Young Jeezy

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend: Jeezy, CCA Conservation Concert, etc.

Jeezy Arena Theatre, May 17 A self-proclaimed hustler on the mike, the Atlanta rapper known as Young Jeezy has grown up quite a bit since his 2001 debut album dropped under the name Lil J. Rising through the ranks via his several independently released Dirty South mixtapes, he's now sittin' pretty ... More >>

Your All-Star Weekend Celebrity Guestbook, Part 2

Houston is by most accounts one of America's more cultured and sophisticated cities, but it still loses its damn mind when a lot of famous people come to town. The swarm of people created by celebrities and their spotters forced the Galleria to shut down early Saturday evening, while a few promoters ... More >>

The Sounds of H-Town

Cactus Music wants your help with a "Community-Curated Playlist."

Old Gold: The Explosion of Vintage Jewelry In Hip-Hop

In the past year, the hip-hop scene has traded in a great deal of its diamond-encrusted Jesus pieces and record-label logo necklaces for items with a bit more "vintage designer" style. From coast to coast, we are now seeing entertainers and tastemakers flash their vintage Chanel and antique Versace ... More >>

Kirko Bangz Has a New Free Mixtape Out Right Here

About a year and a half ago -- or maybe it was two years or 20? You get the point -- at some only mildly nice bar on 59, I watched a Kirko Bangz show. This was when "What Yo Name Iz" had gained strength regionally but not enough to produce any truly staggering results, and nothing remarkable happe ... More >>

Houston's Kirko Bangz Is Now A Bona Fide No. 1 Star

At the end of last summer, Kirko Bangz, the flagship artist of the much ballyhooed new generation of Houston rappers, released a song called "Drank In My Cup." In it, he did everything people enjoyed him doing in his breakout single "What Yo' Name Iz" (turn his libido into its own entity, basicall ... 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 >>

Young Jeezy

5 Young Jeezy Quotes To Get You Laid On New Years

If you've spent the better part of six years needing a hood, ignorant (and in the words of Jay Bilas' prophetic) New Years celebration, leave it to Young Jeezy to supply all your needs and demands. Who cares if you don't flip bricks or do things that the Snowman does -- just know he has you covered ... More >>

Review: Trakk Sounds Intervention

​Download that. It's Intervention, a compilation album from 21-year-old producer Trakk Sounds (with help from the MP3 site Tha Fixx). It's fun; all original tracks (16) with all original verses (60!). Sounds, who currently shares a studio with regional tastemaker Rapid Ric, worked on it for ... More >>

Rap's Most Anticipated Upcoming Albums

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. ro ... More >>

Remember Le$'s The Beautiful Struggle?

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. ​Le$ The Beautiful Struggle (Self-released, 2010) Le$, the least burly, most modern Boss Hogg ... More >>

The Five Best - And Two Worst - Rapper Actors

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 introducingliston@gmai ... More >>

Bill O'Reilly, Battle Rapper: The Blowhard's Illest Beefs

"I got dirt on you, doggy!" ​Pac and Biggie... Nas and Jigga... Bill O'Reilly and every rapper who has had some commercial success. You can't exclude O'Reilly from battle rap, he is a heavy-hitting contender in the hip-hop arena. Remember when he insisted that people boycott Pepsi products be ... More >>

Warm And Scratchy: A Definitive [adult swim] Discography

​The masterminds behind Aqua Teen Hunger Force have relocated the fast-food crew to Seattle and changed not only the name, but also the structure of the show after deciding that they were unhappy with the pilot. They even made a new theme song, recruiting Queen of the Stone Age Josh Homme and ... More >>

More Local Music News Than Tickets Sold to the Astros Home Opener...a LOT More

​In the land of MCM, it's always Friday and there's always a treasure trove of local music news. That's because we happen to structure it as such, but make no mistake, we've got a full truckload for everyone this week. However, in what might be a MCM first, we don't have an actual mixtape fro ... More >>

Remember Simple Success' Smash and Dash EP?

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. Photos by Sarah Levit​Simple Success opens up for Mac Miller tonight at Warehouse Live. They p ... More >>

Five Top Rappers' Ideal Corporate Jobs

technology-digital.com​The U.S. economy has been limping for a while now, causing more and more people to seek innovative ways of generating revenue. Rappers, it turns out, aren't immune from the economic turmoil. Just ask will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, who recently secured a second job wi ... More >>

Remember Delo's Hood Politics?

