Waka Flocka Flame

DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'

Rick Ross and co. get the Nassau Coliseum popping

Why Hip-Hop Purists Should Learn To Stop Worrying and Love Waka Flocka

Tonight, Queens-born / Georgia-raised MC Waka Flocka takes the stage at B.B. Kings as part of the Waka Flocka and Friends concert. Unfortunately, a vocal sect of hip-hop purists here in the culture's birthplace have been anywhere from hesitant to downright dismissive of Flocka's brand of raucous rap ... More >>

O LET'S DO IT

Bow bow bow bow

BOMB THE STEREO

Dave Nada and co. take Drom to the Tropics

Which NFL Playoff City Has the Best Musical History: Boston, SF, Baltimore or Atlanta?

The Best Albums Pitchfork Hated This Year

Since Purity Ring, Death Grips and Tame Impala didn't exactly take off this year like Arcade Fire or Animal Collective, Pitchfork's cultural influence might be cooling off, which is bittersweet since their writer stable is probably better now than it ever was (some of us don't miss those novelty rev ... More >>

11 "Minor League Rappers" We Want To Hear on Hot 97

Last week Hot 97 Program Director Ebro Darden offered a weak explanation about his stations narrow playlist and why they don't play up-and-coming locals, saying--in so many words--that artists not getting spins on the station simply aren't ready for them. They're too underground. They haven't worked ... More >>

The Least Likely Music Headlines of 2013

For the last six months, the Sound of the City Supercomputer (a 1998 Compaq Presario) has been analyzing the structure and content of every pop news headline in the world in order to create a highly detailed predictive model of the music industry. While this project has important practical uses, suc ... More >>

Waka Flocka Flame - Irving Plaza - 10/9/2012

By Drew Millard Better Than: Watching Waka Flocka shop for shoes. Gucci Mane came onstage at Irving Plaza last night. GUCCI MANE CAME ONSTAGE. AT IRVING PLAZA. LAST NIGHT. I don't know another way to stress the importance of seeing Gucci Mane come out onstage at this point other than making th ... More >>

Machine Gun Kelly on Lace Up Being His Reasonable Doubt, Refuting Purists and Why Microsoft "Needs Jesus"

It's the eve of his debut album release and Machine Gun Kelly is in the middle of the requisite new rapper media blitz, which, quite frankly, he hates. Right now though, he's grappling with a bigger problem: Does he order Delicatessen's brioche French toast or cheeseburger mac and cheese? It's befor ... More >>

Live: AraabMuzik Bridges The Gap Between Old And New At East River Park

Araabmuzik w/Flosstradamus, Teengirl Fantasy, Nick Hook East River Park Monday, August 20 Better than: Drinking Red Bull to get through just about anything else. Watching the Manhattan-by-night sightseeing cruises pass behind East River Park's Summerstage during last night's Araabmuzik-headlined s ... More >>

The 20 Best Things About "Hot Cheetos And Takis"

Surely you've heard of "Hot Cheetos and Takis," the banger from the Y.N.RichKids, by now? The song, a product of the Minneapolis North Community YMCA's Beats and Rhymes Program, is as infectious as its titular snacks are artificially flavored, with what appears to be a bunch of community school-educ ... More >>

Six Very Important Interactions Between Rappers And Dogs

As part of this weekend's Catalpa Festival, Snoop Dogg will slouch around Randall's Island to perform his debut album, Doggystyle, in its entirety. With the Doggfather being somewhat obsessed with all things canine, SOTC decided it was fine time to shed light on hip-hop's infatuation with dogs. But ... More >>

Live: Drake Brings Dipset, Busta Rhymes, A$AP Rocky, And More To Jones Beach

Drake w/ J. Cole, Waka Flocka Flame, Meek Mill, 2 Chainz, French Montana Nikon Theater at Jones Beach Saturday, June 16 Better than: That other suburban rap mega-show. Well over halfway through his set, having already given the crowd a festival's worth of openers and played everything but his bigg ... More >>

