Southern Rap

Top 20 Songs Dedicated to Drank, Part 2

Friday we brought you the first installment of songs passionately devoted to syrup. So far we've confirmed that Houston is indeed the only City of Syrup. It's also safe to say that the late Screwed Up Click legend Big Moe sang about sipping more than anyone ever could, as he dominates this list with ... More >>

Top 20 Songs Dedicated to Drank, Part 1

Some call it lean; others call it barre or simply drank. Whichever you prefer, promethazine with codeine cough syrup is the ever so popular recreational drug used by many people. Houston's hip-hop culture has made lean something everyone has wanted to talk about or even try for decades. If you type ... More >>

Last Night: All-Star Weekend Kick-Off Celebration at Warehouse Live

Slim Thug, Z-Ro, etc. Warehouse Live February 14, 2013 If partying it up in the same building as a bunch of famous rappers sounds like a pretty good time to you, you're in luck: Every rapper in existence is in town for the NBA All-Star Game this weekend, and many of them are planning to have a few ... 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 2

"Are you going to StripperFest?" "Excuse me, am I going to what?" "StripperFest. It's a thing at All-Star Weekend." Rewind: All the Rappers Who Will Be Here All-Star Weekend, Part 1 If I told you a complete stranger with his or her own guide to All-Star Weekend told me such a thing, I would be ... More >>

Grading XXL's Past 5 "Freshman 10" Classes

Apparently there are still rappers who want to make the XXL Freshman 10 class this year. Take Riff Raff, for example. He wants it so badly that he has been following everyone on Twitter who votes for him in the contest. The magazine began running its annual list of noteworthy, "undiscovered" rappe ... More >>

The Rocks Off 100: Rapid Ric, Mixtape Mechanic

Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're in there too. Who? "Mixtape Mechanic" Rapid Ric, a studio owner and producer, has been DJing in Texa ... More >>

T.I. Unveils Trouble Man at Houston's Wire Road Studios

T.I. is no Marvin Gaye. Or is he? Both men were blessed with supreme talent as musicians and songwriters. Both men exhibit an overflowing charisma and a flair for the dramatic. Both men chose acting as a supplementary alternative expression of their talents. Both men were also cursed with an unfor ... More >>

Saturday Night: Big KRIT at House of Blues

Big KRIT House of Blues October 6, 2012 Twenty-five minutes into his performance, Big KRIT told the crowd that he has been reading the reviews of his new album. It seems that critics think that it's a bit monotonous. They say he talks too much about cars, candy paint, and reclining fifth wheels. Th ... More >>

What's Beef? Houston's Wine-O Says "Happy Birthday T.I.," Doesn't Mean It

If you want to have a squabble with a rapper, you're going to need just cause. And Houston's own Wine-O believes he has all the right in the world to set his sights on T.I. Known mostly for being a feared presence on a microphone and in stature, Wine-O has come out of his own "retirement" to take a ... More >>

Trey Songz Slips New Chapter V to Wire Road Studios

Heights' Wire Road Studios Celebrates Grand Opening Trey Songz has good people. An hour before his scheduled arrival at Wire Road Studios -- quite a cutting-edge, modern music chamber, considering the humble neighborhood living around it -- to join about 20 hip-hop heads, hype men, helpers and hang ... More >>

Down With the Kings: Rick Ross' "3 Kings" vs. Slim Thug's "3 Kingz"

One of my favorite stories as a kid was Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table. Or The Sword In the Stone, if you liked things animated. Had everything you really wanted in terms of inspiration -- kid always picked on, thought to be of no use to the world then gets courage from a few people, push ... More >>

Sound M.O.B. Make a Houston Rap Hit

The duo behind Houston rap's biggest hit in years, "Drank in My Cup," has plenty more in store.

Sex and the Radio: A Weekend With 97.9 The Box

For those who may not know, being a blogger and writer also means you sort of have to support yourself with a 9-5. Some chose teaching, others chose busting their ass at a prospective company. Somehow I chose to be a town-car driver. An entrepreneur, a goddamn transporter of people. There are perks ... More >>

Top 10 Interesting Things From Ice-T's The Art of Rap

Friday night, Ice-T's new hip-hop documentary The Art of Rap opened in theaters nationwide. I went and watched it at the AMC Studio 30 at Westheimer and Dunvale. Here are ten things from the movie that are interesting and one thing that will be picked over: 10. Grandmaster Caz Is Ruthlessly, Seaml ... More >>

Friday Night: Chamillionaire, Paul Wall & Z-Ro At Warehouse Live

Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Z-Ro Warehouse Live May 5, 2012 If you've been staying up nights worrying that Houston's rap legacy will be lost on the city's current crop of teens and young adults, go ahead and sleep soundly tonight. The crowd for Friday night's concert featuring local all-stars Chamil ... More >>

Rap Round Table: Who's Going to Win the NBA Finals?

