Kendrick Lamar

Dallas' Glen Reynolds Sings on the New Talib Kweli Album. Listen to His Solo Album Now.

Glen Reynolds certainly has a lot of momentum behind him these days. He recently released his second solo album, Breakbeat Ice Beneath Me, but this time, he's using the moniker of Grey. While the album is a departure from the Weezer-meets-XTC vibe of his earlier material, it certainly represents whe ... More >>

The Sales Power of In-Store Performances

This is not your everyday Billboard chart. Each week, we'll tell you which bands are selling in the fine record shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where we consumers of music have impeccable taste. CD Source owner, Lance Price, saw a combination of new releases and classic albums creep towar ... More >>

Danny Brown Was Not the Victim of His On-Stage Blowjob, Despite Contrary Reports

This is a complicated story to tell. Misogyny, misandry, rape, consent, slut shaming, and victim blaming are not exactly pleasant topics of discussion- but this week they were all brought to the forefront of #raptwitter. Danny Brown's Old & Reckless Tour is well underway. The Detroit rapper's first ... More >>

Why SXSW is Worth it, Even if You Have No Plans and No Access

Every year something happens that nearly prevents me from going to South by Southwest. This year was no different. A professional obligation on Thursday was threatening my travel plans, and I was considering giving it all up, joining in the chorus, of "It's too crowded," or whatever and staying in D ... More >>

David Bowie Tops the Dallas Independent Record Store Charts

This is not your everyday Billboard chart. Each week, we'll tell you which bands are selling in the fine record shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where we consumers of music have impeccable taste. Consensus arose at Good Records and CD Source as David Bowie takes the lead in top selling alb ... More >>

Is Adele's 21 the 21st Century Commercial Equivalent to Thriller?

This is not your everyday Billboard chart. Each week, we'll tell you which bands are selling in the fine record shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where we consumers of music have impeccable taste. Fleetwood Mac will be playing in Dallas at the American Airlines Center June 4, and their reis ... More >>

Ten Concerts We Can't Forget in 2012

The 10 Best Rap Albums of 2012

10. The Idea of Beautiful, Rapsody The black mamba of super producer 9th Wonder's Jamla Records team reached a new pinnacle in her career, and in her evolution as an artist this year. Sprinkled with collaborations from Big Remo, BJ the Chicago Kid and Childish Gambino, Rapsody takes us on a journey ... More >>

Five Rap Albums That Changed the Game in 2012

Five Local Rappers to Watch in 2013

As a city, we've been developing culturally and economically at a rapid pace over the last few years. Built around a scene of prominent weekly events like Beauty Bar's Big Bang Thursdays and Prophet Bar's Wednesday night open mic jam sessions, local rap artists get the chance to interact and network ... More >>

Ten of the Best Concerts of 2012

There were too many great performances this year, in venues big and small, by acts local and national, to thoroughly cover within the confines of a blog post. This year's DOMA showcase (self-indulgence alert!) provided some transcendent local sets, we had a wealth of great festival acts to consider, ... More >>

Dom Kennedy - Trees - 12/8/12

Dom Kennedy, Raw Elementz Trees Saturday, December 8 On Saturday, Dom Kennedy saved the best for last. On the final date of his Yellow Album tour, he sold out Trees, making him the third West Coast rap act in three months to sell out a Dallas date. Not only was it another great night for the new We ... More >>

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 >>

Mary J. Blige

Sunday, November 18, at American Airlines Center

The Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase: A User's Guide

We're taking over Deep Ellum on Saturday. Come along, will you?

A Guide to the 2012 Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase

It occurred to me recently that, within the DFW music scene, people really love to draw county lines. So what we were trying to illustrate with our 2012 Dallas Observer Music Awards nominees is that Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton aren't three separate entities, but rather one big music community that ... More >>

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 >>

Seven of This Week's Best Show Announcements: Mary J. Blige, Taylor Swift, The xx and More

Mary J. Blige Sunday, November 18, at American Airlines Center, $49.25-$199.25 Tickets go on sale today for Mary J. Blige's "Liberation" Tour, which will feature special guests Brandy and Kendrick Lamar. The tour is in support of Blige's upcoming 2013 release, My Life II...The Journey Continues (Ac ... More >>

The Seven Best Concerts In Dallas This Week

Nas and Lauryn Hill Monday, October 29, at the Palladium Ballroom, $54.75 This pairing is an inspired one, and especially notable for fans of Lauryn Hill, who have been wondering where the follow-up to 1998's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has been hiding. That (hopefully) comes with the release of ... More >>

