KRS-One

The Best Concerts to See in L.A. This Weekend

Don't forget to check our constantly-updated Los Angeles Concert Calendar Friday, September 6 Anticon 15th-Anniversary Party featuring Baths, Daedelus, Doseone, et al. ECHOPLEX Tip your hat to 15 years of Anticon greatness: The label/collective founded by Oakland's Adam "Doseone" Drucker has champ ... More >>

These Are the Strangest Hip-Hop Soda Commercials

Earlier this month Mountain Dew pulled its Tyler, the Creator directed commercial wherein a trash-talking goat in a police lineup (full of black men) taunts an assaulted women attempting to identify the perpetrator. Accused of both racism and trivializing violence toward women, it was another Tyler ... More >>

There's This Amazing Kid Rapper at the School Where I Teach

Within The Kid's peer group -- the children at the school where I teach junior high ESL -- he stands out. He is generally the same age as them, and he's generally of the same intelligence academically. However: He's white. He's definitely that. Where he lives, most of the kids around him, are ... More >>

Cypress Hill's "Pigs" Is Now a Lullaby

See also: *Top 20 Greatest L.A. Rap Albums Of All Time *Top 20 Worst Bands of All Time Not long ago, Rob Getzschman decided to turn Cypress Hills' 1991 ode-to-police "Pigs" into a lullaby. Or, as he would say, "back into a lullaby." (You can hear the song below.) Under the auspices of his folk pro ... More >>

Here Are Pictures of Dr. Dre's New $13 Million House

See also: The Original Original Gangsta: Ice-T talks about his star-studded directorial debut, his famous affiliates and his life with Coco in New York Ice-T's ambitious documentary Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap comes out today, and in honor of the occasion we spoke with him for our music ... More >>

Shifty Shellshock Is Out of His Coma! Here's Everything You Need To Know About Him

We were saddened by word that Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock fell into a coma last week. According to TMZ, the 37-year-old Los Angeles native (real name Seth Binzer) is now conscious, though he remains in an intensive care unit at a local hospital. We love the guy, and figured this was as goo ... More >>

Hip-Hop's Four Elements: The Old Ones Suck. Here's Our Suggestions for New Ones

We've long thought hip-hop's "four elements" were bogus. Sure, back in the early days of the genre, rapping, DJing, graffiti writing and b-boying were interwoven into the culture. But c'mon. Even back then, it was pretty arbitrary. I mean, it's not like guys in the Bronx invented tagging. Cavemen ... More >>

Top 10 L.A. Club Nights of 2011

Lina Lecaro​It was another great year for nightlife in Los Angeles. Despite the economy, party vibes inside the clubs were as creative and crazy as ever. From hip-hop haps to gay grinders, electro-a-go-go's to arty parties, the energy was contagious. Sure, many of Hollywood's swankier spots st ... More >>

Bud Bundy's Rap Career?! Hear David Faustino's Music

In this week's cover story, "Bud Bundy, Original Gangsta," I delve into the remarkable hip-hop trajectory of David Faustino, who, while playing Bud Bundy on Married...with Children, threw one of the most influential rap parties the west coast has ever seen. In the early '90s, along with three of h ... More >>

Music Picks: Amanda Palmer & Jason Webley, Tinariwen, Mastodon

Also: Wadada Leo Smith's Ten Freedom Summers, Danzig and others

Los Globos Gets A Hip New Reinvention

​Attention Silver Lake scenesters and Echo Park dance heads: there's a new club venue in town. Except, it's not really new, it's actually very old. Despite its vibrant, multicolored sign, you may have driven past Los Globos countless times without noticing it on your way to the Satellite or ... More >>

Cut Chemist: Too Many DJs

Call yourself a DJ 'cause you bought two turntables and a mixer? World-class L.A. DJ is putting you on notice

Exclusive Video: Urban Nomad at Rock the Bells, Nu Skool Edition featuring MURS and Lauryn Hill

Urban Nomad, the gregarious Jeremiah Alexis, will be shooting exclusive video for LA Weekly. His first assignment: the legend-studded Rock the Bells hip-hop festival this past weekend. Make sure you check out the previous installment, Urban Nomad at Rock the Bells, Ol Skool Edition featuring Perform ... More >>

Exclusive Video: Urban Nomad at Rock the Bells, Ol Skool Edition featuring Performances and Interviews with Rakim, Supernatural, KRS-One's BDP and the Freestyle King

Urban Nomad, the gregarious Jeremiah Alexis, will be shooting exclusive video for LA Weekly. His first assignment: the legend-studded Rock the Bells hip-hop festival this past weekend. The URBAN NOMAD @ Rock the Bells 2010, San Bernardino, CA Ol' Skool Edition Follow The URBAN NOMAD backstage @ ... More >>

