Latino rap album, actually a cassette, in the Gul ... More >>

Aftermath: How Many Bodies Washed Up At Our Washington Shore Party?

Photos by Son LamTonight's the Night: The fist-pumping contest got pretty heated.​Well... zero, in traditional New Jersey cement-shoes terminology. But despite the miserable weather, which did its part to create a proper Jersey Shore atmosphere, Rocks Off's Washington Shore party filled the Washin ... More >>

Mix Bag: An Exclusive With Aztek, A Night At The Electric Company And More Mixtapes Galore

Courtesy of AztekL-R: The Kanye, Jay-Z and Aztek​Man, what a weekend. We sat down and chopped it up with them Southeast Houston hip-hop veterans Sen and Lil Villain, and Kansas-raised artist Uno. They gave us a rundown of an entirely un-talked about dimension of Houston's hip-hop history. More on ... More >>

Five Spot: Linking Jay-Z To Houston, And Not Through Beyonce

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. Jay-Z is in town Monday. This is huge. Jay is the most commercially, mainstr ... More >>

Behind the Lyrics: Bunz is Twin City's Lifeline to Houston Hip-Hop

[Ed. Note: We temporarily interrupt our real-time SXSW coverage to give you something else to read about for one of the last times this week.] Richmond and Rosenberg are tough places to describe, partly because there are many faces to the two towns, which are referred to on the streets as just one ... More >>

Screwed Up Click Reunion: "If You Take A Bath Every Day, Make Some Noise!"

Photos by Shea Serrano Don't Worry About Mine: Big Pokey (left, onstage) gets him some at the Southside Smoke Shop.​2:58 p.m.: So this thing was supposed to start at 2 p.m., right? And we purposely got here an hour late so as to miss a significant portion of the standing around portion of t ... More >>

Remember Yung Redd's Eviction Notice 3?

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. ​Lil Keke is the reigning big dick in the SwishaHouse camp; that part is pretty impossible to argue. ... More >>

Which Houston Rappers Are "Blowin' Money Fast"?

​This has been Ricky Rozay's summer, for certain. Teflon Don was, in short, a sparkly, magnanimously produced, well-acted-out album. By the way, let's just go ahead and keep pretending like the entire planet hasn't figured out that Ross employed a ghostwriter for TD. Hard evidence? Well, there ... More >>

Screwed Up Click

​This has been Ricky Rozay's summer, for certain. Teflon Don was, in short, a sparkly, magnanimously produced, well-acted-out album. By the way, let's just go ahead and keep pretending like the entire planet hasn't figured out that Ross employed a ghostwriter for TD. Hard evidence? Well, there ... More >>

Last Night: Screwed Up Click At House Of Blues

Photos by Marco TorresLil Keke​Screwed Up Click House of Blues October 14, 2010 8:19 p.m.: The doors opened for the show at 8 p.m. today, which is precisely why we plan on continuing to not be there until about 10 p.m. Fools no longer, we are. 10:00: Just walked in. Already saw a guy uniron ... More >>

Last Night: Slim Thug At House Of Blues

"We don't give women money. We give them babies." Photos by Marco Torres​Slim Thug & Friends House of Blues November 30, 2010 Slim Thug wasn't the biggest name on the bill Tuesday night. While an accomplished veteran in his own right, Thugga hasn't attained Z-Ro's "local legend" status or ES ... More >>

New Local Rap From A Madman, A Menace And A Monster

"No Hard Feelings" from Roosh Williams & friends.​Back around the time the first Ask A Rapper column was running (June 2009), Rocks Off had a conversation with an out-of-town publicist who was trying to get her out-of-town act an interview for the spot. When told that AAR was reserved for Hous ... More >>

Ageless Lil O Talks New Album, "Screwed Up Curse"

Photos courtesy of OG PR​This past Wednesday, Rocks Off ended up sitting across from Lil' O indoors at the nearly empty Muldoon's Patio Bar on Westheimer. We spoke with him for about an hour or so, about all sorts of things. He was polite and friendly and wore one of those puffy sleeveless ves ... More >>

2011 South By Southwest Supplement

Buxton takes its bump to the roots-rock big leagues in stride.

Last Night: Lil Keke's Birthday Bash At House Of Blues

Photos by Marco TorresLil Keke​Lil Keke's Birthday Bash House of Blues March 30, 2011 9:51 p.m.: Got the tickets. Waiting outside to meet a guy that was supposed to be here 30 minutes ago. There's a white guy here dressed like he had auditioned for Reservoir Dogs and didn't get a part and nev ... More >>

What's The R&B Singer/Rapper Relationship Really Like?

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: Jack Freeman, Dallas Blocker, Leelonn, Patrick Sims, Senze Not Invited: Ja Rule This Week's Prompt: You all have had ... More >>

Which Houston Rappers Deserve Their Own Streets?

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 >>

The Five Most Texan Types Of Music

​Happy San Jacinto Day, fellow Texans and people who wish they were; i.e. everyone else. If you don't know why today is special, shame on you. But since us Texans are a friendly sort, allow Rocks Off to fill you in. On April 21, 1836, Texian forces under Gen. Sam Houston (aka "Big Drunk") lau ... More >>

Summer Fest Releases Stage Schedule, Set Times

Jermaine Rogers​If Rocks Off learned anything at iFest these past two weekends, it's that we should have started our own bottled-water franchise. And that when you go to a music festival, it's a good idea to know who is playing and when. Running around willy-nilly is all well and good unless i ... More >>

Happiness Through Hustle

Cordial but guarded promoter H-Kane has become one of the local hip-hop scene's most important movers and shakers.

Last Night: Swishahouse Reunion At House Of Blues

Photos by Marco TorresBirthday boy Michael "5000" Watts backstage at House of Blues​Michael "5000" Watts Birthday Celebration & Swishahouse Reunion House of Blues June 9th, 2011 The premise was simple: bring together every Swishahouse artist, past to present, for a reunion concert, invite 2,0 ... More >>

Drake: What's The Best Song He - And You - Ever Wrote?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that isn't the day after a major local music festival, but sometimes on Tuesday anyway, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's ... More >>

R&B Ingenue Coline Creuzot Won't Give Up The Chase

​Houston has been known as the home of some of R&B's top vocalists, and Coline Creuzot is determined to be the next one. With three mixtapes featuring some of Houston hip-hop's heavy hitters, she has already acquired the attention of the streets. Paul Wall, with whom she shares a manager, hos ... 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 >>

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 >>

The Space City Beat Battle & The Best H-Town Producers Ever

​Despite a venue conflict, the championship edition of the Space City Beat Battle will go on Saturday evening at the Mercury Room. If you've never been to one it's almost like watching a ritualistic rite of passage where cocksure arrogance and chest pounding reign supreme. Sample based produce ... More >>

Which Were The Six Best Houston Rap Songs From The Nineties?

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 >>