Z-Ro

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 >>

Trae, Z-Ro

Trae and Z-Ro

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

The Great Grinding Debate: Which Song Is Freakiest?

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

What Are The Best Houston Rap Songs So Far This Year?

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, Propain, Devi Dev (97.9 The Box), Brad Gil ... More >>

What Community Responsibilities Do Rappers Have?

Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday or thereabouts, Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture. "Don't nobody care about how much your watch cost" Photo illustration by John Seaborn Gray​This Week's Panel: Z-Ro, Paul ... More >>

Z-Ro Actually Smiles, Laughs - We Have Proof!

Marco TorresZ-Ro at Arena Theatre, Jan. 22, 2011​This morning, one of Rocks Off's readers in Dallas sent us an email. In fact, that sentence was almost the headline of this blog - apparently we actually have readers up there, so maybe those North Texans Southern Oklahomans aren't as hopeless a ... More >>

H-Town, Meet Roel Osteen; You Already Know Him

​In this edition of The Mailbag - which, FYI, is currently the most popular semi-regular blog post dedicated to championing underground Houston rap on the planet - we've got music from a guy who isn't necessarily an underground artist, offer up ideas for nicknames for two acts and imply that w ... More >>

Saturday Night: Slim Thug, Z-Ro & J-Dawg At Arena Theatre

Photos by Marco Torres​Slim Thug, Z-Ro, J-Dawg Arena Theatre January 22, 2011 Houstonians from the Northside, Southside and everywhere in between gathered at the Arena Theatre on Saturday night to celebrate two kings. January 17 was Martin Luther King Day, and the 19th was Southwest-side rapp ... More >>

Trae, Z-Ro Turn Video Shoot Into ABN Reunion

Photos by Marco Torres​Recently, rumors about an impending reunion between Trae and Z-Ro began to populate the atmosphere. It seemed mostly like hogwash; though neither of them ever officially acknowledged a rift between the two, everyone pretty much understood that something had pushed the tw ... More >>

Z-Ro Is Now On Twitter - Both Of Him

​With the other guys, it made sense. Chamillionaire: The tech junkie? The basketball fan? The guy so confident in himself that he created a whole new unit of money measurement and then named himself after it? Of course he'd be on Twitter. Bun B: He was a little late jumping in, but the e ... More >>

Remember Z-Ro's Crack?

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. ​Z-Ro Crack (Rap-a-Lot, 2008) Crack was the first of Rother Vandross's drug-themed albums, foll ... More >>

Top 10 Trae & Z-Ro Collaborations

​Trae and Z-Ro: The Hakeem Olajuwon/Clyde Drexler tandem of Houston hip-hop, if The Dream spoke with a deep voice and Drexler's face was frozen in a perpetual snarl. Arguably the best one-two punch Houston has ever witnessed, over the years these rapping cousins have connected on several slam- ... More >>

Cory Mo's Star-Studded It's Been About Time Mixtape

Photos via myspace.com/corymoCory Mo and Bun B in Europe​We've been writing about Houston rap for nearly three years now, and have yet to hear someone - ANYONE - say a bad thing about Cory Mo. Not once. That's remarkable. Given the sometimes irritable nature of Houston's rap scene, that's like ... More >>

Remember Slim Thug's Boss of all Bosses?

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. ​Slim Thug Boss of All Bosses (Koch, 2009) Boss of all Bosses is Slim Thug's official sophomore ... More >>

Z-Ro's Woes: Rapper's Latest Drug Charge Resolved

Z-Ro: Good news and bad news​Back in February we broke the story of Joseph Wayne McVey's latest drug charge. Back then things were looking pretty grim for the 33-year-old rapper/singer known as Z-Ro and "the King of the Ghetto."Based on his prior drug history, the District Attorney had just refile ... More >>

Z-Ro's Woes: Rapper's Latest Drug Charge Resolved

​Back in February we broke the story of Joseph Wayne McVey's latest drug charge. Back then things were looking pretty grim for the 33-year-old rapper/singer known as Z-Ro, or "the King of the Ghetto." Based on his prior drug history, the District Attorney had just refiled the pending codeine ... More >>

Z-Ro Smacks Out On Disappointing Heroin

​So, here's one for you: Z-Ro's highly anticipated Heroin album, the junior LP in his line of drug-themed efforts, has apparently been released. No press release, no Twitter tweets, no radio spots, no nothing. It's just out. You can cut that up any way you see fit, but it doesn't matter. Because ... More >>

Remember ABN's It Is What It Is?

