Trae Day

Congratulations to Trae da Truth...

Turning the Screw: Trae Day, Luke, DMX, Nas, Rick Ross and More

Making Sense of a Trying Year

Turning the Screw: All-Houston Edition with GT Garza, Trae Day, Trouble Sum, Jay'Ton, Paul Wall, Z-Ro, Letoya vs. Slim Thug, Coast, Z-Ro, Juan Gotti 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: GT Garza, "52 Pick Up" (We've listened to a bunch of GT's stuff, but this remains to be the rawest thin ... More >>

It's Trae Day... and Everybody's Celebratin'

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the City of Houston's proclamation of "Trae Day," the chairman and CEO of Houston's Assholes by Nature is throwing a giant block party from 3-9 p.m. in the parking lot of TSU Stadium at Cleburne and Tierwester in the Third Ward (or, appropriately enough, t ... More >>

Breaking News: Gunplay at Trae Day

Ninety-eight percent of Trae Day went exactly as advertised. There were moonwalks and video-game trailers for the kids, local merchants selling various CDs and DVDs, a few actual celebrities and a general feeling of community pride throughout. Then they started shooting. At approximately 8:30 p.m. - ... More >>

Gunplay at Trae Day

Trae Day, the one-year anniversary of the City of Houston's proclamation honoring the local rapper for his community-minded efforts, did not end in smiles and good feelings, but gunshots. Hair Balls is still finding out exactly what went on, but click here for what we do know.

The TSU Trae Day Shootings: A Near-Eyewitness Account

Rocks Off just got off the phone with our man Shea Serrano, reporting from the Trae Day afterparty at Galleria-area nightclub the Roxy. He found an eyewitness - or at least someone who was close enough to the action Wednesday to have the living shit scared out of him - to Wednesday evening's shootin ... More >>

(A Few) More Details in the TSU Trae Day Shootings

Slowly, sketchily, we are finding out more about what happened surrounding the shootings at the conclusion of TSU's Trae Day concert and festival that sent several people to the hospital Wednesday evening. Happily, from what we have been able to piece together so far, no one seems to have been kille ... More >>

The TSU Shootings in Twitterese: "Stay Classy, Houston"

Video by nosvideocrew Looks like things in the Trae Day shootings are about where they were last night. The Houston Police Department's homicide unit is involved - although no one was killed - but letting TSU detectives handle the investigation. Rocks Off's Shea Serrano spoke with an official at TS ... More >>

The TSU Shootings in Twitterese: "Stay Classy, Houston"

Video by nosvideocrew Looks like things in the Trae Day shootings are about where they were last night. The Houston Police Department's homicide unit is involved -- although no one was killed -- but letting TSU detectives handle the investigation. Hair Ball's Shea Serrano spoke with an official at ... More >>

Slide Show: Trae Day at TSU Stadium

Shea Serrano  Once upon a time, before it was a shooting gallery, national news and the talk of Twitter, the first annual Trae Day celebration was just a rap concert and family festival. Bun B, Rick Ross, a newly shorn Slim Thug and Houston mayoral candidate Peter Brown all came out to salute t ... More >>

Aftermath: Trae Day (Pre-Shooting) at TSU Stadium

[Note: These are the notes from Trae Day prior to that whole pesky "six people getting shot" thing. For more info on that, check out our reports here and here.]Photos by Henry Rizoh/ Click here for a slideshow  Aftermath and hip-hop blogger Rizoh from The Rap Up arrived nearly two hours after T ... More >>

Inquiring Minds: Trae tha Truth on the Trae Day Shootings and More

Photos by Henry Rizoh  As you no doubt have heard, this past Wednesday's Trae Day, a celebratory day established last year by the city of Houston recognizing rapper Trae tha Truth's work with at-risk youth, was sullied by post-festivities gunshots. Rocks Off was able to steal a few minutes out ... More >>

Bouncin' Back: Songs for Survivors

Last Wednesday evening's positivity-ruining shootings at TSU's "Trae Day" block party were a fine example of how ignorance and violence can crash even the most uplifting party, but also of something else: Sometimes we get lucky (or blessed, depending on your theological viewpoint). In three separat ... More >>

The Dynasty

Is Club Roxy the most hater-proof nightclub in Houston?

The Katy Perry Experiment

Can listening to the pop starlet's sugary tunes really make your head explode?

