Ben Westhoff

Coachella 2013: Five Worst Moments of Weekend One

Daft Punk Fake-Out Friday and Saturday, all anyone could talk about was if Daft Punk was going to show up during Phoenix's set. Why? Because we were fucking teased. On the main stage before the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a long commercial for their new album played, and then we found out that members of the ... More >>

Top Ten Dance Moves at Coachella 2012 in Animated GIF!

See "Crossfade's Top Ten Dance Moves at Ultra Music Festival in Animated GIF!" -- plus LA Weekly's West Coast Sound for tons more Coachella 2012 coverage. At Coachella, folks come from all over the world to lose themselves in the music. They'll employ almost anything in this quest. But mostly drugs ... More >>

Coachella 2012: Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Other Top Moments From Sunday, April 15

See the video of Tupac Amaru Shakur's resurrection-slash-performance at Coachella; a six-point recap from Friday, April 13; and the top moments from Saturday, April 14 -- plus "Top Ten Awkward Coachella Dance Move GIFs." Wow, that was fast! In a whirlwind of top-notch performances from legends and ... More >>

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 >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Friday 3/16/2012

If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the chaos, Village Voice Media's roving music editors have selected t ... More >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Thursday 3/15/2012

If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the bright, scintillating chaos, Village Voice Media's roving music e ... More >>

The Best of SXSW Music: Wednesday 3/14/2012

​If you're familiar with chaos theory, which in its basic form is the attempt to find patterns in the random acts of shit on Earth, then you may understand the difficulty that comes with describing a full day at SXSW. To break down the bright, scintillating chaos, Village Voice Media's roving musi ... More >>

Five Attractive Strange People Working for Tips at SXSW

​Paying homeless people $70 a day to serve as human wifi hotspots is a bizarre way to make a buck, but it's indicative of the hustler's spirit at South By Southwest this year. Folks are grinding hard and employing increasingly-gimmicky measures to make money. But there's more to it than that. Lik ... More >>

Luther Campbell: Still nasty, an excerpt from Ben Westhoff's new book, Dirty South

Anonymous Commenter Speaks on Ross' Connection to the Boobie Boys

photo by Jonathan MannionMy article on Rick Ross this week has drawn a lot of comments, some of them echoing my contention that Ross's past fibs -- about serving as a corrections officer, for starters -- make him an altogether unreliable narrator. One commenter, however, has laid out a lengthy case ... More >>

The Top 10 Most Preposterous Rap Songs of 2008

Hip-hop A-listers including Rick Ross, Akon and Plies were caught grossly exaggerating their gangster credentials this year. (Turns out they were painfully law-abiding. The horror!) But even if your favorite rapper wasn't caught in a lie, you can bet he or she put out a hilariously absurd record or ... More >>

Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreak Excedes Expectations

Kanye West 808s & Heartbreak (Roc-A-Fella) Despite what's been written, Kanye West's new style on his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak -- which incorporates "tribal"-style drum machines and auto-tuned vocals - doesn't sound especially shocking to the ears. Immediately satisfying singles lik ... More >>

Letters from the Issue of September 11, 2008

"Does it intimidate you that a black man from Queens could be compared to musicians such as Bob Dylan?"

Rappers or Republicans?

Letters from the Issue of February 7, 2008

"Cycling feels more like cautious creeping to avoid being killed by speeding cars and clueless pedestrians."

Return of the Boom Bap

The Rock the Bells tour brings a dream cast of hip-hop heroes, just for one day

Anthony Hamilton

Southern Comfort (Merovingian)