Nelly (Rapper)

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 >>

Your All-Star Weekend Celebrity Guestbook, Part 2

Houston is by most accounts one of America's more cultured and sophisticated cities, but it still loses its damn mind when a lot of famous people come to town. The swarm of people created by celebrities and their spotters forced the Galleria to shut down early Saturday evening, while a few promoters ... More >>

The Sounds of H-Town

Cactus Music wants your help with a "Community-Curated Playlist."

All the Rappers Who Will Be Here All-Star Weekend, Part 1

Two days ago, a complete stranger calmly approached me at the airport. Her demeanor was kind, she didn't have any noticeable body odor and gave off a friendly vibe. I smirked before she started the painstaking task of carrying out small talk. "Hey, are you from here?" she asked. My brain wanted my ... More >>

Monday Night Football Cavalcade Of Errors, Starring Rick Reilly!

Something amazing happened last night during ESPN's coverage of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 16-13 overtime atrocity win over the lowly Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. It wasn't the Chiefs' miraculously hanging well within the 12 point spread on this game (obliterating degenerate teaser bets every ... More >>

Red Fang Brings the Heat Back to Houston on Sunday

Autumn temperatures may finally be creeping into Houston at last, but Portland's Red Fang promises to work up one last sweat in the city on Sunday when the shaggy rockers roll into Fitzgerald's. The band had too much fun hitting the road this summer to close the books on it just yet. Red Fang playe ... More >>

10 More Black Stars Who Should Try Country

Country Time is a new biweekly column for our sister music blog in Seattle, celebrating that city's favorite musical genre: Mainstream country. BY MIKE SEELY With the nation's major-party political conventions drawing to a close last week with a rousing reelection appeal from the nation's first bl ... More >>

5 Non-Rap Acts We'd Like to See Chopped Not Slopped

Here's a confession: I've never really understood chopped and screwed music. Because of this I've never had an opinion on it and filed it away with Reggaeton and Texas Country in my "genres not for me" mental file folder. Then I heard OG Ron C's take on Girl Talk's All Day and I found myself really ... More >>

Girls, Girls, Girls At 25: Anatomy Of A Strip-Club Classic

Mötley Crüe, those depraved kings of '80s sleaze, took a major step toward strip-club immortality 25 years ago this week when the band released its fourth album, Girls, Girls, Girls.. Glossy, debauched heavy metal ruled the charts in the summer of 1987 -- Whitesnake, Ozzy, Bon Jovi and Poison all ... More >>

Flip The Script: 5 Things Rock Bands Can Learn From Hip-Hop

When we discuss forward thinkers in rock music, Pete Wentz isn't a name that comes to mind. That's probably because, if you're like a lot of people on the Internet, the mention of his name will cause you to groan and/or think of the word "douchebag." While you may not like him on a personal level, h ... More >>

Double Duds: The 10 Worst Duets Since "Ebony and Ivory"

Thirty years ago this week, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder hit No. 1 on the charts with their duet, "Ebony and Ivory." The song spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and the past three decades as a joke. Perhaps history's most hackneyed call for racial harmony (which, admittedly, ... More >>

Lil' Flip

Five Crazy Rapper Fashion Trends

Dphil Spanglishman needs a Mac endorsement.​Rappers are known for setting trends with their signature fashion styles. Some of these ideas are utterly outrageous and scream "Pay me attention!" Other eye-catching trends are worn by rappers to send out a message to fans. The latest "trend sett ... More >>

Saturday Night: Taylor Swift At Minute Maid Park

Photos by Marco Torres​See pics of Taylor Swift taking over The Juice Box in our slideshow. It's perhaps unfair to say Taylor Swift has "snuck up" on us, considering she's sold over 20 million albums and was featured on just about every one of last year's "top entertainer" lists. But that's w ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: Discussing the Six Worse Rap Collaborations Ever

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 >>

Doeman Sounds Off On Hip-Hop Headlines

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 >>

Top 10 Super Bowl Halftime Shows

idontlikeyouinthatway.com​This Sunday, Rocks Off will be live-blogging and tweeting this year's Super Bowl halftime show, which will feature noted scholars The Black Eyed Peas. We are diligently studying the entire BEP canon and that of all of their solo members, like the dedicated pop histori ... More >>

German Shepherd

Johnny Falstaff is a honky-tonk translator.