Five Spot: J-Dawg, Z-Ro's Lyrical Match (Seriously)

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.​You know, prior to the three seconds of gunshots that unwound all the good ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Arrest In Trae Day Shootings, More Michael Jackson Exploitation, Who's Getting Slappy and Who's Getting Stabby

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: Paul Wall feat. Baby Bash, "Lemon Drop." Wire To Wire This weekend, 19-year-old Albert Walker "A-Walk" ... More >>

Five Spot: We Would Very Much Like Someone to Send Us an Advance of Swishahouse's New The Usual Suspects Comp

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.​First, a bit of housekeeping: In this space last week, we wrote about the r ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Slim Thug & Lil Ray, Trae, Diddy, Necro, Master P, The Game, Beyonce/Lady GaGa, Drake, BET Music Awards, 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. Single of the Week: Slim Thug feat. Lil Ray, "Salute Me" Note(s): Yes, this is a remake of the same-named song from Fabolou ... More >>

Five Spot: Did Nnete Have Trae Banned From 97.9 The Boxx?

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.​ What a fortnight it's been for Trae. First, his Restless album was named t ... 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 >>

Solid State: Houston's SXSW Class of '10

Houston's SXSW Class of '10 is as diverse as the Bayou City.

Matt Sonzala's Open Letter To 97.9 The Box: "You Are In The Wrong Here"

​ Former Houston Press music listings editor and local hip-hop promoter Matt Sonzala sent Rocks Off and other media outlets an open letter to Houston radio station 97.9 The Box Thursday night. In it, he criticizes the station for its alleged ban of Trae the Truth. The ban, Sonzala says, extends no ... More >>

Ex-Box DJ Klean Cutt Talks About Kracker Nuttz's Firing

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? E-mail it to introducingliston ... More >>

Trae Filing Suit Against 97.9 The Box Parent Company, Staff

​Publicists for Trae the Truth sent out a press release this afternoon with the news that the Houston rapper will hold a press conference tomorrow morning to announce he is filing a civil suit against 97.9 The Box parent company Radio One, as well as several staff members of the station, alleging ... More >>

Judge Denies Trae's Injunction Request Against The Box

​Simply put, the task before Trae seems illogical. No hip-hop artist has ever walked into a courtroom and essentially forced a radio station to play their music. Then again, no other hip-hop artist has a day named after him in his own city. Interestingly, it was the unfortunate events that occurre ... More >>

Post-Apocalyptic Videos, Rap Cartoons And Plenty Of Punk History

Catastrophic Skies (extended cut) from Chase Rees on Vimeo. • Pale, the mainstream-y dark rock band from Houston, has a new video out for their song "Catostrophic Skies," featuring a high-concept post-apocalyptic motorcycle gang. It's kinda goofy. But hell, look at those production values. • L ... 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 >>

Out of the Box

Banned from KBXX 97.9, Trae tha Truth takes his case courtside.

Behind The Cover: Trae Stars In His Own Old School

​Today's Trae cover story was nearly a year in the making. As noted, the whole Trae vs. The Box thing can be traced back to the 2009 Trae Day shooting. Rocks Off was actually at that event and happened to be none too far from where the bullets were fired. We wrote up a little piece about it, did ... More >>

Trae Day Venue Backs Out; Jonas Bros. Reschedule

​As we mentioned in last week's cover story, Houston rapper Trae tha Truth has been having his share of recent struggles. His luck appears to not have changed much. Just hours after the online commercial for the forthcoming Trae Day, July 22, hit the net, and a mere three weeks before the act ... More >>

Trae vs. The Box Feud Now Has Its Own Web Site

​Things have been quiet on the Trae vs. 97.9 The Box front for the past week or so. Rocks Off assumes that's because the rapper is looking for another site willing to host his annual Trae Day (still scheduled for later this month), and the radio station is trying to find some DJs who won't sli ... More >>

Trae Day Moved To Northwest Mall, Says Trae

​Well, there you have it, hot off of Twitter. Trae Day, which had been searching for a new venue since the International Ballroom backed out a couple of weeks ago, has found a new home at Northwest Mall (9600 Hempstead Hwy., aka U.S. 290) on the same day as originally scheduled, July 22. Trae' ... More >>

The 15 Most Annoying Ringtones You Can Get

Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​It's not good enough for a phone to simply ring anymore. Your phone's ring must say something about you, become an expression of your unique individuality, or, failing that, let everyone around you know that you really, really like that OutKast song that ... More >>

