July 2006 Archives

If you're looking for a breath of fresh air in the Texas hip-hop scene, Mojoe is the answer. The duo -- Tre and Easy Lee -- remind me of OutKast in their prime. Thanks to Houston's deafening buzz, everyone seems to be getting a major deal these days. Mojoe's San Antonio-bred classic.ghetto.soul music has now earned them a spot on Mathew Knowles' Music World imprint, which is distributed by Fontana Music Group. Honestly, I don't know if this is good news or bad news.

SOHH, Rap-A-Lot decided to gamble with their sales by dropping two albums in the same month? One of them turned out so-so. But, what's the deal with Trae's Restless. Is this an album worthy of your hard-earned dollar or is it yet another freebie material?

Many people still don't get it. They don't understand how the South -- a region that was previously nonexistent on the hip-hop map -- managed to take over the game. They fail to realize that the success trade of southern rappers is hinged mainly on collaborative efforts. Creating music instead of beefs. If you can rise past your ego and drop the b.s. like a bad habit, there's so much guacamole to be made eventually. That's why other regions keep whining while the South keeps winning. They've even re-invented the art of hip-hop collaboration.

SOHH... Last night, I was at LeToya Luckett's album release party and finally got a chance to find out if her live performance is as bad as people say it is.

What's up with these erroneous rumors about Z-Ro doing a four-year stint in jail? if there was any truth to this, how come it's not on the news? Other than Trae's interview with a well-known southern rap website, nothing else corroborates these claims. In fact, based on some solid evidence that recently landed on my desk, I now have reason to believe that Mr. Joseph McVey is probably chillin' at the crib as opposed to being locked up.

Call me insane, but these must be the last days. When folks start dying because of a rap song, you already know it's end time... for hip-hop of course. A well-known (albeit infamous) Lil Jon song has rekindled an all-too familiar debate over the correlation between hip-hop and violence.

Is anyone feeling this chick?

I understand that the whole solo thing wasn't even an option for her at first. I don't know if it's a coincidence that she waited for Destiny's Child to disband before finally deciding to plunge in. I'm not into R&B, especially with the mediocrity infesting that genre right now, and I didn't even realize she had a show on BET.

Paul Wall telling folks to "bling responsibly" is like a murderer telling people to kill responsibly. Paul and business partner Johnny Dang own a bling emporium situated at Houston's Sharpstown Mall, between 59 South and Bissonnet. But you already knew that. What you may or may not know is that the TV Jewelry owners have no idea whether their jewelry supply comes from the blood diamond market or not. At least that's what Johnny Dang told me months ago.

If anybody deserves some buzz in Houston right now, it's Z-Ro. It's obvious that Rap-A-Lot has a history of promoting their artists with a lackadaisical approach, as I'll point out in the second part of today's post. Yeah yeah Pimp C's Pimpalation album is expected to debut on #2 with 100,000 units, but how long he can sustain those sales is what really matters in the long run? Why did Bun B's much stronger, much-anticipated solo do some shitty numbers? Why is Z-Ro frustrated and ready to call it quits? I bring you the interview, you do the math.

The streets of internets have declared this as Beyonce's B'Day album cover. It's pretty and all, but why does her hair look like she's wearing a midget? Hopefully, she can make up for the weird looks with some hard-hitting tracks on the album. And I ain't talkin' 'bout that "Deja Vu" shtick either.

Bits and pieces of information on this Scarface & 2Pac collaboration have been popping up from all over lately. 'Face has been compared to 'Pac several times, so I see how a collab like this could be feasible. The album cover looks interesting. Seems like they're on some King of the West meets King of the South sh*t.

I received an email from the Houston High folks today. Here's the banner for all you wannabe emcees:

Props to Joey over at Straight Bangin'

As is the case with anything that represents hip-hop culture, grills have now come under fire. A school district in Arlington, Texas recently frowned at the cosmetic dentures as well as anything that perpetrates "gauging."

If you haven't noticed, Chamillionaire is the only well-known Houston rapper without plans for a new album. Is Koopa possibly scared of a sophomore slump? Has he ran out of Paul Wall subliminals? Or is he on some Eminem-type writer's block ish?

Hate him or love him, but at least respect his grind. Paul Wall is an around-the-clock hustler. When he's not too busy chopping and screwing his friends' CDs (n/h), he's out making rap-rock records with Travis Barker and Skinhead Rob. Or you can catch him saving Storchiavelli Records (that's gotta be the worst company name ever) signee Brooke Hogan's non-existent career on her new single.

I wasn't particularly thrilled about this album, but seeing as UGK's legacy is insurmountable, I decided to check it out. Problem is, Pimpalation is a far cry from the UGK mantra.

We knew it. We knew it was only a matter of time before Viacom's Blaxploitation Unit came waving their magic wand in the face of fledgling Houston rappers. Thanks to the "Fab 5," people are now interested in making a reality show based on H-Town hip-hop, even if it'll likely amount to nothing. I wonder what took them so long.

Z-Ro is in a world by himself. And by that, we’re not just referring to his unparalleled craftsmanship. Unbeknownst to many, the Guerilla Maab vet has released more albums than most Houston rappers. On the eve of his 20th LP, slated to drop on Rap-A-Lot this fall, SOHH Rizoh zeroes in on Joseph McVeigh to discuss his recent label woes, his memories of Big Hawk, and the reason he’s ditching his music hustle for good. Is the man who once ruled radioland with “2 Many Niggas” and “I Hate U” no longer in love with the game? Let the truth be told.

You can now go from watching Chamillionaire's timepiece on TV to actually wearing it. For those of you who still think that Cham is that Houston rapper who allegedly infected some mysterious lady with HIV, maybe this will change your mind. The self-proclaimed "Mixtape Messiah" recently donated his blinged out watch to AIDS Healthcare Foundation. So, how can you possibly cop Koopa's Rapstor watch?

Houston is on fire lately. It's like people just realized the H was on the map for the first time. First the NBA All-Star event, now this year's Essence Music Festival. OK, I lied. Essence was originally slated for New Orleans, but apparently one city's tragedy has turned into another's treasure. Sad, but true. It's like the All-Star weekend all over again with groupies everywhere.