Five of This Week's Top Show Announcements: Kendrick Lamar, Maroon 5 and More

Kendrick Lamar Wednesday, October 31, at South Side Music Hall, $34.29 Here's a last-minute announcement for ya. If you still haven't nailed down your Halloween plans for next week, Scoremore's bringing Kendrick Lamar back to town, and he'll be serving up tracks from his brand-new album, good kid, m ... 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 >>

Ab-Soul, Jay Rock - The Door - 9/7/12

Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Brain Gang Blue, -topic, A.Dd , Mohicans, Lil' Marley The Door Friday, September 7 L.A. emcee Jay Rock took the stage Friday night following a downsized roster of homegrown artists, and established hype I've witnessed only from his Top Dawg Entertainment peer, Kendrick Lamar. Whi ... More >>

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 >>

Brain Gang Blue Remixes "Party On" With An All-Star Dallas Cast

With Brandon Blue currently making some of the most innovative beats in Dallas hip-hop, it's no wonder Slim Gravy (A.Dd ), Dave (The Mohicans), Dustin Cavazos and -topic joined fellow Brain Gangbanger JT in reworking "Party On," the lead single from the Numb EP. Not only is this beat a dramatic im ... More >>

Sore Losers Collectively Reinvent Themselves

Dallas and Houston Swap Spit Tonight at Green Elephant

Tonight at Green Elephant, Poor Vida Productions sets off another installment in their Get Your Own series, which brings Houston hip-hop acts to Dallas for one night of synergy. Poor Vida's Joel Salazar says the showcase's aim is simple: "Over the last year I've been traveling down to Houston, worki ... More >>

Hood Loved It: Kendrick Lamar Gets Intimate at Trees

Kendrick Lamar Trees Thursday, January 19 Since the last time Kendrick Lamar graced a Dallas stage, his star has only been on the rise. His most recent mix tape, Section.80, has garnered buzz, rave reviews and a spot on Drake's upcoming tour with ASAP Rocky. That's one buzzy tour, but the party las ... More >>

Girls at Granada, Yann Tiersen at Trees and More Show Announcements

Girls​One of the biggest records of 2011 came from San Fransisco's Girls, who successfully mine early rock and roll influences to create notable and at times brilliant albums. Gorilla Vs. Bear has championed the band for years, and the blog is bringing Girls to the Granada Theater on Friday, March ... More >>

My First Show: 2011 Edition

Mike BrooksScratch Acid at Trees​ Since this Sunday is Christmas, we decided to do something a little different with this week's edition of My First Show. Checking back in with a number of the people we interviewed this year, we wanted their takes on the best shows they saw, and to also get a ... More >>

Drake Comes to Arlington in March

Miss you, Wheelchair Jimmy​ Canadian hip-hop curio Drake's latest album, Take Care, seems to be a divisive one. Is he joking? Serious? Depressed? In need of a therapist? Much has been written about the album's moody tone and existential angst. This review may be the most in-depth. Today it w ... More >>

Sore Losers Split: After A Vote, Brown Takes The Band and Blue Is Forced To Go Solo

Blue and Brown, together no more.​ Back in October, Sore Losers was on top of the world. The duo of Vincent Brown and Brandon Blue had capably established themselves as a local force to be reckoned with, a post-Boogie duo worth hyping, a creative source of inventive "New Dallas" hip-hop, a shining ... More >>

Watch: Lil Twist -- "Love Affair (featuring Lil Wayne)"

Lil Twist​After the jump, you can watch the just-released music video from Oak Cliff's Own Lil Twist, for his Lil Wayne-featuring song called "Love Affair," which is set to be part of the 18-year-old's upcoming debut Don't Get It Twisted full-length.But, first, a word on the young rapper. Namely: ... More >>

Q&A: Sore Losers Tells Us Why It's Running For The Hollywood Hills

The past year or so has seen a tremendous upswing in the quality and skill in the Dallas area underground hip-hop scene. But one of the brightest gems in that group, Sore Losers, is now taking its show on the road. The duo plans to move to Los Angeles next week, and, on Sunday night, will host a goi ... More >>

Bonus MP3: Sore Losers (feat. Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar) -- "Cooler Than Coach K (Remix)"

Sore Losers​In case we haven't yet given you enough reasons to pay some mind to Dallas hipster-hop duo Sore Losers, let's end today by giving you one more: Today, the duo released a new remix to one of the tracks off its phenomenal (and free to download) Free Loaders mixtape. The re-working comes ... More >>