CREW LOVE

Drake and friends head to Jones Beach

Live: Nicki Minaj Takes Off From Summer Jam, Nas And Lauryn Hill Climb Aboard

Hot 97 Summer Jam: Nicki Minaj, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, J. Cole, Wale, Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, Waka Flocka, Trey Songz, Maino, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, French Montana, Mavado, Tyga, Slaughterhouse (and Nas and Lauryn Hill) MetLife Stadium Sunday, June 3 Better than: Seeing a Nicki Minaj concert. In an er ... More >>

YG's Ratchet City

The heavily tatted 22-year-old comes to town with his signature brand of party rap

Jones Beach Theater And PNC Bank Arts Center Schedules Announced: Drake, Wiz Khalifa, Kelly Clarkson, And More

Ah, the summer, the time of year when one can enjoy a concert in the glorious out of doors. This morning Live Nation announced the full lineups for its two local amphitheaters—the PNC Bank Arts Center in bucolic Holmdel, N.J. and the Jones Beach Theater, out on the South Shore of Nassau County ... More >>

Live: Waka Flocka Flame Gets Up Close And Personal At The Bowery Hotel

Waka Flocka Flame is fully enjoying his moment. The Atlanta, Georgia rapper's party-pandering, floor-stomping assault has been a mainstay in the club since his quick rise in 2009 as a protégé of Gucci Mane, and with his second full-length release—Triple F Life: Friends, Fans and Family, due ... More >>

WHO’S THE BAWSE?

Rick Ross rumbles through 
Hammerstein Ballroom

Live: 2 Chainz, Asher Roth, Ace Hood, Vado, And Gunplay Pass Through The Gramercy Theatre

2 Chainz, Asher Roth, Ace Hood, Vado, and Gunplay Gramercy Theatre Tuesday, February 21 Better than: Clicking through the 50 best hip-hop jumpsuits. Is a show still a success if the audience has a great time, but never quite figures what's being promoted? Last night at the Gramercy Theatre, a webs ... More >>

Pazz & Jop 2011 Comments: Raves and Rants

Making cases for the great and the grating

Drake and The Weeknd Wallow in their Misery

Riding the Bummer

Holler! The Ten Loudest, Shoutiest Rappers

Waka Flocka Flame is the sort of of hip-hop artist who doesn't so much rap or flow as he shouts his ass off. It's a formula that imbues the Atlanta-based rapper's songs with a boisterous, visceral appeal—and one that he's looking to continue with the release of his second studio album, Triple ... More >>

53 More Great Songs From 2011

Earlier today, Maura offered a list of the 47 songs on her "2011 Awesomeness" Spotify playlist; to complement that, here are the 53 songs from my less cleverly named playlist, "2011." As is the usually the case with these mega-lists, I compiled mine a bit haphazardly, throwing together a substantial ... More >>

Radio Hits One: Hot 100 Peaks Only Tell Half The Story For Cee Lo, Britney Spears, And Other Year-End Winners

One of the most frustrating things about discussing the Billboard singles charts is how a song's peak position—the highest spot it occupied on a chart during its run—is almost universally regarded as the permanent measurement of its success or popularity. Any song that reaches No. 1 is e ... More >>

Q&A: Girl Unit's Philip Gamble On Missy And Timbaland's Glory Days, The Suburbs, And Why Ciara Is 'Crazy Post-Human'

​Philip Gamble—a.k.a. Girl Unit—joined the constantly growing cast of post-dubstep producers to come out of the U.K. a little over the a year ago with the release of his EP IRL. The debut—which came out on Night Slugs, the experimental dance imprint run by the London DJs Bok ... More >>

Live: Wale Brings Lots And Lots Of Friends To The Highline Ballroom

Wale Highline Ballroom Wednesday, November 2 Better than: watching next week, when the show will air on MySpace. The line had packed itself six-deep, turning the long sidewalk from the Highline Ballroom to Ninth Avenue into a traffic jam of Wale fans. Or maybe just fans of events. Or maybe sheep. ... More >>

