T-Pain

"Does This Bowtie Match My Grill?"

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Turning the Screw: Bun B and Q-Tip Team Up, Jennifer Hudson, Ludacris, T-Pain, G-Unit, MF Doom, Cypress Hill and More

Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill and the Roots of Alt-Rap

Beastie Boys, "So What'cha Want" Today is one of those cosmological coincidences so uncanny it may be no coincidence at all: the Beastie Boys' Mike D and Cypress Hill's Sen Dog were both born this day in 1965. (Scorpios represent!) In the late '80s and early '90s, from opposite sides of the U.S., ... More >>

Turning the Screw: T-Pain & Friends, Pimp C, Asher Roth, Kanye vs. Colbert, Q-Tip, Suge Knight, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Young Jeezy, Paul Wall 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: "Chopped and Screwed" Lil' O, T-Pain and Ludacris Wire To Wire Matt Sonzala et al. paid tribute ... More >>

Top Ten Dance Collections of 2008, Both Mixed and Unmixed

Any knucklehead with DSL and a laptop can now make an electronic track. With a half hour of clicking and fiddling, you can sample enough cheesy beats and mashups to clog arteries from here to Berlin. Simple dropdown mouse maneuvers can transform electro tracks into progressive house tracks (from dry ... More >>

Top Ten Hip-Hop Albums Of 2008

A couple of weeks ago, an expert on the Harry Potter series told an audience of high school kids how lucky they were to have this Big Shared Experience--these seven books and 41,000 words in common. What does Harry Potter have to do with hip-hop in 2008? In an age when many year-end lists should ... More >>

Top Ten Pop Songs of 2008

Pop music often gets a bad rap for being disposable or vapid, and in many cases that's true. (Katy Perry, Danity Kane and the Pussycat Dolls, step right up!) But every year, a few irresistible bits of innovative ear candy rocket up the charts and seep into our subconscious. The following ten singles ... More >>

Hitsville: The Year in Music, by the Numbers

You don't need a half-wit music critic to tell you it's been a remarkable year for America, one historians will be discussing and researching for centuries to come. War, financial collapse, politics, technology: All have been dinner-table topics for many Americans. Racial barriers in 2008 were demol ... More >>

Rotation: Plies' Da REAList

Plies, Florida's 32-year-old snarl with a rapper hidden underneath, is nothing if not a work horse. Over the last 16 months he's released three(!) full-length albums: The Real Testament ("Shawty" feat T-Pain), Definition of Real ("Bust it Baby Pt. 2"), and, most recently, Da REAList. (That's three ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Dustin Prestige, Kid Cudi, King Tut, Rick Ross/50 Cent, Ludacris, Lil' Kim, T.I./Chris Brown, Fat Pat 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: "Dope," Dustin Prestige Wire To Wire Kid Cudi was tasered at an NBA All-Star Game party in ... More >>

Turning the Screw: K-Rino, Nosaprise, Method Man, T.I., Devin the Dude, Trick Daddy, Flo Rida, The Kanye, Jim Jones, Botany Boyz 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: K-Rino, "Past, Present, Future" Wire To Wire In case you forgot about him, here's the link to Houst ... More >>

The Lonely Island: Incredibad

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: K-Rino, "Past, Present, Future" Wire To Wire In case you forgot about him, here's the link to Houst ... More >>

Young Mammals Chow Down on First LP Carrots

Dynamically Yours

T-Pain, Thr33 Ringz

www.t-pain.net

Kanye West: 808s & Heartbreak

www.t-pain.net

Turkey Trot

Artists choose the songs that rocked their 2008 worlds

Chris Brown

The fleet-footed teen idol's latest

Real Recognize Real?

Promotional Cacophony at Miami's Ozone Awards

T.I., Yung Joc, Ciara, T-Pain, Lloyd

Screamfest hollas 8 p.m. Saturday, August 4, at Toyota Center, 1510 Polk. 713-627-9622.

Cred Sheet

Stuff you need to know to avoid musical ostracism

Idol Beat: The Top Five Results

Photos by Frank Micelotta/ FoxAuto Pilot: Jaime Foxx "performs" on American Idol Wednesday night.Blame it on the vodka, blame it on the Henny, blame it on whatever you wanna, but I'm going to place blame for the hiply generic feel of Jamie Foxx's new single squarely on the shoulders of everybody res ... More >>

Rick Ross: Deeper Than Rap

Photos by Frank Micelotta/ FoxAuto Pilot: Jaime Foxx "performs" on American Idol Wednesday night.Blame it on the vodka, blame it on the Henny, blame it on whatever you wanna, but I'm going to place blame for the hiply generic feel of Jamie Foxx's new single squarely on the shoulders of everybody res ... More >>

Flash Drive

H.I.S.D.'s DJ grinder turns his camera on.

Five Spot: We Are Totally In the Tank for T-Pain

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.​As indicated in that italicized synopsis above, this is usually an area whe ... More >>

High-Fiving T-Pain, Wondering Why We Can't Quit Plies' "Plenty Money"

[Note: Thursday night T-Pain, Wale and DJ MOS performed a private concert at downtown nightclub Venue. Our man Shea Serrano was on the red carpet and inside.] Photos by Larami Culbertson"Is it true what they say about the size of a man's chain?"​ 9:17 p.m.: Yo, the PR camp from Heineken, that comp ... More >>

Ask A Rapper: Grammy-Winning Electro-Songbird T-Pain

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 >>

Turning the Screw: Dustin Prestige: ESG, 50 Cent, Lil' Jon (Whaaaat?!), Lil' Wayne, Snoop & Dre, Taylor Swift's Revenge, etc.