Tonight: Laura Marling, Squeeze, Sister Nancy at Dub Club, Obits, Neon Trees, Vanaprasta

Laura Marling​One week, two acclaimed U.K. folk singers: Somebody must have planned this thing. Last night it was Conor O'Brien, aka Villagers, giving a mesmerizing solo performance at the Hotel Cafe. (And, yes, this Conor O. very much recalls Conor Oberst.) Tonight, Laura Marling visits the ... More >>

Music Picks: Jail Weddings, Summer Darling, Roky Erickson, Jonathan Richman

Also, Bajofondo, Massive Attack, Minus the Bear and others

Rock Picks: Tinariwen, Lucy Schwartz, Brendan Benson, Free Energy, P.O.S.

Also, Randy Newman, Meshell Ndegeocello, Useless Keys and others

Rock Picks: Willie Nelson, Maude Maggart, Two Tears

Also, Cold Cave, Ceci Bastida, Califone, and others

Wax On, Wax Off

Car wash, yeah; pole-dancing queen; photo Zone at Drkrm

How PM Dawn Could’ve Avoided Getting Set Adrift On “Memory Bliss”

Maybe instead of wallowing in unchecked misery over "the girl with the fat diamond ring" (really, the fat diamond ring is the main thing that you remember about her?), you should just step to one of the mermaids swimming around the set of your music video. Granted, mermaid human/relations have al ... More >>

Rock Picks: Watson Twins, Les Claypool, Autechre

Plus other April 3-10 shows

Rock Picks: Autolux, Rickie Lee Jones, Black Mountain, the Gourds, and more

For the week of Jan. 31-Feb. 7

Rock Picks: Exodus, Altamont, Art Ensemble of Chicago and more

For the week of Jan. 18-24

Upcoming Shows

Ryan Adams - Royce Hall, Jan. 30 & 31 Dave Alvin - McCabe's Jan. 18 & 19 Autechre - Echo, April 4 Bad Religion - House of Blues, April 4 & 5 Big Sandy, Deke Dickerson - Safari Sam's, Dec. 28 Black Heart Procession - Spaceland, Jan. 11 Black Mountain - Troubadour, Feb. 5 Built to Spill, Meat P ... More >>

Rock Picks: Deborah Harry, Bj�rk, Richard Hawley, Shonen Knife, Bang Sugar Bang

For the week of December 7 - 13

Shows and Tickets Coming Up

Ryan Adams - Royce Hall, UCLA, Jan. 30 and Bridges Auditorium, Claremont, Jan. 22. Both shows on sale Saturday Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, Suicidal Tendencies - San Diego Sports Arena, Dec. 7 - All ages Andrew Bird, Handsome Family - Orpheum, Dec. 7 Black Ghosts, Mezzanine Owls, Tweak Bird, more ... More >>

N.W.A: A Hard Act to Follow

Hip-hop and hype from the streets of Compton (reprint of May 5, 1989, Weekly cover story)

Coming Up

Every week or so, we'll update a list on concerts announced, shows going on sale, and other things happening soon that you may want to know about. James Blunt - Wiltern, Feb. 7 with Sara Bareilles. Tickets go on sale Saturday Cave Singers - Echoplex, Dec. 3 Circle Jerks - Henry Fonda, Jan 4. On ... More >>

Public Enemy's 20 Years in the Game

Bringing that beat back

Rock Picks

For the week of March 29 � April 5

Rock Picks

For the week of March 22-29

Rock Picks

For the week of March 15 - 22

Rock Picks

for the week of January 25 � February 1

How Shit Be

Freestyle riffs & ruminations on black music and pop culture at the dawn of 2007

Must See Art

Music Picks

For the week of August 3 - 10

Freaky Kinky Nation

The weird-ass, beautiful history of �80s hip-hop, as curated by Tommy Boy records

Live in LA

The Mad Science of Fredwreck

Snoop, Xzibit and Dr. Dre all praise the Palestinian-American freak of beats

Pirates, Pimps, Artists and Anarchy

Hollywood�s Gershwin Hotel is a freak�s paradise

Deconstructing Prophets

Abloom�s Day

The future of heaviness

Sing Now, or Forever Hold Your Peace

Where are the new protest songs?

Reach for the Sun

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, April 27-28

Om Nia Merican

New World Disorder

Radiohead opts in/out

Down for the Good Life

A Unified Revolution Called Jurassic 5

Word According to B.I.G.

Still D.R.E.

Sound Barrier

OutKast�s Southern-fried hip-hop breaks through