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. Assholes By Nature It Is What It Is (Rap-A-Lot, 2008) ​A.B.N. is Z-Ro and Trae's unduly short-li ... More >>

Beyonce's Naughty T-Shirt, Devin's Suite 420, Eric B Vs. Nicki Minaj, Rick Astley Chopped And Screwed...

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: Kritikal Van Gogh, "Dog Eat Dog" Wire to Wire ​Beyonce had tongues wagging at this weekend's Coac ... More >>

Take The "Which Houston Rapper Are You?" Quiz

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 sheaserrano@gmail.com. ​A few weeks back, someone sent along a link to a Facebook application tit ... More >>

"Hood Politician" Delo Chooses A Cabinet Of H-Town 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 introducingliston@ ... More >>

Bigfooted by Nike: Local small businesses getting squeezed

Local small business getting squeezed

Y'all Musta Forgot: Guerilla Maab's Rise

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. Guerilla Maab Rise (Resurrection Music Group, 1999) ​Guerilla Maab was a gangsta-rap quartet turned ... More >>

The Incredible Truth: The Best Southern Rap Albums (and Mixtapes) of 2009, Part 2

5. Z-Ro Cocaine (Rap-A-Lot) ​With Z-Ro's long-awaited album Heroin delayed, Cocaine ended up as the appropriately named followup to 2008's Crack. Though Cocaine was originally intended to be a mixtape put out by little-known producer DJ Drama Queen, it more than holds its own as a proper album. Fu ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 8: Devin the Dude's Just Tryin' Ta Live

Roughly 84,000 rap albums that 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. Devin the Dude Just Tryin' Ta Live (Rap-a-Lot/Asylum, 2002) ​In t ... More >>

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 >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 11: Z-Ro's Let the Truth Be Told

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. Z-Ro Let the Truth Be Told (Asylum, 2005)​This is our second entry from Jos ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 12: Street Military's Don't Give a Damn

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. Street Military Don't Give a Damn (Wild Pitch, 1999)​Surprise. Kids, m ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 14: Trae's Restless

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. Trae Restless (Asylum, 2006) ​Disclaimer: We dissected this album wit ... More >>

Five Spot: Whatever Happened to Z-Ro's New Album? Well, We'll Tell You...

Welcome back to The 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.​Okay, let's get you all caught up. Back at the end of the summer, word spread that Z-Ro had been jumped out ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 20: Z-Ro's The Life of Joseph W. McVey

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. Z-Ro The Life of Joseph W. McVey (Rap-A-Lot/Asylum, 2004) ​Five ... More >>

The H-Town Countdown, No. 24: Pimp C's Post-Prison Pimpalation

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. Pimp C Pimpalation Asylum, 2006​As fun as it is for us music writers t ... More >>

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 >>

Five Spot: Houston R&B Collaboration King Billy Cook

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.This weekend, Bun B and Mya are shooting the video for "Show Me Something," th ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Archie Lee & Coota Bang, R.I.P. Michael, Lil Jon, Jae Millz, Drake, 50, Tupac, Chris Brown 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: "Down For My Block," Archie Lee and Coota Bang Wire To Wire Michael passed. Three thoughts: 1. Michael ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Slim Thug Associates, Willie D, Jay-Z vs. Auto-Tune, 50 Cent, Paul Wall, Big Hawk, Jazzy Jeff, Trae & Z-Ro 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: "Associates" Wire To Wire Poor, poor Willie D. We were excited the other day when we read this thing a ... More >>

Five Spot: Slim Thug is Back

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. Photo by thebestbradley Numerous emails from PR people over the last two or so months have informed us that but a ... More >>

Five Spot: Greeting 2009 Z-Ro Style

Welcome back to The 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. Just because you probably missed it, we'd like to take a second to bring to your attention that 2008 is over ... More >>

Z-Ro: Crack

Aftermath: Z-Ro Listening Party For Crack

Five Spot: Five Reasons Not to Mess With Trae

Z-Ro

Let the Truth Be Told

Z-Ro

The Life of Joseph W. McVey (Rap-A-Lot)