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.Courtesy Dustin Prestige​Single of the Week: Dustin Prestige (right), "Polos and AKs, Pt. 2" Wire To Wire Counting down the ... More >>

Turning The Screw: Z-Ro, Cham, Plies, 50 Cent, The Kanye, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, DJ Mr. Magic, Fabolous, T-Pain, The Undergods 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: "Haterz Got Me Wrong," Z-Ro feat. Gucci Mane and C-Ward [This is another leaked single from the phanto ... More >>

He Said She Said: Songs We Are Least Thankful For

​ She Said heard her first holiday song Monday, at around 9 p.m. in the Montrose Walgreens, and suddenly she was transported to her own personal hell - one filled solely with late-night pharmacy shoppers and Mariah Carey's

Complete List of Texas' 2010 Grammy Nominees

​Rocks Off was pretty sure we missed a few Texas (or Texas-connected) artists in Thursday's writeup of the 2010 Grammy nominees, and it turns out we were right. We don't even remember scrolling past some of these categories over at Grammy.com, to be honest, but thanks to the Texas Music Office's C ... More >>

Live with Me

The best Houston concerts of 2009: U2, George Strait, Kid Cudi, Jandek, Peaches and even T-Pain.

New iPhone? Rocks Off Has an App for That.

Photo illustrations by John Seaborn Gray​ We know a ton of you got iPhones over the holiday break. Well, good news: Rocks Off has spent the last few months developing our own iPhone applications (or "apps," as the urban kids are saying) and we're thrilled to debut them here. All inquiries, critici ... 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 >>

Farouk Shami Is On Fire. His Campaign Song? Eh...

One of the benefits of writing for a music blog is you don't have to follow politics unless you just want to, or unless some politician is so desperate they think commissioning a campaign song Auto-tuned up the yin-yang and with lyrics that went out of style when disco did is going to improve their ... More >>

Aftermath: Yeasayer's Tribal Future Shock And Benevolent Manipulation At HOB

Photos by Groovehouse ​Your brain balls bounce to the bang-bang as you skip through the flash fantastic and your goo-goo ears drip dreamlike while they try to find your face and your tongue stays tied in a twist fist spooning sinews just attacked by a snare snake made of sound leaving litt ... More >>

Paul Wall's Got Your iPhone Goin' Nuts

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. We'll incorporate the number five in there somewhere. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. ​April 23, 2010. That was to be the most glorious day ... More >>

Airing It Out

The patio is the place to be at Washington Avenue lounge Brixx.

Finally! Someone Auto-Tunes A Pack Of Wolves!

In the past year we have heard people Auto-Tune most everything you can think of: Winston Churchill, Chris Crocker, a teary-eyed family reunion, and the late Billy Mays are just some of the clips we have been sending and posting for any one who will listen, mainly late at night or while we are at s ... 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 >>

Accessories Houston Rappers Don't Leave Home Without

fashionbombdaily.comSlick Rick: The ruler's back at Reliant Arena, November 6​Rappers have always been obsessed with accessories. It's mandated in rap contracts, right next to girl songs and Bun B collaborations. The tradition dates back to hip-hop's early days. Before Kanye popularized shutte ... More >>

You've Been Kanyed: 16 Musicians Soon To Become Verbs

Marco TorresEveryone was completely Gagaed when James Lee took several hostages at the Discovery Channel's headquarters earlier this week.​Some names become synonymous with an action - just ask Thomas Crapper. With the overwhelming fame of some superstars being beamed at us day in and day out, ... More >>

Mary Gauthier

Singer-songwriter revisits painful past .

The Eight Stupidest iPhone Music Apps

​Apple's foray into the social-network field failed big-time last month with the release of Ping, the iTunes-linked program that promised to connect you to your favorite artists, as long as your favorite artist is Justin Bieber. When it comes to iTunes, we at Rocks Off are a discerning sort. ... More >>

Top 12 Local Songs Of 2010

​We're admittedly the most insular, introverted member of the Rocks Off team. You're more likely to find us sitting in our apartment with our headphones on digesting new music than out carousing with our peers. And we're OK with that, mostly because Daddy Rocks Off occasionally asks us to writ ... More >>

The Top WTF Moments Of The Year

Editor's Pick: WTF doesn't have to mean "bad," you know. About a week ago - a week exactly, as a matter of fact - En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" came on the PA at Fitzgerald's. I have been in a musical fog for a few months, where nothing was really connecting, but this song snapped me right out of it ... More >>

Remember John Dew's Summertime Johnny v 1.9?

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. ​John Dew Summertime Johnny Version 1.9 (Self-released, 2011) John Dew is a rapper. He is p ... More >>

The Astros Suck. Is It Their Music?

Marco TorresHunter Pence, Buzz listener?​Wandy Rodriguez is Rocks Off's new favorite Astro. ​Not because the Domincan southpaw has actually posted decent numbers for Houston's hometown cellar-dwellers this year (3-3 W-L, 3.41 ERA, 53 strikeouts), but because Rodriguez has one of the few ... More >>

Last Night: Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull at Toyota Center

Photos by Marco Torres​What do you get when a Latino playboy from Spain joins forces with a Cuban party animal from Miami? The biggest fucking dance party that Houston has ever seen, that's what. The Euphoria Tour rolled into the Toyota Center last night and filled it with party anthems, lase ... More >>

Last Night: Chris Brown & Friends At The Woodlands

Photos by Marco Torres​Chris Brown, T-Pain, Tyga, Bow Wow Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion October 16, 2011 "I work too hard to be ballin on a budget" proclaimed Chris Brown as he stood atop of the massive stage when his F.A.M.E. tour stopped into The Woodlands Sunday night. The production lev ... More >>