Music
July 24, 2023
Big Pokey Was Houston’s Hip-hop Sensei. These Are His Five Greatest Raps.
Pokey, who died in June at age 48, was a founding member of the Screwed Up Click—and Houston’s distinct rap sound.
Houston Rap Music
Music
January 9, 2023
What Can We Learn From Megan Thee Stallion’s Shooting?
Musician Tory Lanez was convicted of shooting the Houston rapper, but Megan is still dealing with the fallout from telling the truth.
Music
September 15, 2022
The Poker Game That Inspired an Opus on the Life of DJ Screw
Twenty-two years ago, a Texas Monthly writer heard about a Houston DJ whose slowed-down mixes had become the sound of the city.
Music
May 31, 2022
DJ Screw, in the Mesmerizing Words of Those Who Knew Him
Lance Scott Walker's ‘DJ Screw: A Life in Slow Revolution’ is a worthwhile biography and oral history, even for those who already know the story of Screw's short, impactful life.
Music
May 4, 2022
Drake’s Passionate, Calculated Love Affair With Houston
The Toronto rapper has an everywhere-and-nowhere relationship with place, but no city has influenced him as much as H-Town.
Film & TV
December 17, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Contemplative, Beautifully Shot Western
‘The Power of the Dog,’ featuring Dallas-born Jesse Plemons, is well worth your time.
Music
November 10, 2021
Bushwick Bill Was One of Houston’s Most Provocative Rappers. A New Documentary Reveals the Man Behind the Outrage.
As one third of the Geto Boys, he pushed the boundaries of hip-hop. But the group’s lyrics often clashed with his own values.
Music
July 18, 2020
The Success of BeatKing’s Hit ‘Then Leave’ Is a Moment for Texas Rap
A viral smash on TikTok, the song is part of a club music lineage that exists for the sole purpose of getting people moving.
Music
March 9, 2020
Megan Thee Stallion’s New EP ‘Suga’ Is Hurried but Potent
Coming off the heels of a recent label contract dispute, the Houston rapper’s latest effort is both varied and evocative.
Music
September 11, 2019
Why Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” Is 100 Percent Deserving of a Grammy Nomination
Two years after its initial release, the song is reaching its popularity peak and potentially up for a belated award.
Music
September 3, 2019
Travis Scott’s Documentary Situates Astroworld, and Houston, Front and Center
‘Look Mom I Can Fly’ traces the rapper’s ascent and his efforts to elevate Third Coast hip-hop.
The National Podcast of Texas
June 10, 2019
Bushwick Bill: “I’m Not Going to Allow People to Love Me for Who I’m Not”
On a special National Podcast of Texas, a never-before-heard 2013 conversation with the Houston hip-hop pioneer about finding God, expelling demons, and his attempt to reshape his legacy.
Music
May 17, 2019
Megan Thee Stallion’s “Fever” Is a Summer Party Album With a Feminist Agenda
The Houston rapper assumes a “hot girl” persona as she turns the tables on chauvinist hip-hop posturing.
Music
September 6, 2016
Drake Is Opening A Club In Houston
Drake, Canada’s biggest Texas hip-hop fan, is putting his money where his mouth is.
Music
November 19, 2013
Awesome Photos of Houston’s Rap Scene
The new book "Houston Rap," makes it clear that by the time the city's rap scene began attracting national attention, its roots were already strong.
The Culture
November 18, 2013
Five Things You’ll Be Talking About in December
1. Romo AgonistesYou remember Danny White, don’t you? He had the misfortune to replace Roger Staubach as the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback after the beloved number 12 retired with two Super Bowl victories. Though White broke numerous Cowboys records—for passing yards in a season, for touchdown passes in a season, for
Music
January 20, 2013
Chamillionaire
Two thousand five will always be remembered as the year that Texas hip-hop finally got its due. Sure, Houston’s Geto Boys were already considered rap legends, and Port Arthur’s UGK, through Jay-Z’s smash hit single “Big Pimpin’,” had already introduced the world to “them Texas boys comin’ down in candy
Music
January 20, 2013
The Slow Life and Fast Death of DJ Screw
Until he overdosed in November, he was one of the most influential cultural figures in Texas, the master of a scene fueled by drugs and his own brilliant, eccentric music.
Arts & Entertainment
June 30, 1992
Too Legit to Quit
Ward and deejays Murphy, Milton, and Love rap about rappers.