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, Slim Thug, hasHBrown, Chane, Yung Truth, Preemo, Chuckway, Mac, Nosaprise, D-Risha Not Invited: Amar'e Stoudemire's brai ... More >>

Last Night: Lil Keke & Friends All-Star Birthday Bash At House Of Blues

Lil Keke & Friends All-Star Birthday Bash House of Blues March 28, 2012 Screwed Up Click veteran Lil Keke has been helping shape the sound and style of Houston rap for better than 15 years. That's long enough to make a lot of friends in the game, and a whole bunch of them showed up onstage at House ... More >>

Bun B's Birthday: "Murder" Still Kills

​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: Slim Thug, Lil O, E.S.G., Delo, hasHBrown, Medicine Girl, Mac, Chane, more. Not Invited: Marcus This Week's Prompt: King ... More >>

Trae Tha Truth Signs With T.I.'s Grand Hustle Label

Wednesday, Trae Tha Truth, protagonist in one of rap's perpetually involved narratives, announced that he'd joined with multiple Grammy winner T.I., signing to T.I.'s imprint Grand Hustle. Trae alluded to making a "big announcement" on Twitter the day before, though many expected it'd relate to ei ... More >>

Marcus Manchild Tells VIBE -- And The Nation -- How To Be Trill

It's always nice to see local artists making national headlines, especially when they haven't a) killed someone; or b) died. It's even nicer when that artist is someone with whom Rocks Off has worked in the past. That's why when combing our social-media feeds, Rocks Off was pleasantly surprised to ... 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 >>

The Space City Beat Battle & The Best H-Town Producers Ever

Despite a venue conflict, the championship edition of the Space City Beat Battle will go on Saturday evening at the Mercury Room. If you've never been to one it's almost like watching a ritualistic rite of passage where cocksure arrogance and chest pounding reign supreme. Sample based producers who ... More >>

Rap Round Table: What Are We To Think Of Rick Ross's New Mixtape, Rich Forever?

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, Slim Thug, Z-Ro, Killa Kyleon, A.D.D., Roderickvonn, Onehunnidt, Kyle Hubbar ... 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 >>

Tips For A Successful NYE from David Anderson, Houston's Party King

Remember that one awesome party, the invite-only one with the open bar that was sponsored by a liquor company, where everyone was beautiful and hip, and you got to mingle with Big Boi or Pharrell Williams or Bun B? Either you do remember, because you wish that every party you attended was half as am ... More >>

Aftermath: ABN, Performing Together For The First Time Ever, at Warehouse Live

Photos by Barry Sigman​11:04 p.m.: This is going to be a good show. Somehow, this is the first time of the universe that Trae and Z-Ro have performed as ABN, the group a lot of people were saying could've maybe been as nationally famous as the Geto Boys (the GB are, for certain, ABN's historic ... More >>

Lil' Flip

The Top 25 Songs From Houston Rap's Glorious 2011: The Mixtape

​So here. These are the 25 best songs from Houston rap's glorious 2011. They've been pressed onto actual cassettes (not pictured above). We only made ten of them, because, fuck, it takes a long time. They are for sale ($600). And, as a way to honor the city's grey tape past while being entir ... 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 >>

Rap Round Table: Who is the Best Shit-Talker in Rap Currently?

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, Slim Thug, medicine Girl, O.N.E., Preemo, Chane, Delo, Chingo Bling, Doughb ... More >>

"And A S.W.A.T Team in a Pear Tree": Hip Hop Christmas songs

​Have you grown tired of hearing the same played out Christmas songs on 99.1 yet? Of course you have. Even if you avoid the radio, you hear the music at the grocery store, company holiday parties, even at bars you escape to in order to avoid holiday overcheer. It's almost depressing. Christmas ... More >>

Slim Thug, Bun B, and Paul Wall Agree the Cougars are Kind of Awesome

Photo by Marc Brubaker​Well, this is weird. There's an undefeated team in town. And with the 12-0 Cougars hosting Southern Miss this Saturday, H-town loyalty is understandably high. We now have the perfect anthem for this weekend's conference showdown, thanks to a triumvirate of Houston hip-ho ... 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 >>

Three Days of Thanks: Rap Round Table

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: Not Invited: This Week's Prompt: There are a bunch of things we're responsible ... More >>

Eat It: Houston Rappers Love to Write Songs About Eating

Photo by Chase Steely ​One thing Houston rappers are proficient in-besides rapping great-is eating well. Many of the more influential artists were/are big and fat: Fat Pat, Big Pokey, Big Moe, Big HAWK, Big Mello, and Big Steve. Even DJ Screw was a husky man. That's not to say that their wei ... 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.

What Is The Best Bone Thugz-N-Harmony 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 here discussing issues relevant to their culture. ​This Week's Panel: Slim Thug, Z-Ro, Medicine Girl, Mug, Delo, hasHBrown, Floss, Young Sensation, Mic Skills ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: Renzo

​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. ... More >>

Rap Round Table: Which Houston Rapper Needs His Own Television Show?

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. This Week's Panel: Pyrexx, Preemo, Chane, Z-Ro, Slim Thug's grunt, D-Risha, Medicine Girl, Renzo, Kyle Hubbard, D ... 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 >>

A Band to Save Me

The first Best of Houston® BestFest makes itself at home in Midtown.

BestFest: Slim Thug's Sweet Tooth, Against Me! Destroys, Bun B Trills

Photos by Marc BrubakerSlim Thug​Slim Thug is in front of me eating a popsicle right now. That sums up the second half of my day pretty well. There was skanking at Los Skarnales - both kinds - and a surprise Baby Bash mini-set before Slim Thug came onstage. I forgot how much "Suga Suga" remind ... 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 >>

Midtown Throwdown

Your guide to our very first Houston Press Best of Houston® BestFest.

What Is Jay-Z's Best Album?

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, Slim Thug, Z-Ro, Chingo Bling, Chane, Pyr ... 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 >>

15 Songs That Changed My Life: The Intern's Tale

The less antisocial among you know that talking about music is one of the best icebreakers there is. To get to know our staff a little better, Rocks Off will periodically be asking them to share a few songs that helped to shape their musical tastes - and character. We start with our youngest member, ... More >>

The Great Grinding Debate: Which Song Is Freakiest?

Bun B: "I wouldn't know. At all."