Pimp C

Summoning The Dead: Which Six Artists Would You Bring Back To Life?

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 >>

Ask A Rapper: These are the Best Non-Houston Samplings of Houston Rap

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 >>

7 Houston Rap Tributes by Non-Houston Rappers

Are you happy with your current city? Yeah? Then feel free to ignore this list of rappers from other cities drooling over all things Houston. It's likely to breed envy. Some of these come from gushing fans and some are random, but the vast majority illustrate just how much rappers love Houston. Dig ... More >>

Rap Round Table: What is the Best Pimp C Song of All Time

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. This Week's Panel: A Whole Bunch of Twitter Folks Not Invited: Facebook This Week's Prompt: The anniversary of the death of Pimp C is next week ... More >>

UGK's Top 10 Most Insightful Songs, Part 2

As Rocks Off continues our countdown of UGK's Most Insightful Tracks, it's important to point out that this isn't a "best of" list. Perhaps this is a safer route, but it doesn't make the list any less important. Especially as we break into the Top 5, the joking in Part 1 subsides and things get seri ... More >>

UGK's Top 10 Most Insightful Songs, Part 1

blastro.com​There's a big difference between being a fanatic and fan of someone's music. We all know this, but let's spell it out for the slow kids in class. For instance, Rocks Off is a fanatic of Death Cab for Cutie. We love their deep cuts as much as the widely known "Soul Meets Body." We ... More >>

BestFest: Bun B, Rap God; Toadies Close Out With A Shred

Photos by Marc BrubakerYou know who this is.​It's hard to write about Bun B objectively anymore. Really, it is. He has ascended to where ever it is that people who are hard to write about objectively ascend to. It feels like, if he just did it with conviction, he could walk out on stage, take ... More >>

Remember Killa Kyleon's Candy Paint and Texas Plates 2?

Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​Killa Kyleon, who spent the formative part of his career caught in the empty air between Houst ... More >>

The Most Ridiculous Houston Rap Rumors Ever

​Earlier this week, Houston rapper Propain signed a deal with No Limit Records. Cool, except that he really didn't. See, and you likely didn't notice this because it's such a subversive part of the culture, but the environs of rap, themselves tedious and occasionally barbaric, are prime grou ... More >>

Five Posthumous Rap Albums Up For Debate

​Recently, and with a certain amount of controversy, Rap-A-Lot made available a bundle of previously unreleased songs disguised as a new Pimp C album. Posthumous records are unsafe footing. It's entirely capable that they can be built into capable, glorious, heartbreaking goodbyes; in 2009, ... More >>

Court Battle Brewing Over Pimp C's Music

djomry.com"R.I.P. Pimp C" may be easier said than done if this court case drags on.​When Rocks Off heard last week that the late Pimp C had released a new song, "Grippin' on the Wood," and that a new Pimp album was on the way next month, it sent our antennae up. As happy as we were to hear new ... More >>

More Local Music News Than Dry Creeks In Texas

It's time for another fabulous installment of Magnolia City Mixtape. We took last week off, as we were still recovering from the whirlwind of Free Press Summer Fest. Call us lazy if you will, but this week we've got a double dose of local music news to make up for it. If you're into rap videos, this ... More >>

Bun B Discusses Pimp C's New Song, Rally Races And "The Sheik"

Marco TorresBun B at Free Press Summer Fest, June 4, 2011​Yesterday, we linked to "Grippin' On the Wood," a churchy squish that unfurls into a snapshot of one of Southern rap's most engrossing talking points: Wooden steering wheels. Beyond simply being an enjoyable song, it's extra interesting ... More >>

What Is Houston Rap's Best Diss Song Ever?

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: Bun B, Fat Tony, Renzo, Kyle Hubbard, Brad Gilmor ... More >>

What Is The Best Pimp C Verse Of All Time?

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, Trae,Yung Redd, Lil' Flip, Fat Pimp, H-Kan ... More >>

"What Up": Drake And Bun B Summon The Spirit Of Pimp C

​ If you woke up this morning wishing for a Pimp C/Drake collaboration, then consider this your lucky day. You should also go ahead and play the mega-lottery while you're at it. Why, yes, the paths of Chad Butler and Aubrey Graham have finally crossed on "What Up," the lead cut from Pimp's f ... More >>

Casting Scarface With Houston 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 introducinglisto ... 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 >>

Remember Pimp C's Sweet James Jones Stories?

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. Pimp C Sweet James Jones Stories (Asylum, 2005) ​We're not sure where we saw it, but we once read a l ... More >>

Tejano Ain't Dead; Chingo Bling Puts On His "Lentes"; Flatline Rides For His Block; And The 210 Mic Pass

​How can something be claimed dead when it still has life, when it's still living in speakers, iPods, as well as the hearts and souls of red-blooded American music lovers across the country? When it's still being passed on to younger generations? In the track "Pimpin' Ain't No Illusion," Pimp ... 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 >>

Five Spot: We Beat Down a Burglar, and New Music From Paul, Jay'Ton, Devin, Bun, Pimp and Coota

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 introducingliston@gmail.com. ​I caught somebody trying to break into my house Wednesday. And I pu ... More >>

Ask a Rapper: Nosaprise on Building a Hip-Hop Brand

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 >>

Five Spot: The First Annual Pimp C Hip-Hop Health and Wellness Fair

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 introducingliston@gmail.com. ​Today marks the two-year anniversary of Pimp C's death. Quick a ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 24: Pimp C's Post-Prison Pimpalation

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. Pimp C Pimpalation Asylum, 2006​As fun as it is for us music writers t ... More >>

Five Spot: Pimp C Was Pretty Good

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. So we were reading this Bun B interview the other day, and among discussions of how the final UGK album is p ... More >>

Tonight: Pimp C Tribute on KPFT's "Damage Control"

Has it really been a year already? Indeed it has: On December 4, 2007, Port Arthur-born MC and producer Pimp C was found dead in his Hollywood hotel room; the Los Angeles County Coroner listed the cause as a combination of sleep apnea and accidental overdose of codeine-containing cough syrup. To s ... More >>

Ozone Awards Update: There Were Some Winners, Too

The 2008 Houston Press Music Awards Ceremony

UGK for Life

Boheme Cafe and Wine Bar Has an Open-Mike Night That Doesn't Suck?

Accidents Will Happen? Did Apnea and Drank Really Kill Pimp C?

UGK for Life

A conversation with the incomparable Bun B

This Just In: Pimp C’s Death Ruled an Accident

R.I.P. Pimp C

Remembering a Down South Legend

Damage Control: Pimp C Tribute

Lil’ Flip Mourns Comrade Pimp C

Willie D Remembers Pimp C

This Just In: Pimp C Found Dead in a Sunset Strip Hotel

This Just In: Rap Summit at U of H Tonight

Fucking Transmissions, Begin Transmission

CD Review

Everybody’s Talkin’: U.G.K.'s Underground Kingz

Underground Kingz

CD review

Geography with Pimp C

All Up in the Ozone

"Does This Bowtie Match My Grill?"

Cold Cuts: Bun B vs. Byron Crawford

Our new recurring feature raids the deli tray of H-town-related rap beefs

Farewell to the Twenty Nickel

Looking back on the '05 and dreaming in the '06