Last Night: Trae Day At Northwest Mall

Photos by Marco TorresBrandi Garcia and Trae​Trae Day Northwest Mall July 22, 2010 3:36 p.m.: Some dark, menacing clouds are off in the horizon. After everything that's happened this past year - the ban, the last-minute venue cancellation, etc - is there any way that it won't rain today? It s ... More >>

Trae's Lawsuit Against The Box Appears To Be Over

​Apparently the long, dramatic saga of Houston rapper Trae's lawsuit against local radio station 97.9 The Box has come to an mysterious and abupt end. Fox 26 News reported earlier today that Trae and his legal team have dropped the suit they filed back in May that alleges The Box put a ban on ... More >>

Confirmed: Trae And The Box Both Drop Lawsuits

Marco TorresBrandi Garcia and Trae at last week's Trae Day​Saturday, reports began popping up that Trae tha Truth, recent celebrator of Trae Day/Houston Press cover man/upcoming HPMA special guest, had dropped his suit against Radio One and The Box. Though no one from Trae's side has been avai ... More >>

"Main Street Music Festival" With Screwtape, Spain Colored Orange, Young Girls, The Watermarks

Marco TorresBrandi Garcia and Trae at last week's Trae Day​Saturday, reports began popping up that Trae tha Truth, recent celebrator of Trae Day/Houston Press cover man/upcoming HPMA special guest, had dropped his suit against Radio One and The Box. Though no one from Trae's side has been avai ... More >>

Main Street Music Festival

Marco TorresBrandi Garcia and Trae at last week's Trae Day​Saturday, reports began popping up that Trae tha Truth, recent celebrator of Trae Day/Houston Press cover man/upcoming HPMA special guest, had dropped his suit against Radio One and The Box. Though no one from Trae's side has been avai ... More >>

Remember Killa Cal-Wayne's About My Brother's Business?

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 Cal-Wayne About My Brother's Business (mixtape, 2010) ​As a rapper, Killa Cal-Wayne is s ... More >>

Enough Is Enough: Trae And The Box Need To Bury The Hatchet Now

Rizoh​Read about the actual Hip-Hop for HIV concert here. As Rocks Off was walking out towards the car after Saturday's Hip-Hop for HIV concert, a brawl erupted in the parking lot. Cops were running around trying to nab people, people were getting punched and kicked and chased, subsidiary fig ... More >>

Trae Vs. The Box: No. 2 Local Music Story Of 2010

Rocks Off is counting down the Top 5 local music stories of 2010 this week. We have already covered Lightnin' Hopkins, Meridian and Fitzgerald's. ​In 2008, eight people were shot at Trae Day, a day sanctioned by the City of Houston to honor rapper Trae tha Truth's philanthropic work with the ... More >>

Which Houston Mayor Would Make the Best Rapper?

Yesterday, the Rap Round Table at our sister blog Rocks Off pondered the interesting question "Which Houston rapper would make the best mayor?" You can go there for the discussion. Here, we will ponder which Houston mayor would make the best rapper. We have five nominees. 5. Diamond Jim McConn Smo ... More >>

Trae Tha Truth Pumped For Today's Trae Day

​Rejoice. Today is Trae Day, a city-sanctioned holiday that was established in 2008 and champions the efforts of rapper Trae tha Truth, a noted humanitarian, social activist and Asshole by Nature. Two years ago, Trae Day was marred when, following the festivities, gunshots were fired into a ... More >>

Friday: Bun B, Lupe Fiasco & Lola Monroe Hail Trae Day

Photos by Shea Serrano​Trae Day feat. Trae Tha Truth, Bun B, Lupe Fiasco, Lola Monroe, Jay'Ton, Pyrexx, etc. Delmar/Dyer Sports Complex July 22, 2011 5:01 p.m.:Pulling up to the fourth annual Trae Day. Good crowd already. Good. Some immediate questions: First, How long will it be before you ... 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 >>

Bun B, Deer Tick Come Aboard BestFest Lineup

Jason WolterDeer Tick at HOB's Bronze Peacock Room, October 2010​Rhode Island rockers Deer Tick do so wish they were from Houston. They have a deep-seated ZZ Top fetish that manifested itself in a cover of "Cheap Sunglasses" at SXSW a couple of years back, nearly causing a couple of members of ... More >>

6 Musicians and Their Charities

​The main knock on celebrity charity is that it's essentially a brand-building tool -- good for image and not much else. The tax savings don't hurt, either. But not all charitable connections are about image-burnishing and tax savings. (God, we sure hope not.) The number-crunchers at Forbes lo ... More >>