Hip-Hop and Rap

Backstreet Boys, Steely Dan, Cold War Kids and More Top Show Announcements

You know, this seldom happens, but I can say without a doubt that I have every single one of these artists in my iPod. Maybe I'll make it into a playlist. This'd be a good playlist, right? Either way, here are your top show announcements this week, and if you're like me, you're flabbergasted by th ... More >>

Foxy Brown Lies About Jay-Z's Sex Life and Other Controversies

Where to begin? #raptwitter had a big day yesterday, with big stories breaking left and right. From a Foxy Brown hoax to a pseudo-Big Tymers reunion, here are your biggest hip-hop news stories of the week: Yesterday started off with a shocking report of Foxy Brown dishing out some pretty wild alleg ... More >>

Jean Grae Talks Jeanius Re-Release Plans, Prepares to D-Town Boogie

The best show you had no idea was going on this week is almost upon us. Tonight, Heroes Sports Lounge weekly Paid In Full Fridays emcee battles will feature a very special guest headliner. A legend in the game, and arguably the most talented female emcee to ever pick up a mic- Brooklyn's own Jean Gr ... More >>

I'm a Feminist who Loves Hip-Hop. Rick Ross and Other Misogynists Can't Change That.

Rick Ross is having a rough week. The Maybach Music Group kingpin is currently being crucified by the media & women's interest groups all over the country, for a guest verse he gave on Atlanta rapper Rocko's new single, U.O.E.N.O. Featuring a hook from autotune boy wonder, Future, the song is perfec ... More >>

Rap Genius Wants to Expand Our Understanding of Southern Rap

There's a Special Place in Dallas' Hip-Hop Heart for Snoop Dogg

DJ Quick Chris was a Guiding Light for Dallas Hip-Hop: R.I.P.

Last Sunday, Dallas lost a true beacon in the scene. Christopher Evans Kelly, a.k.a. DJ Quick Chris, died of pneumonia and congestive heart failure after a year-long fight with lymphoma. "Even through his ongoing stays in the hospital, Chris continued to create new and original sounds," says his si ... More >>

Murs

Friday, February 8, at The Prophet Bar

A.Dd+

Saturday, January 26, at Granada Theater

Five Rap Albums That Changed the Game in 2012

Five Rap Albums That Changed the Game in 2012

Before the storm of best of lists start hitting the blogs, I wanted to take a second to put aside the artistic merit aspect of the year in review, and take a look at what happened in the cultural landscape of rap music. Some of these albums were really good, some of them were really not, but all of ... More >>

Why The Chronic is the Greatest Album in Rap History

Mary J. Blige

Sunday, November 18, at American Airlines Center

Kendrick Lamar - South Side Music Hall - 10/31/12

Kendrick Lamar, -topic, Dustin Cavazos South Side Music Hall Wednesday, October 31 Thanks to Scoremore and AEG, Dallas rap fans are currently having one of the best Halloweens ever. By the time candy prices are marked down again, our city will have seen Nas with Lauryn Hill, Asher Roth and the A$AP ... More >>

The 2012 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher Breakdown

In the last couple of years, the BET Hip-Hop Awards have proven to be the most ironic awards show on television. There's little to no merit in an artist actually taking home an award anymore, unless you get the I Am Hip Hop lifetime achievement honor. The most important accolade an artist can really ... More >>

What The Hell Is Trap Music?

By Rebecca Haithcoat You may have heard the term "trap music." You may even realize that what people are calling "trap music" today, which sounds a whole lot like dubstep, is not necessarily what people were calling "trap music" a few years ago. So, what the hell is trap music? Not too long ago, ... More >>

Dallas Music Producers Claim Ludacris Stole Their Business Name, Throw 'Bows in Court

It was in 2001 that Christopher Bridges, a.k.a. Ludacris, released "Move Bitch," a song still considered his masterpiece. (The inimitable chorus: "Move bitch, get out the way/Get out the way bitch/Get out the way.") It was the third single from the album Word of Mouf, and it helped propel the corn-r ... More >>

Five Reasons Why 2 Chainz Should Make A Presidential Bid

I don't know about you, but this election coverage is really starting to wear on me. Headline after headline, months and months of media saturation, all to try and convince me to wake up 25 minutes earlier on November 4 to hit an elementary school on the way to work. I'm so fed up with the overkill ... More >>

Rick Ross - Zouk - 8/9/12

Rick Ross Zouk Thursday, August 9 Celebrating the release of his God Forgives, I Don't album Thursday night, the big boss Ricky Ross made his way to mega-club Zouk in style, putting on a performance that rumbled the outermost walls of the venue as loud as his signature grunts rattle one's speakers ... More >>

How the Smoker's Club Went from Showcase to Tour

Smoke DZA on The Smoker's Club Tour, George Kush and His Presidential Ambitions

The Smoker's Club first formed in March of 2010 as a SXSW showcase at The Firehouse Lounge, which hosted Devin the Dude and a supporting cast of emerging hip-hop artists who all had reefer in common, including Jayrock, Big K.R.I.T, Curren$y and Smoke DZA. It wasn't yet the club it would become over ... More >>

Kool Keith at Trees

Thursday, July 26, at Trees

The DC9er Mixtape, Resurrected: DJ Sissy Ross

OK, it's been a while, but the DC9er mixtape series is officially back in action. We're resurrecting the weekly DJ profile with a Q&A and mixtape from Dallas' '90s hip-hop enthusiast, DJ Sissy Ross. Check out her Q&A and original mix below.

