Hip-Hop and Rap

Hey, Yo, The Wu is Back.

Listomania: Ranking The Wu-Tang Clan's Members From Worst to First.

​When we first heard about a planned Wu-Tang reunion tour that would be making a stop at the Granada Theater, we couldn't help be just a little skeptical. Due to plenty of turmoil and drama among the group and its -- at times extremely unpredictable -- members, we've wondered aloud and often wheth ... More >>

Last Night: Wu-Tang Clan At The Granada Theater

Wu-Tang Clan; La the Darkman; A.Dd with Picnictyme, DJ Sober and Sore Losers; Rob Viktum and Jay ClippGranada TheaterFriday, December 10, 2010Better Than: Even the most optimistic fan could expect a hip-hop clusterfuck with AWOL members and a late start to be.Kevin TodoraCheck out more photos in th ... More >>

Last Night: Wu-Tang Clan At The Granada Theater

Wu-Tang Clan; La the Darkman; A.Dd with Picnictyme, DJ Sober and Sore Losers; Rob Viktum and Jay ClippGranada TheaterFriday, December 10, 2010Better Than: Even the most optimistic fan could expect a hip-hop clusterfuck with AWOL members and a late start to be.Kevin TodoraCheck out more photos in th ... More >>

Listomania: The Five Best and Five Worst Alter Egos in Music

​Tonight, groundbreaking experimental rapper Kool Keith will be gracing The Loft with his presence. And we're hella stoked. Not only is the rapper one of our favorites, but his skill set is undeniable and his advancements in the "horrorcore" and "porncore" genres are fairly irrefutable. Plus. he's ... More >>

Watch: Trai'D -- "Popular (feat. Tyga)"

Trai'D​We've been following the efforts of Dallas rapper Trai'D for some time now -- since the summer of 2009, even, when he first caught our ears with his summer-loving jam "Summertime" and followed that single up with his local radio-enjoyed "Gutta Bitch."These days, though, the G4 Muzik-affilia ... More >>

Dallas-Born The D.O.C. Speaks Out Against Dr. Dre, Shares Insight Into Death Row's Launch

​It's easy, sometimes, to forget who the greatest rapper Dallas ever spawned is -- especially when considering that, for the past 20 years, he's worked in a largely behind-the-scenes role, ghost-writing for other rappers and working closely as a mentor to genre luminaries Dr. Dre and Eminem.But, n ... More >>

XXL Magazine Names Oak Cliff Rapper Lil Twist To Its 2011 Freshman Class

To find Lil Twist, just look for the mohawk​Last night, the cover for XXL Magazine's fourth annual "Freshmen Issue" leaked, revealing a picture of Oak Cliff rapper Lil Twist along with 10 other young hip-hop artists that the prominent hip-hop magazine has its eye on in 2011. At 18, Twist is alread ... More >>

Welcome To The Golden Age of Dallas Hip-Hop.

To find Lil Twist, just look for the mohawk​Last night, the cover for XXL Magazine's fourth annual "Freshmen Issue" leaked, revealing a picture of Oak Cliff rapper Lil Twist along with 10 other young hip-hop artists that the prominent hip-hop magazine has its eye on in 2011. At 18, Twist is alread ... More >>

Last Night at 35 Conferette: Big Boi Brings The Outdoor Stages To A Joyous Close

Big Boi8:10 p.m., Main Stage OneStephen MaskerBig Boi​After a brief word from festival founder Chris Flemmons, in which he thanked the crowds and organizers for helping the festival finally reach its goal of being a completely walkable deal in downtown Denton, Atlanta rapper and festival headliner ... More >>

Our Final SXSW 2011 Buzz Power Rankings: So, Who Do You Think Came Out on Top?

To infinity... and beyond!​Gossip, gossip -- if you've been following our daily power rankings of buzz at SXSW 2011 over the past few days, then you know that, yes, indeed, Kanye West has had it all week long at this year's annual festival in Austin.And, after briefly losing the top slot in our ra ... More >>

SXSW Meets Its Odd Future

To infinity... and beyond!​Gossip, gossip -- if you've been following our daily power rankings of buzz at SXSW 2011 over the past few days, then you know that, yes, indeed, Kanye West has had it all week long at this year's annual festival in Austin.And, after briefly losing the top slot in our ra ... More >>

MURS

Sunday, March 27, at Hailey's, Denton

Freddie Gibbs, Big K.R.I.T., A.Dd+

Saturday, April 2, at Trees

Over The Weekend: Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs and A.Dd at Trees

Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs and A.Dd Trees April 2, 2011Better Than: Staying at home on a Saturday night?Big K.R.I.T.​The headlining performers on Saturday night's bill at Trees were supposed to be big draws. And rightfully so: Big KR.I.T. and Freddie Gibbs are two of the bigger names to emerge in ... More >>

Physical CD Sales Still Thrive at Dallas' Big T Bazaar.

Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs and A.Dd Trees April 2, 2011Better Than: Staying at home on a Saturday night?Big K.R.I.T.​The headlining performers on Saturday night's bill at Trees were supposed to be big draws. And rightfully so: Big KR.I.T. and Freddie Gibbs are two of the bigger names to emerge in ... More >>

Curren$y

Saturday, April 23, at Trees

Five Things Dallas Hip-Hop Could Learn From The Rest of The Dirty South Movement

​[Editor's Note: On Thursday night, Ben Westhoff, a frequent contributor to our print edition and a sometime contributor here on DC9, will be stopping by Cliff Notes in Oak Cliff for a reading and signing session to promote his new book, Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Souther ... More >>

Michael Rapaport Talks A Tribe Called Quest and His New Documentary on the Group

​On July 8, actor Michael Rapaport's directorial debut, a documentary called Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, will earn its release theaters in New York City and Los Angeles. Later that month, on July 28, the film will begin a run locally at Dallas-area Angelika Theat ... More >>

Adele and Def Leppard Reschedule and Other, Equally Important Show Announcements

Adele​A few weeks ago, we were sad to announce the postponement of Adele's House Of Blues show due to an illness. However, the British singer has announced that she'll be back, only this time it'll be at the much bigger, and probably more suitable Verizon Theater on Friday, October 21. All ti ... More >>

Listomania: Top Ten Songs About Ingesting Cough Syrup for Leisure

​Ahh, codeine cough syrup. It started off innocently enough, as a remedy for a sore throat. However, if it can get you high, people will use it to get high. And, if it gets you high, someone will at some point write a song about it. Purple drank, sizzurp, lean -- whatever you choose to call ... More >>

Meet Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean and Curren$y's Secret Weapon: Fort Worth Producer Cardo

Cardo's a dude worth knowing.​Ronald La Tour very clearly remembers the first time he met Wiz Khalifa. It was a few years back at this point, when Khalifa was just starting to make a name for himself, releasing mixtapes at an impressive clip and earning endless praise for each. After some fruitful ... More >>

Beats, Rhymes, & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest

A fanboy's phenomenal love letter to a hip hop phenom.

Legendary Dallas Rapper D.O.C. Starts His Return To The Top

A fanboy's phenomenal love letter to a hip hop phenom.

Erykah Badu Responds to D.O.C.'s Comments On Their Relationship, Future Reality Show

Erykah Badu and The D.O.C.​ In last week's print edition, we ran a piece by noted hip-hop scribe/LA Weekly music editor/longtime Observer contributor Ben Westhoff that plays catch-up The D.O.C., perhaps Dallas' greatest hip-hop export -- and greatest hip-hop curio -- of all-time. It was a great pi ... More >>

Over The Weekend: Trae tha Truth, JMack and Big Hud at Trees

Trae Tha Truth, JMack, Big HudTreesAugust 13, 2011Better than: trying to act like Dallas has a hip-hop pedigree to compete with Houston.Trae Tha Truth​ There wasn't much of a build-up to Trae The Truth's entrance at Trees on Saturday night. After a particularly high-energy set from JMack and a fun ... More >>

Last Night: Mobb Deep, Raekwon, Ghostface and Vicious Cycle at House of Blues

Rock The Bells Tour with Mobb Deep, Raekwon, Ghostface and Vicious Cycle Sunday, August 14 House of Blues Better than: an unrequited longing for Golden Age hip-hop. Mobb Deep​Sunday night was an unabashed nostalgia fest for the crowd at House of Blues, particularly for those whose school days, m ... More >>

In Defense of... Eminem, Royce Da 5'9" and Bruno Mars' "Ligthers"

Two project albums from prestigious hip-hop duos have been released this summer. Jay-Z and Kanye West, of course, released Watch The Throne last week. But, back in June, there was another: Eminem and collaborator-turned-enemy-turned-friend-once-more Royce Da 5'9" released Hell: The Sequel under th ... More >>

Beats by Dallas' Own Hip-Hop Doctors

Two project albums from prestigious hip-hop duos have been released this summer. Jay-Z and Kanye West, of course, released Watch The Throne last week. But, back in June, there was another: Eminem and collaborator-turned-enemy-turned-friend-once-more Royce Da 5'9" released Hell: The Sequel under th ... More >>

Dru B Shinin'

The Cleanup

Denton's Yung God Gets "Based"

The Cleanup

Symbolyc One Explains How He Came Up With Kanye West and Jay-Z's "Excellence" Joint

