OutKast

C.I.T.Y.'s Top 6 Geographically-Based Rap Songs

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? E-mail sheaserrano@gmail.com. ... More >>

Ever Heard of a $427,500 Mix CD?

Back in the dark ages of Internet piracy, a Rhode Islander by the name of Joel Tenenbaum made the choice of illegally downloading/sharing music online and the mistake of getting caught. The record companies wanted to make an example out of him and nine years later, it looks like they're getting what ... More >>

Enjoy These 5 Dancing GIFs From Outside Lands

The following is a dispatch from Outside Lands Festival, from our VVM sister paper SF Weekly. One thing crowds at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival do pretty well is get down. Despite the relentless wind, heavy fog, and numbing temperatures, we saw plenty of good moves last weekend -- and ... More >>

In Ten Years, Will Indie Be Remembered Like Nu-Metal?

​What exactly do you remember from the summer of 2002? Stop and think -- of the music on the radio, the CDs you were most excited for, who won the Grammy for Best Album, and so on. What exactly stands out from 10 years ago? If you find that your answer is "Not much," then you're probably l ... More >>

Hip-Hop, Interrupted: 7 Rappers That Should Be More Active

Hip-hop is a genre full of guys who put out a new album or mixtape seemingly every single month. They just can't stop, even when they're incarcerated in some cases (see: Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, and TI). It's as if rapping really is as much of a competition as they make it out to be and they're in a r ... More >>

Chafing 101: Rocks Off's 2011 Music Festival Odyssey

Music festivals are now a part of our lives, just like deadlines, angry commenters, lack of sleep, and eye fatigue. And eating at our desk. That sucks. But at least we have food and a desk, right? Rocks Off ventured all over the state -- OK, really mostly Austin -- to cover festivals for the blog. ... More >>

The 10 Dumbest Star Wars Names

Tey How: Just want you in my Caddy.​What, you haven't gotten your Star Wars Blu-ray yet? We haven't kept up with the news, but we're guessing George Lucas tweaked something somewhere in this latest reissue and sent message boards into apoplexy. Thinking of Star Wars, we took a look at the IM ... More >>

Who Are The Greatest Rap Duos of All Time?

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 >>

The Southern Way: UGK 's Top 12 Disciples

​On April 26, 1988, 23 years ago today, UGK kicked off a long and influential career with the release of their cassette-only debut, The Southern Way. It's impossible to overstate the duo's Texas-sized influence on Southern rap. The slow-rolling, tough-talking grooves showcased on seminal albu ... More >>

Summer Fest Adds Big Boi, Beirut, Girls, Killing Joke

Jermaine Rogers​Free Press Summer Fest has added four headliners to the two-day festival scheduled for June 4 and 5 in Eleanor Tinsley Park, organizers Free Press Houston and pegstar.net announced this morning. Atlanta rapper Big Boi (still one-half of OutKast, we think), Balkan-tinged indie- ... More >>

Janelle Monae

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 >>

What Is The Best Album Cover Ever?

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: Bun B, Lil Flip, Hollywood FLOSS, hasHBrown, Kyle Hubbard, Renzo, Brad Gilmore and Nash White Not Invited: Kanye, bec ... More >>

The 15 Most Annoying Ringtones You Can Get

Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​It's not good enough for a phone to simply ring anymore. Your phone's ring must say something about you, become an expression of your unique individuality, or, failing that, let everyone around you know that you really, really like that OutKast song that ... More >>

Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Best Rap Album Of The Year

​Big Boi has never been a particularly imposing rapper. He just hasn't been. Now wait a second, fuckers. Before you get all "No, he's phenomenal!" just out of sheer contrarian instinct, think on it for a second. When have you ever heard his name mentioned in any Greatest Rapper Ever discussio ... More >>

Dave Wrangler Is Under The Influence... Before Our Washington Shore Party

Album art by Wyatt LittleRocks Off mentioned this right after Houston's main man on the mash-ups, Dave Wrangler, agreed to DJ tonight's Washington Shore party (8 p.m., rain or shine) at the Washington Avenue Drinkery, but it's worth repeating. Wrangler's got a new 18-track collection of mix-n-match ... More >>

Turkeys Of The Past: 2003 Edition

​We're about a week away from the always highly anticipated Turkey of the Year award issue. There's absolutely no telling who will walk away with the coveted honor this year, because for the love of Christ there have been a ton of worthy nominees.It's our seventh annual list; in the days leading u ... More >>

Fishbone

Ozone Awards Update: There Were Some Winners, Too

2008 HPMA Winner List

Music Awards Nominees Announced Today; UGK, Indian Jewelry, Arthur Yoria, Tontons Head List

Highly Anticipated Albums of 2008

Lost in Rotation

Rounding Up Recordings by HPMA Nominees

Idlewild

OutKast's depression-era hip-hop musical has a loving respect for the Old South

Hip-hop as She Is Rapped

Translating the German Wikipedia entries of Houston's top MCs

Pea Break

They Don't Fold

Funky Bunch

Mark Wahlberg stars in an odd remake that, oddly, isn't so bad

Thug Life

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

Mouth of the Dirty South

The Geto Boys showed the nation hip-hop with real staying power

Last Night at the Alamo

A Grammy party at a local theater turns into quiz night down at the local pub

On the Down-Low

Shovel away all that Usher, Prince and Lil Jon you've been jamming, and dig this year's buried black-music treasures

On the Down-Low

Shovel away all that Usher, Prince and Lil Jon you've been jamming and dig this year's buried black-music treasures

Feelings, Nothing But Feelings

The New York Times misses the point in its attack on "rockism"

Joss Stone

Sunday, April 25

Down Low

Sex, sex and more sex at Reggae Bodega

Family Feud

Hip-hop turns 25, and the battle lines are drawn

Rechenzentrum

Director's Cut (Mille Plateaux)

The Class of '03

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

Always Darkest Before the Dawn

Trotting out the clichés for a year-ender piece

Rappin' Up Gifts

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

Ludacris

Chicken & Beer (Def Jam South)

OutKast

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (Arista)

Best Hip-hop Radio Show

Vinyl Frontier

Mark Ronson

Here Comes the Fuzz (Elektra)

Nappy Roots

Watermelon, Chicken and Gritz (Atlantic)

Playas on Parade

Halloween brought out the inner pimp in all of us, but some playas don’t go away after the holiday

The Hilarious B.I.G.

Bruce Bruce may be nice, but not nice enough to let other comics steal his material

Rotation