Screwed Up Click

The Houston 100: From Guy Clark to Don Williams

The Houston 100: The Master List

Big Moe, RIP

Swangin' and Bangin' ... and getting to that other level with the disciples of screw

Letters

Five Spot: 25 Lighters for Fat Pat

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. February 3 marked the 11th anniversary of the legendary Screwed Up Click MC Fat Pat's passing ... More >>

SPC Weekend Plumbs the Roots of Houston Rap

South Side Symphony

Mount Coy

South Park Mexican carves out his place in history with the 2001 Music Awards

GRiT Boys, Ghetto Reality in Texas

An evening with Houston's GRiT Boys

The Scene Is Dead. Long Live the Scene!

Ideas toward a Houston-style musical Day of the Dead

Mouth of the South

The South Park Coalition Turns 20

Get Screwed

The South Park Coalition Turns 20

Houston Hip-Hop

Mike Watts and his stable of northside rappers take a southside legend's style to the masses

That Was the Year That Was

Looking back on the local scene in '06

Trae Cool

An underground legend teams up with Rap-A-Lot in a bid to break nationwide

Billy Joel and Goldfish Sandwiches

Four artists share their guilty, and not-so-guilty, pleasures

Best Beats from the Bayou

H-town's top ten rap jams

Codeine Country

Houston was the city of syrup long before DJ Screw came on the scene

Lil' O

Saturday, December 22

Screw Heads

Forever and a Day (Avarice/JCOR Entertainment)

Lean & Mean

Those who drink codeine syrup call it lean because of its most obvious effect: a loss of coordination. Those who study the drug call it liquid crack. Those who abuse it can wind up dead.

Life in the Slow Lane

DJ Screw lived mostly for his work, as if he would have time later to celebrate his success. That time would never come.

Flashing Back to the Heyday of DJ Screw

Ed. Note: To go along with this week's feature on Mike Jones, Mike Giglio takes a look at the origins of Houston rap's once and future calling card, "screw music." Photos by Mike GiglioScrew: The Next Generation (l-r): Randy, Big Bubb, Bird Wearing corn rows, a wife beater and green courdoroys, ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 22: Big Hawk's H.A.W.K.

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.​For all of the talent and charm and natural charisma that Hawk brought ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 13: DJ Screw's 3 N' Tha Mornin' Pt. 2 (Blue)

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. DJ Screw 3 N' Da Mornin, Part 2 (Big Tyme Records, 1995)​While researc ... More >>

Papa Gangsta

Houston rapper E.S.G.'s evolution from street thug to family man.

The H-Town Countdown, No. 9: E.S.G.'s Ocean of Funk

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 sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​In last week's feature we wrote about E.S.G., we mentioned briefly that, fo ... More >>

Getting "Passed" Up OK with Houston's Latino Rappers... Well, Not Really

There's no doubt that Corporate America knows how to enter a market, break down consumer attitudes and needs, and sell them a product they're going to buy. Pepsi's been around for a minute so you know they know what's up. But in an effort to sell the urban community more of their product (trust us ... More >>

Dat Boi T: A Screwed Up Love Story

Screw Love. It's a term commonly used amongst the Screwed Up Click (S.U.C.), the bigger-than-life Houston-based rap label, which was founded by the legendary DJ Screw himself. If Houston hip-hop is the Bible, Screw is the book of Genesis. ​There are two types of Screw Love. There's Love for Screw ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 7: Fat Pat's Ghetto Dreams

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 sheaserrano@gmail.com. Fat Pat Ghetto Dreams (Wreckshop Records, 1998) ​During the course of resear ... More >>

Five Spot: Killa Kyleon's Purple Punch 3

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. ​One of the guys that we always (usually) enjoy listening to is the ... More >>

Low Points Dominate the Decade for Houston's Latino Rappers

​ Sunday, Rocks Off crept down Little York on the "Nawf" side of H-Town to scope out Northside rider Big Cease's video production of "So Off the Chain," featuring Dat Boy X of Dallas and Houston's Lucky Luciano (above). Sure enough, Houston's underground scene was in full effect to provide support ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 5: Lil' Keke's Don't Mess Wit Texas

​There are roughly 84,000 rap albums that have been released in Houston since 1989. We're counting down the 25 best of all time. We'll be here every Thursday. Got a problem with the list? Shove it. Just kidding. Friendship. Email it to sheaserrano@gmail.com. Back in July (when this here Count ... More >>

