LL Cool J

Music Parenting 101: The "Two Albums Before Bed" Rule

As far as I'm concerned, people who don't ever listen to albums are music lightweights. By "albums", I don't mean actual vinyl records. I couldn't care less which configuration or delivery method you chose. I mean a specific group of songs in a certain order. As it is, I don't really care how yo ... More >>

How to Spot Hollywood's Nonthreatening Black Man (NTBM)

Why Is "Accidental Racist" So Ridiculous? Because Brad Paisley And LL Cool J Just Won't Speak For Themselves

So I finally listened to "Accidental Racist," and the upshot is that now I kind of want to write some Brad Paisley-LL Cool J fanfiction. Nothing weird--that would be Brad Paisley/LL Cool J fanfiction, and there's a huge and scary difference--just Brad Paisely and LL Cool J hanging out at the video s ... More >>

10 Greatest Love Songs (That Aren't Actually Love Songs)

In case you haven't set foot in a grocery store in the past week only to be assaulted by a red and pink barrage to the eyes, let us clue you in: Valentine's Day is on the way. You've no doubt began prepping (or, you've at least convinced yourself that waiting until the last minute is a good idea), o ... More >>

DJ Area4 on Being a Jedi and How Hip-Hop Culture Helped Saved His Life

Of the many pearls of wisdom that Yoda dropped on Luke Skywalker's ass in The Empire Strikes Back ("Size matters not," "Wars not make one great") it was the green-skinned Jedi guru's Zen-like mantra of "Do or do not...there is no try" that probably resonates the most with Joe Maldonado. That's beca ... More >>

Justin Beckett Explains What He Loves About John Besh and Offers Pearls of Wisdom to Up-and-Coming Chefs

See also: Silvana Salcido Esparza Explains What Mexican Food is Not and Discusses the Food Term That Makes Her Skin Crawl This is part two of my interview with Justin Beckett, chef and co-owner of Beckett's Table. If you missed part one, read it here. If your cooking were a genre of music, what w ... More >>

Fast Cars and Rap Stars: This Week's Cover Story Has Crime, Glitz, and a Whole Bunch of Hip-Hop

What do Eminem, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, 50 Cent, and Beyoncé have in common? The all make cameos in this week's cover story, "Fast Cars and Rap Stars: How a Sugar Daddy's Empire Crumbled on Everyone Involved," by Ray Sterns, telling the strange tale of Scottsdale's Coy ... More >>

Happy Mother's Day: Here Are 10 Excellent Mother's Day Jams

See also: Five Bands/Arists Your Mom Really Doesn't Want You Listening To All right, suckers -- this is it. Mother's Day is Sunday, and there you are, short on cash, unable to buy flowers, unable to take her out to dinner, utterly and completely unprepared to show fitting tribute to the woman who ... More >>

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our February 16 Issue

This week, New Times ran a list in our print publication highlighting some of the most interesting posts published at Up On The Sun over the past week. Here are links to those posts. What inspired Pickster One, Z-Trip, and LL Cool J's "Super Baller"? What five singers should team up with Queen in ... More >>

The Phoenix Tale Behind LL Cool J and Z-Trip's "Super Baller" (Free Download)

A week ago, the Superbowl inspired Volkswagen to fork up millions to rework its Darth Vader commercial of Superbowls past. The New York Football Giants' victory over Sith Lord Bill Belichick and his Patriots moved Giants fans to celebrate. Most fans were moved to the kitchen to grab a final celebrat ... More >>

Walk the Walk: Best Boxing Ring Entrance Songs

Photo By Gene BlevinsVictor Ortiz​Before two fighters meet in the squared ring a different kind of ballet takes place first. We're not talking about the precision dance consisting of jabs, hooks and uppercuts combatants exchange during the fight, but the mental warfare that takes place in the ... More >>

Terrible People Explain "Bill Murray"

