Scarface (Rapper)

The 5 Best Shows In Houston This Week: The Go-Go's, 2 Chainz, etc.

The Go-Go's Monday, House of Blues God bless the Go-Go's. If Monday's House of Blues show is anything like last August's all-killer-no-filler HOB date - and it should be, since the reunited five-piece isn't pushing any new "product" - you're in for a real treat. Listen to "Lust to Love," "How Much M ... More >>

A Houston Rap Album Worth Buying: LeCrae's Gravity

Tuesday, Houston native LeCrae delivered his sixth full-length album Gravity on his own imprint Reach Records. It's unapologetic (as it should be), eye-opening and features a man who's taken his newfound success (BET appearance, his Church Clothes mixtape hosted by DJ Don Cannon) and carried it furt ... More >>

Top 10 Houston Rappers & Their Wrestler Counterparts

Since the days of Hulkamania, I've been a wrestling fan. That's not slandering anybody who gave up on the attraction or entertainment aspect after the second-generation boom in the late '90s, that's just me once again self-deprecating while tossing off a few knife-edged chops in defense. Take that, ... More >>

Inside Rob Gullatte's Abortion: The Project

Rob Gullatte (formerly known as Kritikal, Beltway Krit and more) is the most interesting rapper with a name change this side of 2 Chainz. Okay, that's plenty of loaded hyperbole, but the fact remains Gullatte is as obscure a talent as the term can be presently defined. SPIN ran a profile on him, hi ... More >>

Lynyrd Skynyrd Borrows Scarface Album Title For New LP

Something must be in the air, with this bizarre concurrence of Houston rap and classic rock. We blame the supermoon. This morning, Rocks Off told you about ZZ Top using the chopped-and-screwed standard "25 Lighters" in the Texas band's new commercial for flavored malt beverage Jeremiah Weed. Not an ... More >>

Rap Round Table: Is A Video Called "Stupid Hoe" Hype Williams' Best?

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: Bun B, TroubleSum, E.S.G., Brad Gilmore, Kyle Hubbard, Preemo, RoderickVonn, Kiotti, Zavey, D-Risha, more. Not Invited: Shonuf ... More >>

Saturday Night: Kendrick Lamar at Warehouse Live

There's nothing in Kendrick Lamar's catalog that suggests he's a capacity crowd artist. He doesn't chase radio glory. He doesn't make what you call, um, hits. He's just starting to log big name cosigns. Yet, on Saturday, Warehouse Live was packed from end to end with hip-hop fans eager to catch a gl ... More >>

Five Spot: The World's Ending? Nah, Bro. Here's What's Going To Happen In 2012, Guaranteed.

Well, the first week of 2012 is done, which, duh, means it's time for everyone to begin putting together their Best Of 2012 lists. We're working on ours already. Some doozies are included this time (75 Best Songs With Titles That Have The Letter "F" In Them; 31 Best Albums That Have Album Covers Tha ... More >>

Rap Round Table: What Is The Best Song You Have That Was Inspired By Another Human?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week 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, Young Sensation, Fat Tony, Hollywood Floss, O.N.E., hasHBrown, Kyle Hubbard ... More >>

Geto Boy Alum Big Mike Breaks His Silence with New Album

​Big Mike will always be linked to his ephemeral stint in the Geto Boys. When Willie D left the Geto Boys in 1992, J. Prince called on Mike to replace him. Mike left L.A. and a potential deal with Suge Knight's Death Row to join Scarface and Bushwick Bill in Houston. He featured prominently on ... More >>

Playbill: What's In The DNA Of Titan Blood?

​I get a lot of local music across my desk, mostly defanged and bloodless. Things that I feel an obligation to enjoy, an act which is starting to take it's toll on a soul. I'm too nice to say something sucks because something-something social contract. Cool story, bro. Like James Hetfield sang ... More >>

Rap Round Table: What Music-Related Thing Are You Most Thankful For?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Rob Gullatte, Herney the Great, Pyrexx, Mac, Snoopy, Medicine Girl, Chane, Young Se ... More >>

Rap Boom Reload

In 2005, rappers put Houston on the map. Then the spotlight moved on. Some musicians are working hard to turn it back this way.