Symbolyc One's on fire.​In this week's paper, you'll find a heads up of sorts about what's really going on in Dallas hip-hop these days -- essentially it's no longer the rappers making waves so much as it's the producers. And that's not just fluff. As noted in the article, in the past couple of ye ... More >>

The Problem With.... Kreayshawn's "Gucci Gucci"

In spite of what I think of some rappers, the truth is that most of them have something to contribute to the scene. Kanye brings good production chops and high class. Eminem has tight alliterative flows. And Drake... well, he's Canadian, which has to count for something, I imagine. To this end ... More >>

Last Night: Black Star (Mos Def and Talib Kweli) at House of Blues

Black Star, Playdough, Topic House of Blues September 7, 2011 Better than: being blown away by a firearm. Mike BrooksMos Def in Erykah Badu's "Window Seat" ride post-show.​ Although each has enjoyed a remarkable solo career as one of the most important names in hip-hop today, Mos Def and Talib K ... More >>

Last Night: Erykah Badu, Mos Def and Talib Kweli at the Prophet Bar Jam Session

Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The GritzProphet BarSeptember 7, 2011Better than: an after-school special.Mike BrooksErykah Badu, aka DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown, kept things going for over an hour. For more photos, check out the slideshow.After-parties can be funny things considering that, by defin ... More >>

Over The Weekend: Lil Wayne and Rick Ross at Gexa Energy Pavilion

Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Keri Hilson, Far East Movement, LloydGexa Energy PavilionSeptember 10, 2011Better than: a Super Bowl halftime show. Mike MezeulLil Wayne at Gexa on Saturday night. For more photos, check out the slideshow.​ Lil Wayne is a shapeshifter -- and, at that, one who has alrea ... More >>

Atmosphere

Friday, September 23, at the House of Blues

A Cool Open Mic Night? It Exists.

Friday, September 23, at the House of Blues

Astronautalis Finds Different Chart Success

Friday, September 23, at the House of Blues

The Problem With.... Flo Rida's "Good Feeling"

Flo Rida has only become more and more interchangeable and average since he transitioned from R&B party music like 2008's "Low" to poppish party music like 2009's "Right Round." At this point, he oughta change his name to Cam Ofloj. Or something similar.

Method Man, Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA

Wednesday, November 9, at Granada Theater

Big Sean, Now Really Big

Wednesday, November 9, at Granada Theater

The Problem With ... Mac Miller's "Party on Fifth Ave"

When a new, hyped-up rapper appears on the charts, I play a game in which I compare a rapper with others on the charts and judge whether they positively contribute to the hip hop. I call that game "What's! Their! Niche!!!" Today's contestant is ... Mac Miller from Pittsburgh! Come on dooown! Mac ... More >>

Best Local Hip-Hop of 2011

A.Dd When we heard Paris Pershun and Slim Gravy teamed up with super producer PicnicTyme and DJ Sober for When Pigs Fly, we couldn't help but be excited for A.Dd 's 2011. They confidently took the city by storm, and When Pigs Fly achieved local legend status thanks to a Kickstarter campaign. Add t ... More >>

10 Albums To Not Overlook In 2012

In case you're already blinded by the golden aura of 2012's major releases -- The Shins, T.I., Soundgarden, Nicki Minaj, Mumford & Sons, Muse, Sigur Ros -- we want to make sure you don't forget about some other sure-to-be-top-notch albums that will see release next year. They may not shine on the ... More >>

The Problem With... Will.i.am's "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)"

After a merciful summer and fall without The Black Eyed Peas, the group announced they would take a hiatus. My first reaction was relief. However, my second reaction was wordless dread. This means Fergie and Will.i.am's egos are no longer contained by editorial buffers Apl.de.ap and Taboo. Will ... More >>

Wu-Tang Clan Fog Out House of Blues

Sara Kerens​ Wu-Tang Clan House of Blues Friday, January 13 Contrary to popular belief, a majority of Wu-Tang Clan crowded the House of Blues stage Friday night, opening with "Clan in da Front." While most rappers I review these days present their speech in fragments, groups like Wu-Tang Clan ... More >>

A.Dd Plans a Texas Takeover With the Red Bull Skooled Tour

​Local rap duo A.Dd continue their ascent, this time enlisting corporate support from Red Bull, who's sponsoring an early February tour that will see them hit six Texas cities in the span of seven days. This will be a coming-out party of sorts, with A.Dd playing shows with some of Texas' mo ... More >>

In Defense Of... Nicki Minaj's "Stupid Hoe"

After a year of being the single most popular woman in hip-hop, Nicki Minaj is getting some competition from all sides in 2012. On her right are jealous industry perennials like Lil' Kim. On her left are blog-buzzed upstarts like Azealia Banks. This might actually turn out good. Competition breeds ... More >>