​If you've ever been dumped, you know the therapeutic value of locking the doors, shuttering the windows, and losing your sorrow in a movie marathon. We've all got our favorites films and actors-- and for Cary Miller, who runs Surface to Air Records and fronts the rock band Terrible People -- ... More >>

Happy Birthday, MTV: 30 Videos to Celebrate 30 Years

I want my MTV back​Music Television turns 30 today, but the network doesn't look a day over 16 and Pregnant. Well before MTV started exploiting the incredibly difficult lives of irresponsible teens expecting a first child and balancing high school algebra, the Viacom-network played music vid ... More >>

Canibus @ Club Red

Alice Cooper Headed to Rock Hall of Fame

Alice Cooper will be inducted to Rock's hall of fame.​Congratulations, Alice, you're headed to Cleveland.Alice Cooper, the shock rocker raised and residing in Phoenix (Detroit is also trying to claim him today) has been selected for enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on the ... More >>

Alice Cooper Nominated to Join Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

​Local boy Alice Cooper is up for induction into Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Better news yet, this year's field is so weak he appears to be a shoo-in.Actually, this year's list of 15 nominees is probably no weaker than last year when, somehow, ABBA was inducted into the rock and roll h ... More >>

Party Monsters

Sky Blu and Red Foo get the Ranch bumpin’

Shaq & Cedric the Entertainer All-Star Comedy Jam: By the Numbers

Before we jump into the review, here are a few stats you should know about Cedric the Entertainer's show at Celebrity Theater last night. Number of performing comedians: 5 (including host Cedric and Aries Spears, Deray Davis, Tommy Davidson, and Kevin Hart) Number of comedians in the audience who ... More >>

The Old School Jingle Jam Reminds Us of the Ghosts of Hip-Hop’s Past

Ben Folds, Mickey Avalon and Bryan Adams Shows Announced

Over the Weekend: Monster Commutes, Miniature Tigers, Common and Earth Dance 2008

Common covers a lot of ground in Marquee show

HIP-HOP WAR: Krazy Kid of 101.5 Jamz sues Power 98.3, alleges harassment, and faux KKK shenanigans.

Way Out of Sync

Top 10 selling CDs from Circles Discs and Tapes, 800 North Central Avenue

Chart-busters for the week

Spray-On Soul

Getting Up is a flawed but fascinating ode to graffiti 's early years

God Save the Queen

A talented rapper narrowly survives another lousy movie

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Going Mental

Truly stupid fun

7 Seconds

Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over!
(Side One Dummy)

Chopper, L.S.

Chop's World
(AZ Presents)

Kid Capri at Myst

Rare chance to shake it with hip-hop giant

BEST PLACE TO GET BLING BLING

Capri Jewelers

Weapons of Mic Destruction Tour

M.O.P. & Pharoahe Monch bring the noise

Officers Down Pat

S.W.A.T. delivers, but only what you expect

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Think Different

Could it be that this year's crop of summer movies actually requires a brain cell or two?

See No Eva

Gary Hardwick fails to Deliver Us From mediocre comedies

The Seeds of Time

People remember 1982 for Men at Work more than they do for Elvis Costello or Gang of Four. Why should 2002 be any different?

A Def Ear

Poet posse in for a shout-out

Foxy Brown

Broken Silence (Def Jam)

Mourning Glory

Life goes on in rewarding Kingdom Come

Farrah to Poor

With clipped wings, Charlie's Angels flies way too low to the ground

Second Helpings

Slashing Pumpkins

Halloween update finds new blood in a familiar vein

Second Helpings

Recordings

HIP-HOP SITCOM BOOM? BAH!

HO-HUM HIP-HOPME PHI ME'S FOLKSY RAP IS A CRUISE DOWN THE EERIE BANAL

MELTING AMERIKKKA'S MOST WANTEDBITTER AND COLD OUTSIDE, ICE CUBE'S BEAT IS WORSE THAN HIS BITE