Mos Def

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Blake Shelton, Tegan & Sara, etc.

Blake Shelton Reliant Stadium, March 15 After more than a decade of climbing country music's ranks to become one of its most successful and charismatic male vocalists, Blake Shelton found himself taking a little heat not long ago when comments he made about certain "old farts" clinging to country's ... More >>

The Rocks Off 100: Elroy Boogie, Top Notch Turntablist

Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're in there too. See the entire Rocks Off 100 at this link. Who? Elroy Boogie of the Almighty Kracker N ... 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 >>

Top 5 Musical NBA Players

The NBA All-Star Game is coming up in a couple of weeks. There may not be any Rockets on the roster - even ex-Rocket/Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin didn't blow up in time to be added as a reserve - but musical names such as Kanye West, Rihanna (the halftime entertainment), Lenny Kravitz, Josh Groban, ... More >>

The Six Best (Or Worst) Rapper Name Changes

​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 >>

Bun B Panel Debates Rappers' Social Responsibilities

RizohTuesday's panel (l-r): Tre9, Malice, Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Trae Tha Truth, Bun B​There was a time when everyone either wanted to be hip-hop or sleep with her. Hip-hop, in her nascent days, was akin to that hot chick everyone wanted to take to the dance. But now that hip-hop is old and ... More >>

Nate Dogg's Seven Best Hooks Besides "Regulate"

​Hip-hop lost a genius late Tuesday, when Nate Dogg passed away from causes unknown in Long Beach, Calif. Maybe the man upstairs needed this OG, who was 41 and had suffered strokes in 2007 and '08, to sing hooks in the choir. Meanwhile, Nate's work here on Earth will live on in hip-hop histor ... More >>

Katy Perry? For Album Of The Year? Seriously?

​Don't get Craig's Hlist wrong, we think that Katy Perry is extremely attractive. In fact, if we think about her long enough, it makes us want to cry and punch a wall. She's a buxom, bubbly, raven-haired pop star who dresses like she's expensive grandma candy. We even interviewed her last ye ... More >>

Bun B Hosting Ugandan Breakdance Doc Screening

"I'm not a politician, so I'm not going to use politics. I'm not a soldier, so I'm not going to hold a gun. I'm a B-boy." - Abraham "Abramz" Tekya, Founder, Breakdance Project Uganda ​Thursday at 7 p.m. on the Rice University Campus, a screening of the inspiring documentary Bouncing Cats will ... More >>

Sam Sneed: Christian Rappers Are Not Gangstas

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. ​You remember Sam Sneed, right ... More >>

2009 Concert Rewind, August: Weezy, Blondie, Depeche Mode, JoBros, Katy Perry, Mos Def, De La Soul, Blue October, Green Day and an Audience With King George

Shea Serrano​ Asher Roth, Kid Cudi, House of Blues, August 1: "[Cudi has] tapped John Goldstein, Kanye's famed stage light guy, to help him create an actual feel to his show. Hipster rappers get derided a lot as not being "real rappers," but they put on a hell of a show. The crowd is already his." ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Clinton Sparks, Bun B & Slim Thug, More Bun B, Jazzy Jeff, Erykah Badu, Pitbull, Big Mello, 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. (Super, Super Cool) Single of the Week: "Pack The Gat," Clinton Sparks feat. Bun B and Slim Thug Wire To Wire If there's a ... More >>

52 Pick-Up

Your guide to the 2009 Houston Press Music Awards showcase

Distant Early Warning: Bob Saget, Loggins & Messina, Mos Def, the Queers and More

The Atomic Punks (Van Halen Tribute): Fri., Aug. 21. House of Blues. Bob Saget: Fri., Nov. 20. House of Blues. Cedric The Entertainer: Fri., Aug. 28. Arena Theatre. Derek Webb: Sat., Oct. 24. House of Blues. Mushroomhead, (hed)pe, Ethreal, Made In Vain: Sat., Sept. 5. Meridian. KMFDM: Fri., Oct. 23 ... More >>

Zin Balance

The Third Ward's favorite son produces his most important album to date.

This Week In Beyonce: B Acts... Like What?

Rocks Off can't argue with the fact that Beyonce Knowles is a stone-cold fox when she gets on the microphone and belts out a song, dripping in glitter and wearing a barely-there outfit. Her voice is at once menacing and thundering, but also femininely fragile. Plus she has to be super-cool behind th ... More >>

Artist of the Week: Outspoken Bean

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. Photos courtesy of ... 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 >>

Cadillac Records Can't Handle the Truth

Spinning Blues into Lies

Bum Rap

50 Cent wants to be an actor...but he's not

Meow Mix

DJ delight Miss Kittin spins purrfect grooves

Rockin' Renewal

The imminent launch of new venue Warehouse Live makes it official: Downtown is now Houston's live music hot spot

Blowhards

Project Blowed celebrates ten years of hip-hop innovation and improvisation

Jokes? What Jokes?

The Hitchhiker's Guide is harmless -- well, mostly harmless

Extended Sentence

A convicted pedophile earns his release but can't escape from himself

Fresh Produce

With underground hip-hop or mass-appeal club records, RJD2 is a stickler for details

Playbill

The Class of '03

Grab your gift certificates and trade in your white elephants -- here's what you really wanted for Christmas

Rappin' Up Gifts

A lucky seven underground hip-hop releases to slip into Christmas stockings this year

Safe, Cracked

The Italian Job, a remake better than the original, is a steal

Master Blaster

Cody ChesnuTT sees rock and roll, and he wants to repaint it black

Sexual Healing

A racist Billy Bob gets funky in Monster's Ball

No Pimps Allowed

Common and Black Eyed Peas dare to raise the artistic standards of hip-hop

The Malcolm X Files

Spike Lee's scathing satire of network television goes out with a bang

Rap Space

Will hip-hop ever find a home in Houston?

Original Style

The Roots makes rap come alive live