Nas (Rapper)

Lauryn Hill's Side of the Story

Lauryn Hill will be gone till October. A week after making headlines for signing a million dollar five-song deal with Sony, she showed up to court on Monday with a check for $970,000. But it wasn't enough to save her from jail time. The five-time Grammy winner and highly esteemed queen of neo-soul w ... More >>

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 >>

Why The Chronic is the Greatest Album in Rap History

Lauryn Hill, Nas - Palladium Ballroom - 10/29/12

Lauryn Hill, Nas Palladium Ballroom Monday, October 29 From darkness there was light, sound and a burst of atomic energy as Nas came to the stage with a gang of musicians ready to work through a 90-minute set last night at the Palladium Ballroom. It only took the four minutes of the first song for ... More >>

Talking Cold Facts With Lost and Found Detroit Folk Singer Rodriguez

Tonight at House of Blues, the enigmatic Rodriguez takes the stage. The Detroit folk musician, also known as Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, released two albums to little acclaim in the late '60s and early '70s, and quickly faded into obscurity. Meanwhile, half a world away, those albums -- Cold Fact and Comi ... More >>

Rufus Wainwright: "If You're Getting Only Good Press, Something's Wrong"

Rufus Wainwright's music is hard to categorize. It's not really pop music because too often it lacks the kind of simple catchy hooks that make for great radio fodder. He composed an opera and has set Shakespearian sonnets to music, but you can't really define him as a classical composer. Across all ... More >>

Five of the Week's Best Show Announcements: Nas and Lauryn Hill, Big Freedia on NYE and More

Nas, Lauryn Hill Palladium Ballroom, October 29, $54 Having seen Nasty Nas at SXSW this year, working an entire Austin City Limits stage solo for an hour while he performed Illamtic, this double-header looks to be one of the more solid Palladium shows this fall. The appearance of Ms. Hill is already ... More >>

The Worst Moments from SXSW 2012

The last few days, our indefatigable music critic staff has been regaling you with stories of the best from SXSW 2012. In the midst of these discoveries, we've been culling another list: the worst shit. The acts that ranged from huge bore-fests, to down-right lame. Below, you'll find their submissio ... More >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Saturday 3/17/2012

So, we come to it: the end of all things. Four days of madness, Doritos, Skrillex and finally, St. Patrick's Day. Before we bid SXSW 2012 farewell, allow us to share our favorite moments from SXSW day four. Later, we'll let you know which shows weren't so hot. Find our favorites below, and if there ... More >>

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 >>

Listomania: The 10 Best Albums That Were Supposed To Come Out, But Never Did, in 2010

​Albums get delayed all the time. (Cue Chinese Democracy joke). Sometimes it's because of the close relation of creativity and procrastination. Other times, business overtakes art. More often than not, though, it's just a sheer mystery. So, in looking back at the year, we decided to think about al ... More >>

Today In Music News: Scissor Sisters Are Strapped For Cash, Kerry King Rejoins Megadeth and Beasties Boys Hook Up With Nas and Santigold

Your daily dose of national music news for Tuesday, October 26, 2010...The Scissor Sisters had to cancel part of it's European tour because they don't have enough money to pay for it.Slayer's Kerry King joined Megadeth on stage for the first time since he was a part of the band in 1984.The upcoming ... More >>

A Prophet

Download: A-One And Sober Release D-Town-Heavy Mixtape For H-Town Sneaker Summit

​Following up on the Picnictyme-hosted mix for last summer's Kixpo sneaker exposition, DJs Sober and A-One put together a mixtape for last weekend's H-Town Sneaker Summit--and it features a handful of Dallas rappers on it (alongside Lil Wayne, Nas, Jay-Z, Cool Kids, Alicia Keys and more). Released ... More >>

Nas and Kelis Are Quitters, Jimmy Buffett Loves The Dolphins, The Dears Have To Walk

Your daily dose of national music news for Monday, May 4, 2009...After six years of marriage Nas and Kelis have decided to call it quits. The couple is splitting up... even though she's seven months pregnant.Jimmy Buffett is now a business partner with the Miami Dolphins. I just hope Bill Parcell ... More >>

Today in Music News: GNR backs out, Mariah doesn't add up, Jennifer Hudson gets justice, Soulja Boy gets real, and Lil Wayne gets floored.

Your daily music news for the first day of 2009... Don't get your hopes up for a two year Guns N' Roses tour. It looks like Tommy Stinson was misquoted. Doesn't it always happen that way? Scientists are mad at Mariah Carey for "misreading" algebra with her album title E=MC2. You would th ... More >>

Ludacris

Theater of the Mind (DTP/Def Jam)

The Scratch Pad: Prince William Talks Post-Rap And The Dallas Dance Scene

Nas, Talib Kweli

Tuesday, August 26, at House of Blues

Nas

Untitled (Def Jam)

The Halftime Report

With six months X'd off of the calendar year, we look back at the best music of the year—and wonder which albums we'll remember come December

Fox News Akin To Southern Rap

Anti-intellectual appeal and red-state focus are just the tip of what these two have in common.

The N-Word Still Alive and Well in Hip-Hop

Eight month after the hip-hop community gave the word a funeral, it hasn't died

Jay-Z

American Gangster (Roc-A-Fella)

Review: The Roots at House of Blues

Life and Death

With his most recent release, Hip-Hop Is Dead, acclaimed MC Nas delivered a bitter requiem for rap. But is it truly a time for mourning?

KRS-One and Marley Marl

Hip Hop Lives (Koch)

Sage-in' Mad

Sage Francis is a hip-hop jerk, but not in your usual way

Snap to It

Comeback kids, rhymin' Limeys and songs about partying defined Hip-Hop Nation in 2006

Coke Dreams

In Scarface, slinging yayo is the name of the game

Hi-Tek

Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip (Babygrande)

Nas

Street's Disciple (Columbia)

Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz

Crunk Juice (TVT)

Odds & Ends

Nas no-shows; Lil' Flip is going to trial; and RIP, ODB

Fade to Black

Jay-Z previews his latest opus, The Black Album

The Weird Girl

Erykah Badu is serious about saving the soul of the city

Sneaker Pimp

A lifetime of hip-hop and hoops comes together in Bobbito Garcia's new book

N.E.R.D. Alert

Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams plan for the revenge of the N.E.R.D.

Rock the Mic Tour

July 31

Various Artists

Music from the Motion Picture Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax)

Ms. Dynamite

A Little Deeper (Interscope)

Nas

God's Son (Columbia)

GZA

Legend of the Liquid Sword (MCA)

Jay-Z

September 4

Missing Mom

Plus: The Giant Urinal, All Wet, Cruelest Cuts

Oops! (the tour)

July 27

Hip-Hop Family Feud

Legendary Fritz, Headkrack square off

Ill At Ease

Nas steps back into the ring, fists flying

Pop is Dead

Hip-huh? Antipop Consortium doesn't expect you to get it at first.

Rap gets puffy

Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs fathers a return to hip-hop pop