Q&A With Jedi Mind Tricks' Jus Allah And Vinnie Paz: "Having A Plan B Is Setting Yourself Up To Fail"

via JMThiphop.com​There's something to be said about artists who evolve but never change, even if that process means that they remain relatively under the radar. Ask Vinnie Paz or Jus Allah—collectively known as Jedi Mind Tricks—and they'll tell you in no uncertain terms that they' ... More >>

Live: Hoodie Allen Fills Webster Hall to the Brim, Drinks It In

Hoodie Allen Webster Hall Tuesday, August 16 Better than: Waiting in line outside of the frathouse bathroom. When I was in college, people would party to music by Lil' Jon. (Yes, I'm old.) They said his catchphrases, as learned through Dave Chappelle DVDs. (Like I said: old.) They danced to his s ... More >>

Ten Trends That Watch The Throne Could Kickstart

​It's way too early to have a critical judgment on Watch The Throne; didn't you read the rules? But since Kanye West and Jay-Z's colossal collaboration plopped into the raging waters of Internet opinion early Monday morning, I've been watching for ripples. Here are ten new things that Watch Th ... More >>

Q&A: Big K.R.I.T. On Making People React To His Lyrics, Crate-Digging And Crafting Playstation Beats

​ It's been a big year or so for Big K.R.I.T. Shortly after signing with Def Jam last June, he was booed off the stage at the Highline Ballroom; later in 2010 the Mississipi-bred MC hit the road on the Smoker's Club Tour (with Curren$y and Mac Miller) and the Wake And Bake Tour (with Wiz Khali ... More >>

Live: Rick Ross Lives Out His Dreams At Summer Jam

​Hot 97 Summer Jam New Meadowlands Stadium Sunday, June 5 Better than: Sitting at home and moping like 50 Cent. Rick Ross closed out Summer Jam. Just so there's no revisionist history here, let's remember how incredible that statement is. Three years ago, Ross was the punching bag of hip-h ... More >>

Hot 97 Announces The Seemingly Young Money-Sponsored Summer Jam '11 Lineup

​ Hot 97 has announced the lineup for Summer Jam '11, and it's (perhaps unsurprisingly) filled with Young Money acts: superstars Lil Wayne and Drake act as the de facto headliners, while a non-specific set by Young Money, the label, is on tap. Could that possibly mean an eventual cameo by Nic ... More >>

Live: Jamie xx Thrills Cool And Uncool Kids Alike At Le Poisson Rouge

Not trying hard because he doesn't have to. CRED.​Jamie xx Le Poisson Rouge Tuesday, February 22 Better Than: Spending my night surrounded by twenty-somethings making out to "Islands." Here's who we expected to show up for last night's Jamie xx show at Le Poisson Rouge: black-shrouded scenes ... More >>

Top Five Young, Hometown-Obsessed New York City Rappers

Roc Marciano, leading the charge​Last year a small, underground pocket of NYC-based hip-hop found its voice again. With Roc Marciano's unimpeachable Marcberg album as the catalyst, a crew of loosely associated artists shook off that tired cliché about our city's commercial-outsider status and ... More >>

Odd Future, Wiz Khalifa, and the Internet-Rap Atomization

Lil B et al. build tiny kingdoms, and rule them

Top 10 Lex Luger Tracks You Probably Haven't Heard (But Probably Should)

​ In 2010, a new generation of rap producers, from AraabMuzik to Droop-E, made huge strides both artistically and commercially. But none distinguished themselves more than Lex Luger, the 19-year-old Virginia native behind both Rick Ross's "B.M.F (Blowin' Money Fast)" and a good deal of Waka F ... More >>

Top 25 Headlines Not As Weird As "Dave Sitek Joins Jane's Addiction"