Reporting from the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium: Chingo Bling Talks "Taco Circuit"

​A lot of rappers establish street cred by talking about hittin' licks and sellin' rocks. Chingo Bling raps about slangin' tamales and hot sauce -- which is what brought him to the Southern Foodways Alliance annual symposium last weekend. Known as the Masa Messiah, or the Taquero Vaquero, or ... More >>

The Grand Theatre

Old '97s snap back with new album.

Five Terrible Rap-Related Business Ideas

​If you believe the bean counters at Forbes, rhyme still pays and the 2010 hip-hop cash kings (Jay-Z, Diddy, Eminem, etc.) are cashing major checks from their business ventures. But cashing in on rap commercialism is no cake walk. If you have no intention of ever making Forbes' Cash Kings list ... More >>

Is "Country Rap" An Oxymoron?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday (that isn't a national holiday) Rocks Off will have some of them hear discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Candi Redd, (HPMA Nominee) Preemo, Niq from the ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: 2 Man Army's Praphecy Talks Nelly, Tribe, Arrested Development and Journey

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 >>

Aftermath: Goodie Mob at House of Blues, With a Completely Unexpected Bun B Cameo

Photos by Marco Torres / Click here for a slideshow​9:25 p.m.: Standing in line to pick up tickets with the photographer, Bun B happens to walk up right behind us. (The Bun B Law of Inevitability is infallible.) I turn around and tell him hello and that we've spoken on the time several times ... More >>

Ask a Rapper: New Houstonian EX-L Eazy on How HAM! His New Hometown Is

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 introducinglisto ... 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 >>

He Said She Said: "Fuck You Owl City" and the other Worst Songs of the Decade

Sweet Jeebus, this decade had some awful pop music. You would think the Lord would spare us a little in light of all the terrorist attacks and hurricanes we got this past period. Where the past ten year cycles had disco, new wave, and classic West Coast hip-hop to sate the aural thirsts of Top 40 li ... More >>

Hot in Herre

The Adams brothers attempt to make Washington Avenue Drinkery the corridor's Everyperson bar.

He Said She Said: A Stripper Soundtrack

Rocks Off has a naked lady fetish. It's shameful to admit. We really like seeing naked chicks. It's been something we have dealt with since we were four years old and started sneaking into the women's dressing room when our Mom would go clothes shopping. It's not so cute today, what with the beard ... More >>

Vince Young Can't Beat Out A Has-Been QB, But He Can Make It Rain

Okay, imagine you're a third overall draft pick, and two years into your football career, you've lost your job as starting quarterback to an aging, recovering alcoholic, racist retread. You're teetering on the brink of being labeled one of the biggest busts in recent football history. What's more, ... 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 >>

Way Cooler than Chico's

The Edge of the Spotlight

Trouble for "Texas Troubadour" Chris Knudson

Fat Joe

All or Nothing

Hot Shows

Summertime concerts that will leave you sweating

Mild On Houston

Public access cameras pick up the slack for E! as faux rappers stalk Club Go's half-empty rooms

Pats and Cats Bring It Back

The biggest of them all returns to Houston

G Unit

Beg for Mercy (Interscope)

Hip-hop, Tejas

Latinos take on rap music and make it their own

Stealth Statue

Sssh! There's a secret project under way for the senior Bush

Best Concert Venue

Verizon Wireless Theater

When Nelly Met Kelly

A St. Louis rapper helps a hometown girl step out of the shadow of a multiplatinum band

Houston Music Festival

November 9

Clipse

Lord Willin' (Star Trak/Arista)

Not on Your Nelly!

Nelly Furtado refused to forget her roots or dress like a tramp. She won a Grammy anyway.

D12

Thursday, November 1

Archrapper

Nelly hopes his music will be a gateway to the St. Louis rap scene