Schoolboy Q - The Door - 6/30/12

Schoolboy Q The Door Saturday, June 30 On a night defined by sweat and hype, Schoolboy Q showed that sometimes you can be too good. Taking the stage after a litany of local artists, Q stalked the stage and effortlessly shifted gears between songs, taking control of style after style, showing exactl ... More >>

El-P, Killer Mike - Granada Theater - 6/21/12

El-P, Killer Mike, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Despot The Granada Theater Thursday, June 21 Listening to the recorded works of El-P, it's easy to get the feeling you're dealing with a robot who has somehow discovered the emotional razor wire that is living a human life. Last night, El-P pushed back t ... More >>

DeSoto SolJazz Festival at DeSoto Eagle Stadium

Saturday, June 9, at DeSoto Eagle Stadium

H2O Music Festival at the Cotton Bowl

Saturday, June 9, at the Cotton Bowl

The Problem With... Gym Class Heroes' "The Fighter" Feat. Ryan Tedder

See also: The Problem With Gym Class Heroes and Adam Levine's "Stereo Hearts" The 2012 London Olympics are a month away, but I'm not as interested as I was for Beijing 2008. If London's opening ceremony has a TARDIS float, I'll be interested. To tie in to the Olympics, Gym Class Heroes -- the hip, ... More >>

Drake - Gexa Energy Pavilion - 5/16/12

Drake Gexa Energy Pavilion Wednesday, May 16 Q: How Many Writers Does It Take To Review a Drake Concert? In the span of Drake's set last night, I felt alternately excited, flummoxed and bored, which is sort of the trajectory of the first month or so of a doomed relationship, where you're waiting ... More >>

Top 10 Modern Hip-Hop Ad-Libs

Throughout hip-hop's history, rappers have sought to distinguish themselves through a variety of methods. While some have focused exclusively on lyrical content, others have focused on style and cadence. As of late, hip-hop has experienced a fundamental shift from an emphasis on substance to an emph ... More >>

Catching Up With Dallas' Open Mic Emcee Jesse Porter: "When You Create Different Lanes, Everybody Eats."

Over the course of the past year, Jesse Porter, with the help of CoffeeMusicHub, has been an instrumental part of the local hip-hop scene, providing a platform for talented up-and-comers to flex their skills and gain the notoriety they need. We covered the scene back in September, but these days the ... More >>

AV The Great: "The Hip-Hop Coming Out Of Southeast Denton Is Strong."

You could call it a tale of two cities. Within Denton city limits lie two distinct communities separated by nothing more than railroad tracks and a sign. On one side, you have the Denton everyone thinks of: Dan's Silverleaf, great indie bands, and the Courthouse. On the other side, you have Southeas ... More >>

2 Chainz - Main Event Center - 4/6/12

2 Chainz Main Event Center Friday, April 6 Friday night, precipitous persona 2 Chainz arrived in a white stretch Hummer limousine, packed full of women and choice entourage at the Main Event Center. With a wingspan rivaling most NBA power forwards, 2 Chainz's menacing frame appeared not a moment to ... More >>

Preview: 2 Chainz at Main Street Event Center

Friday, April 6, at Main Street Event Center

A.Dd+ Can't Sit Still

SXSW Coverage Ahead. Plus, We're Sponsoring 50 Cent, Big K.R.I.T. and More

"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." -- Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive You don't have to spend much time at South By Southwest to know that all of the above building ... More >>

Preview: Big K.R.I.T. at Trees

Saturday, February 25, at Trees

Big K.R.I.T. Reps the New Southern Hip-Hop Underground

Are people still using PlayStations? If the brand is looking for a charming accomplishment via their product, they need look no further than Big K.R.I.T. As a resourceful teenager, Justin Scott used PlayStation's MTV Music Generator to form his first beats, and that entrepreneurial spirit guided hi ... More >>

Yelawolf

Saturday, February 18, at Trees

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 >>

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 >>

Wu-Tang Clan Fog Out House of Blues

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 remind us how flow ... 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 i ... 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 iT ... 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 >>

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 >>

Big Sean, Now Really Big

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

Wednesday, November 9, at Granada Theater

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.