The Incredible Truth: The Best Southern Rap Albums (and Mixtapes) of 2009, Part 1

​Yeah, it stirred the Yankees to the World Series championship, but was there a more boring album this year than Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3? Perhaps it was a geographic thing; with a few exceptions like Raekwon and Kid Cudi, most of 2009's exciting, innovative rap records came from Southern artists. ... More >>

He Might Be a "Lil Young," But He's Not Stupid

​ The first time Rocks Off ever went to Houston's Show Palace Cabaret, we took eight tequila shots in a row in less than ten seconds (we have witnesses). Our friend Billy, who lost the tequila-shot contest, filled up three urinals with food he consumed that night and probably all the way back to t ... More >>

"Weird" and Proud, Preemo Understands the Meaning of "Hustle Town"

​ We think "Weird Al" Yankovic screwed it up for everybody. There aren't lots of times you can use the word "weird" in a good way. That's one of those words we need to take back, on the real, because when you put "weird" into the right context it can be a positive thing - a differentiator from th ... More >>

Five Spot: In Which We Needlessly Prolong Our "Feud" With the GRIT Boys... and Post 5 New MP3s

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and, sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. It's five videos and occasional cussing. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. ​Count the GRIT Boys, a trio of Houston rappers who've been bubbling around ... More >>

97.9 The Box Declines Comment On Trae Situation

​After a couple of days of phone and email tag, Rocks Off was finally able to get in touch with Terri Thomas, program director of 97.9 The Box, regarding the highly rated urban station's reputed ban on everything associated with local rapper Trae tha Truth - songs, mixtapes, in-studio appearances, ... More >>

Sophia Fresh Work For T-Pain, Stay True To DJ Screw

Photos courtesy of Atlantic Records​Crystal, Skye and Cole Rose, collectively known as Sophia Fresh, may be one hit away from national fame, but they're unwavering in their loyalty to the Bayou City. Case in point: Sophia Fresh recently unleashed a remix of the DJ Screw classic "June 27" in ho ... More >>

Screwed Up Click

Photos courtesy of Atlantic Records​Crystal, Skye and Cole Rose, collectively known as Sophia Fresh, may be one hit away from national fame, but they're unwavering in their loyalty to the Bayou City. Case in point: Sophia Fresh recently unleashed a remix of the DJ Screw classic "June 27" in ho ... More >>

Last Night: Screwed Up Click At House Of Blues

Photos by Marco TorresLil Keke​Screwed Up Click House of Blues October 14, 2010 8:19 p.m.: The doors opened for the show at 8 p.m. today, which is precisely why we plan on continuing to not be there until about 10 p.m. Fools no longer, we are. 10:00: Just walked in. Already saw a guy uniron ... More >>

Chanel Dizzle: Screwed Up Click Star In The Making

UPDATE (1:42 p.m.): Chanel just got in touch. She's a 22-year-old UT senior. We'll have a full interview with her soon. ​We didn't set out for this to turn into "teenage girl week" on Rocks Off, but we're not complaining either. It's even kind of appropriate, since we're also celebrating the ... More >>

Chanel Dizzle: Much More Than Just A "Barre Baby"

Chanel's Facebook fan page​Rocks Off was pretty much blown away by that video of angelic-looking YouTube user ChanelDizzle singing the dirty hits of members of the Screwed Up Click, which we posted about last week. So we decided to get in touch with her and find out if she had dreams of becomi ... More >>

Who Makes The Mt. Rushmore Of Houston Rap?

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. cred​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Z-Ro, Chamillionaire, Lil Flip, E.S.G., Paul Wall, Fat Tony, A.D.D., Matt Son ... More >>

Happiness Through Hustle

Cordial but guarded promoter H-Kane has become one of the local hip-hop scene's most important movers and shakers.

Tow Down: Busted Rapper/Grower's Lyrical Tipoffs

keepittrill.comTow Down (left) and Big Pokey​The Bubba Sparxxx of Fort Bend County, Tow Down, was arrested Wednesday for using three houses as weed nurseries, where he and several associates including his older brother cultivated more than 600 marijuana plants, the U.S. Attorney's office annou ... More >>

History, Screwed and Chopped

Julie Grob just made the U of H Library System a whole lot cooler.