Good luck learning all the chord changes in "Jane Says," dude​So TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek has joined Jane's Addiction, in some unspecified bassist/songwriter/possibly-non-touring-member capacity, which is super bizarre when you first hear about it, but is, upon reflection, not the stranges ... More >>

The 20 Worst Songs of 2010, #6: Salem, "Trap Door"

F2K10 is a countdown of the 20 worst songs of 2010. Track our progress here. The face of rap in 2010. Photo via MySpace.​Here are five compelling reasons why Salem is the worst new band of the year:

Was 2010 The Best Year For Music Ever? Throw Taylor Swift In A Well

Welcome to Sound of the City's year-in-review rock-critic roundtable, an amiable ongoing conversation between five prominent Voice critics: Rob Harvilla, Zach Baron, Sean Fennessey, Maura Johnston, and Rich Juzwiak. We'll be here all week! Pay Rich Juzwiak what you owe him, Jay Leno. Twitpic by Dav ... More >>

Was 2010 The Best Year For Music Ever? Five SOTC Critics Discuss.

Great song, at least​Welcome to Sound of the City's year-in-review rock-critic roundtable, an amiable ongoing conversation between five prominent Voice critics: myself, Zach Baron, Sean Fennessey, Maura Johnston, and Rich Juzwiak. Let us acknowledge at the onset that we are ripping this off fr ... More >>

The Top 10 NSFW Music Videos of 2010

​ One major downside to 2010: There's a pretty good chance you lost your job. The good news, though, is that the concept of NSFW no longer applies, and so today, while your former co-workers are stuck in their cubicles, bored to death and forced to pass around OK Go's latest YouTube meme, you ... More >>

The 10 Biggest Music Stories of 2010

Ah M.I.A., it just wasn't your year, was it? Photo by Rebecca Smeyne.​In 2010, Vampire Weekend and Arcade Fire both had #1 records. LCD Soundsystem, Spoon, MGMT, the National, M.I.A, and Sufjan Stevens all had albums debut in the top ten. Kanye West joined Twitter. Drake started a riot in New ... More >>

Someone Please Convince Aloe Blacc To Do His Stupendous Cover Of "Femme Fatale" At Le Poisson Rouge Tonight

​Profound gratitude is due to SOTC guru Christopher R. Weingarten for pointing us to soul-rap hybrid Aloe Blacc's outstanding Velvet Underground nod, transforming "Femme Fatale" into a gently swinging space-r&b lament that underscores this dude's growing deification amid the Stones Throw set. ... More >>

The Five Best Things Lil B Raps Over on His Great New Mixtape, Red Flame

​If you've looked at the incredibly prolific, California-based rapper Lil B's twitter at any point over the past few days, you know that he's just released a new mixtape, Red Flame. B, of course, is heralding it as the greatest of all time. After a couple listens, this seems to be a bit of an ... More >>

Download Fuck NoOoOO: The Anti-Witch House Mixtape, Curated By You-Know-Who

​Official friend-of-SOTC/last critic standing/great Halloween costume idea Christopher R. Weingarten, outraged at the critical proliferation of witch house (not to mention its even less desirable offshoots), has taken it upon himself to compile the characteristically amusingly (and profanely) ... More >>

10 Halloween Costume Ideas For Music Nerds

​Halloween is nearly upon us. You don't have a costume yet, because you're a music nerd. We are here to help. Abandon your half-assed Lady Gaga concept and try these practical suggestions instead.

The Monster Mash, Turbotax, The Fader Fort, And, OK, A CMJ Showcase Or Two Headline Your Weekend In Nightlife

​Thanks to CMJ, there are hundreds of things you could do in the city this weekend. There are too many bands we love playing too many shows, acting as the "secret guest" at epic concerts that we regret not going to, and walking down the streets and hanging out in bars like us real people do. I ... More >>

Waka Flocka Flame Is Yelling at You for a Reason

Why Flockaveli is hard to listen to and even harder to not listen to