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. ​Delo Hood Politics (Self-released, 2010) Delo is a Missouri City rapper who, as proof that th ... More >>

The Rap Renaissance

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

Today's Lesson: How To Lose $27K And End Up In Court

​Lately Rocks Off's readers have been getting a steady stream of what not to do when it comes to booking and promoting shows. Last week we learned that when an artist scheduled to play your venue shows up for their gig, it's a good idea to have enough money - either cash on hand or in your che ... More >>

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 >>

Laying Odds On Rick Ross' Arena Theatre Show Sunday

​Ricky Rozay will come thundering into town this Sunday. This is a most excellent situation. Saying that Ross is only a little intriguing is like saying that his waistline is only a little oversized; he is perhaps the world's most interesting pseudo-thug. Lots of people went yo-yo when he was ... 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 >>

What Are The Two Best Rap Songs Of The Year?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday Rocks Off will have some of them hear discussing issues relevant to their culture. Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Bun B, Chuckway, Preemo, Fat Tony, LeS, Killa Kyleon, Scooby, hasHBrown, Propai ... More >>

Saturday Night: Young Jeezy And Slim Thug At Arena Theatre

Photos by Marco TorresSlim Thug​Young Jeezy, Slim Thug Arena Theatre August 21, 2010 8:34 p.m.: The PR people said that if the media wasn't here by 8:30, then they wouldn't be allowed in. So we got here on time. And now we want to die. Showing up to a Saturday night rap concert at 8:30 is lik ... More >>

Top 10 Anti-Drug Rap Songs

​A kabillion rap songs out there celebrate ganja and booger sugar - case in point: Young Jeezy at the Arena Theatre this weekend - but anti-drug rap songs are insanely rare. You have a better chance of finding a mastered copy of Detox. Luckily for you, Rocks Off went digging and found 10 great ... More >>

Wine-O: Ex-Spiritual Rapper Set To Go "Bang Bang"

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 >>

Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Best Rap Album Of The Year

​Big Boi has never been a particularly imposing rapper. He just hasn't been. Now wait a second, fuckers. Before you get all "No, he's phenomenal!" just out of sheer contrarian instinct, think on it for a second. When have you ever heard his name mentioned in any Greatest Rapper Ever discussio ... More >>

Church for Thugs

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

The Walking Dead

Texas City's Come See My Dead Person is very much alive.

Turning The Screw: Big Pokey, Bun, Trae, Jeezy, Z-Ro, Ice Cube, Waka Flocka, Dame Grease, Jay-Z & Jack White, Lil Flip, 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. "Hey, Remember That?" Single of the Week: "Who Dat Mad," Big Pokey, Big Steve and Big E Wire to Wire Bun B interviewed with ... More >>

Filero Isn't Scared To Tell the Un-fairy Tale. First of a Two-Part Series.

Filero holds the Pioneer trophy he won at the 2009 Texas Latino Rap Awards.​This could be our most controversial Latino rap blog yet, or the first of many. We really don't know yet. We can tell you what we do know. We're 16 stories in and just starting to scratch the surface of the dynamics of Hou ... More >>

Looking for Trouble

Jemina Pearl breaks free of Be Your Own Pet on Break It Up.

The 2010 Census Launches the Latino Underground Into the Mainstream; Other Bold Predictions for the Coming Decade

Will Lil Young be one of this decade's breakout Latino rap stars?​ Can Latino hip-hop in Houston continue to thrive as a black-market force, of sorts, whose sales are invisible to the IRS, and evolve into a powerful underground economy without the acknowledgement or praise of mainstream music medi ... More >>

It Was What It Was

Amid a wash of national phooey, plucking Houston rap's pivotal 2009 moment is easy.

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 >>

Ciara: Fantasy Ride

Young Jeezy: The Recession

Chamillionaire's Inaugural Diary, Part 2: Scoping the D.C. Scene

Photos by Massa MohawkWhen I landed, I thought I was gonna see snow because I was told that it was six degrees in Washington, D.C. There wasn't any snow but it was so cold that I could feel the air piercing my ears and making my eyes water. Me and my travel party went straight from the airpor ... More >>

Digitalia: Discobelle

So maybe not everyone is into the Swedish music scene, but for all you club-music enthusiasts out there, Discobelle has a number of free MP3s, videos and fun mixes. The three-year-old site posts daily tunes by producers residing anywhere from Brazil to London. You'll find selections from ... More >>

Five Spot: The FBI Gets at DMX

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. ] As we reported in Monday's Turning the Screw, yet another arrest warrant was issued for star-crossed hard ... 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 >>

Kanye West: 808s & Heartbreak

Turning the Screw: Hollywood F.L.O.S.S., LL Cool J, The Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, Russell Crowe (!?), MF Doom, Beyonce and More

Five Spot: Jeezy The Inspireezy

A Guide to Being Cool

Cred Sheet

Play Our Dating Game

Fat Joe, Young Jeezy and Lil' Wayne

Bun B

Trill