Nas (Rapper)

Mr. P-Body: DJs Have Become Nothing but "Living, Breathing iPods"

Besides the likes of Pete "SuperMix" Salaz, Z-Trip, and Robbie Rob, few cats in the Valley epitomize old-school DJ culture than Stephen Peabody. For more than 16 years, the performer known as Mr. P-Body has worked turntables at practically every major club -- both past and present -- in metro Phoeni ... More >>

Blaze Rock: Arizona Hip-Hop Veteran Shares Words of Wisdom

Editor's Note: We'd like to welcome local hip-hop artist and writer Jaron Ikner to Up on the Sun. You're probably familiar with his Black One project, and now he's bringing his voice to the music blog here at New Times. Salute! Longevity and consistency are two things that are considered a rare fi ... More >>

Top Five Must-See Shows This Weekend

Curious about what's going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions where to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don't fret: These are our Five Shows to See This Weekend.

Kendrick Lamar @ Celebrity Theatre

Top Five Must-See Shows This Week

Yeah, yeah, yeah...we get it. Mondays suck (we've read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest, our top five must-see shows this week.

Your Music Guide to the Arizona State Fair

Phoenix Rapper Sar KAZum Says "F**K a Label"

When it comes to hip-hop, cadence is everything. Well, maybe not everything, but a rapper's flow is a damn big deal. Whether you're making a club banger or flexing your lyrical chops, delivery makes or breaks a jam. Phoenix emcee Sar KAZum knows this, so he looked to hip-hop heavyweights like KRS-O ... More >>

Top Five Must-See Shows This Week

Yeah, yeah, yeah...we get it Mondays suck (we've read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest, our top five must-see shows this week.

Elzhi @ Chasers

The Worst Moments from SXSW 2012

The last few days, Village Voice Media's indefatigable music staff has been regaling you with stories of the best from SXSW 2012. In the midst of these discoveries, we've been culling another list: the worst shit. The acts that ranged from huge bore-fests to downright lame. Below, you'll find our cr ... More >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Saturday 3/17/2012

So, we come to it: the end of all things. Four days of madness, Doritos, Skrillex and finally, St. Patrick's Day. Before we bid SXSW 2012 farewell, allow us to share our favorite moments from SXSW day four. Later, we'll let you know which shows weren't so hot. Find our favorites below, and if there ... More >>

Alert: SXSW Coverage Ahead

"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." -- Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive You don't have to spend much time at South By Southwest to know that all of the above building ... More >>

Home Depot

DJ Scene to Appear at The Mint Grand Opening in Old Town Scottsdale

​We've already profiled the pan-Asian tapas Chef Johnny Chu is bringing to The Mint, Old Town Scottsdale's newest nightlife destination, on our food blog, but now we've got some bonafide party action to report on, as The Mint is set to make its presence known with a big time bash.The Mint is part ... More >>

Tony Morales, What Are You Listening To?

Tony Morales​Tony Morales Morales is the pit master at Big Earl's BBQ and owner of Desert Smoke BBQ. Cheer him on at the Arizona Barbecue Festival this Saturday, March 26 at the Scottsdale Waterfront. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? ... More >>

Nas and Damian Marley's Reggae-Rap Project Explores Their Roots

Nas & Damian Marley - "My Generation" (feat. Joss Stone & Lil Wayne)

​Song: Nas & Damian Marley, "My Generation" (feat. Joss Stone & Lil Wayne) Context: With Nas and Damian Marley bringing their "Distant Relatives" project to Tempe next week I thought I'd check it out. This is exactly what I expected: Nas throws everything and anything at the wall and nothi ... More >>

Incoming: Free Energy, Nas, Fuel, Chali 2na, Zane Lamprey, Cobra Skulls, GWAR

GWAR​Do you like blood? How about grown men in overblown, sci-fi/horror inspired costumes spitting buckets of it at you? Well then, you're in luck -- GWAR is coming to Phoenix this November.What started as a shock-rock outfit in Richmond, Virginia in 1994 has evolved into one of -- if not the -- m ... More >>

Aaron Taylor Talks KISS FM, DMX, Bob Marley, Usher, Masters At Work, and More

DJ Aaron Taylor​Name: Aaron TaylorAKA: Vanilla Gorilla (not really)Current club schedule: Thursday at Jackrabbit Lounge, Friday at Suede, and Saturday at Myst.Genres spun: Hip-hop, Top 40, old school, electro, reggae, or anything else you might tip for.How did you get started as a DJ? Back in '94, ... More >>

David Bowie Recording His 25th Studio Record... As Announced by AARP?

Did you ever think you would read an article about Jareth the Goblin King in an AARP magazine?​Perhaps I cast unfair judgement and assume incorrectly about the readers of music blogs. I often assume that they're smarter than a huge chunk of the average population, and also that they're under the a ... More >>

Bonnaroo 2010 Lineup Announced: Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Weezer, Stevie Wonder and More

​Tennessee's Bonnaroo music festival has announced a full line-up for this June. No real surprises here: Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Weezer, and the Flaming Lips are the top of the pile.The Dead Weather, Phoenix, John Fogerty, Jimmy Cliff, Tenacious D, Zac Brown Band, ... More >>

An Open Letter to Jay-Z

Nas and Kelis Divorce Details, Dead Body At Bonnaroo, New Air Album

NME: Kelis and Nas' divorce details released Pitchfork: Dead Body Found at Bonnaroo Waved Rumor:  The Horrors coming to Tempe! Spin: New Air Album Due in October Rolling Stone: Former Warrant Singer Jani Lane Arrested For DUI in Los Angeles Idolator: Millionaires Never Forget To Floss, For Bett ... More >>

Common covers a lot of ground in Marquee show

Ear to the Street: The Game's new joint "LAX"

In their appeal to red-staters, Southern hip-hop and Fox News walk together

KRS-One and Marley Marl

Hip-Hop Lives
(Koch Records)

Nas

Hip Hop Is Dead
(Def Jam)

Diddy

Press Play
(Bad Boy)

Coke Dreams

In Scarface, slinging yayo is the name of the game

Rappin' Radical

Grime is the unholy terror of the Valley's hip-hop scene

Bring the Noise (Back)

Tommy Boy's founder reclaims history from hip-hop's dustbin

Critical Fatwa

Name-dropping

N.O.K.

Live From Streetside Vol. 2: The Prequel
(Mindspit Records)

Got Milkshake?

Our night crawlers brave Britney to stalk rowdy rap queen Kelis

BLACK - Digging for Beats

Aside from OutKast, most of 2003's best black music bubbled underground

Korn

The guys from Bakersfield, California, don't give a crap what youthink

9 Live

Downtown gets jiggy on Saturday nights

Ms. Dynamite

A Little Deeper (Interscope)

Mr. Lif

Colorful commentary on catastrophes

Raising the Stakes

Pokafase risks taking Phoenix hip-hop on the road

Nas

God's Son (Columbia)

GZA

Legend of the Liquid Sword (MCA)

Street Sweet

The three regular Jersey girls of 3LW look angelic. But the devil's in the details.

Poetic Justice

After a decade on hip-hop's front lines, Gang Starr is finally reaping the rewards

"Parallel to Hell"

The life and style of Queensbridge, New York, "street journalist" Nas: in his own rhymes

Pic Hits for the week

96.Rant

Here's a Letter to the Big 5 Click:

Recordings