Houston Rap's Offensive Starting Lineup

​Earlier this week, the defensive starters for the Houston rap football team were announced. They are a surly, nasty, potentially deadly bunch. They play hard and fast and with abandon. Today, the offensive starters are announced. Were we picking rappers from Houston from any time period (sa ... More >>

The Six Best Movie Samples In 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. Have something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. ... More >>

Top 10 Texas Movie Soundtracks

​This weekend, as the rest of the world catches Harry Potter mania for (perhaps) the final time, Houston gets a serious dose of Urban Cowboy nostalgia. Theater Under the Stars' production of the Tony-nominated 2003 musical - which The New York Times called "a conclusive demonstration that it's ... More >>

UGK's Top Five Most Underrated Songs

​UGK has churned out tons of hits over the last couple of decades, with more promised. Still, there's a bunch of notable songs that never gained the recognition they deserved. In the second installment of our Southern Way celebration, behold UGK's most underappreciated cuts. We decided to kee ... More >>

Starchy Arch's Top Six Rap Songs About Sex

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 >>

Bun B Leads Rap And Religion Debate At St. John's UMC

Photos by Marco Torres​Tuesday night, Bun B moderated a discussion panel at St. John's United Methodist Church downtown. It was hard to find any information about the rapper on the Internet, besides the fact that he's from Port Aransas or something. Bun and his panel started out intending to ... More >>

1991: Best Music Year Ever?

Rocks Off Sr.'s choice for 1991's best album.​1991 was one of the biggest years in modern music. It was when metal went pop, radio country ruled, grunge went mainstream, and rap began its climb to chart dominance, even if it was spearheaded by a white candy rapper from Dallas. There were man ... More >>

The Rap Renaissance

Genre's local and national acts came back hard in 2010.

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 >>

Three Overrated, Underrated And Perfectly Rated 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 sheaserrano@gmai ... More >>

Remember Nosaprise's Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades?

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. Nosaprise Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades (self-released, 2010) ​For a while, it appeared that th ... More >>

Phranchyze Crowned Houston's Freestyle King At Red Bull EmSee Contest

Photos by RizohThursday's unanimous winner Phranchyze advances to the national Red Bull EmSee finals in Detroit.​Outside on Westheimer, a small crowd of young music lovers has gathered in front of Numbers. Before Rocks Off even makes our way into the building, we're immediately greeted by soul ... More >>

MTV Nominates Trae As "Hottest Breakthrough MC Of 2010"

It appears that Trae's ongoing difficulties with 97.9 The Box - again, you might want to check back here tomorrow; we'd sure appreciate it - are beginning to resonate outside the 713 and 281. Earlier today, MTV.com announced the local rapper and community activist known as "Tha Truth" is a finalis ... More >>

Remember Willie Dee's Controversy?

The best album cover in rap history​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. Willie Dee Controversy (Rap-A-Lot, 1995) Note: Yes, we' ... More >>

Church for Thugs

50 Cent decides to be a little more selfish on upcoming LP Black Magic.

Deporting All WetWacks

Houston's Mayalino swears a lyrical vendetta against fake rappers.

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 >>

Y'all Musta Forgot: Guerilla Maab's Rise

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. Guerilla Maab Rise (Resurrection Music Group, 1999) ​Guerilla Maab was a gangsta-rap quartet turned ... More >>

Some New Stuff From Our "Washington Shore" DJ Dave Wrangler

Rocks Off is pleased as punch to announce that Houston mash-up maestro Dave Wrangler will be providing the tunes for our douche-tastic "Washington Shore" party at the Washington Avenue Drinkery on February 11. Wrangler also agreed to craft some custom Washington Shore mash-ups we'll be bringing you ... 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 >>

Turning The Screw: Our Five Favorite Rap Storylines of the Year

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. For the past year, every Monday we've tallied the week's most relevant happenings in rap (rappenings?) and packaged them nic ... More >>

A Musical Guide to Post-Secession Texas: Houston and "Brazoria"

The final installment of our Five States of Texas project brings it all back home, to the new state of Brazoria, encompassing all of Southeast Texas from the Brazos Valley to Sabine Pass. ​Patron Saint: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. A master of rock and roll, country, Cajun/Creole, blues and jazz, n ... More >>

Turning the Screw: G.R.I.T Boys, Coolio, Nas, Eminem, Tupac, Lil' Kim, Chris Brown, R. Kelly, Snoop Dogg, Scarface 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 "I'm Fresh," G.R.I.T. Boys ft. Trae and Tum Tum Wire to Wire Brooklyn's Uncle Murda was convicted o ... More >>

Z-Ro Is, In Fact, Not Dead

It's been a busy month for fake deaths among the Houston rap community. A couple of weeks ago, rumors abounded that Houston's finest lyricist, Scarface, had passed. Turned out that the super clever title of a Source magazine article ("Scarface Is Dead") was to blame, and Mr. Face, thankfully, w ... More >>

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

Guess Who’s Bizzack: Rumors Surface of a Scarface Solo Album

Underground Kingz

CD review

Always Darkest Before the Dawn

Trotting out the clichés for a year-ender piece

Hip-hop, Tejas

Latinos take on rap music and make it their own

Lyricist Lounge Tour

Sunday, December 22

Age-Old Axiom

The Axiom can't seem to shake its past

Amplified

Back in Black

Local Rotation

Local Music Reviewed

Raggedy Vibe

Prodigal Ambitions

Houston's newest film production company shoots for the video moon

Rotation