Who’s the motherfuckin’ Bawse? To Crossfade, it’s always been Rick Ross (government name William Leonard Roberts II), the 300-pound football-lineman-turned-corrections-officer-turned-street-rapper-turned-Maybach-mogul. He taught us to play 4-3 formation. He always emphasized the importance of hustlin’, even while earning $22,913.54 per year from the Florida Department of Corrections. And he showed us…
Drug smokin’, Lower East Side squattin’, dumpster divin’ crust-metal pop-punk crew Leftover Crack is a band that’s mastered the art of branding. For 14 years, these dudes have made themselves synonymous with unwashed, disgruntled vagabond youth culture, playing left-field ska-punk laced with death metal and infinite allusions to hardcore. They’ve…
Attention, Miami DJs! Do you think you might have what it takes to play with the likes of Benny Benassi, Diplo, and R3hab? Can you read a crowd, turn ’em out and have them going gaga for some paint to the face? Well, get to steppin’, because Miami’s Life in…
You know what EDM needs? More sex kittens. Like, if you’re going to be banging out, you need some eye-candy with a hard edge. And that’s where fierce Chicago trio Krewella comes in handy. This threesome is pushing a trendy mix of hard dub and house productions with catchy sing-rap…
When Danny Brown tells you to rub them titties at Bardot, you will motherfucking obey. That’s because you’ll be inundated with propaganda of the highest order. And when we say “propaganda of the highest order,” we mean a VJ set from graphic art star Shepard Fairey. Yeah, Brown and Fairey…
2 Chainz’s B.O.A.T.S. Tour With Trigg Da Kidd and Cap 1 Fillmore Miami Beach Monday, November 26, 2012 Better Than: No Chainz. Or even 1 Chainz. The doubters said 2 Chainz was a hardcore dummy with weak lyrical skills. But with the full fucking endorsement of Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj,…
If there’s one thing we learned from Cheers, it’s that “sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.” And nowhere in Miami is that sense of belonging stronger — especially for J Alvarez — than at La Covacha, New Times’ two-time Best Latin Club award winner. Alvarez, the…
If Nicolas Jaar has been pigeonholed as a dance music producer, it’s primarily because his auspicious first releases were put out by NYC deep house label Wolf + Lamb. Admittedly, these were records with a four-to-the-floor beat. But Jaar’s ever-evolving sound has since eluded categorization, instead offering a kaleidoscopic tapestry…
Calvin Harris Created Disco in 2007. He was Ready for the Weekend in 2009. Then he “Found Love” with Rihanna in 2011. And now he’s shutting 2012 down in Miami-Dade County. The Scottish DJ-producer will ring in the New Year with a headlining set at LIV, and he’ll be supported…
Korea has officially taken over the world. Alright, not really. But one Korean pop star has completely dominated the worldwide web in just four months. Have you seen Psy’s “Gangnam Style” yet?” Chances are you’ve watched it at least a hundred times. Because it just took the top spot as…
Over the weekend, Khaled bin Abdul Khaled rounded up some of the biggest names in the rap game and invited them to “Temple.” And by “Temple” we mean LIV, the site ofDJ Khaled’s “Temple Birthday Bash.” The Miami-based DJ, producer, and We the Best Music Group boss actually turns 37…
The Downtown Miami scene is known for its burgeoning art district and hip club scene, but not so much for luxury bottle service. That’s usually relegated to SoBe. But two new club owners are hoping to lure some of those big spenders across the bridge while also giving the art…
Death to the Sun IV: The Final Episode Churchill’s Pub, Miami Saturday, November 24, 2012 Better Than: Rocky IV, Lethal Weapon IV, The Land Before Time IV, Alien: Resurrection, and Indiana Jones and the Aliens or whatever. Death to the Sun has celebrated its final end-of-summer extravaganza. So obviously, we’ve…
Over the last decade, Rick Ross has become the Bawse, collaborating with everyone from Trick Daddy to Diddy, Drake, and beyond. His label, Maybach Music Group, is home to some of the biggest names in contemporary rap music. The MMG fam includes Meek Mill, Wale, and French Montana, just to…
If house and techno are the roots of EDM, then few artists have been more enduring exponents than Chicago DJ-producer Curtis Jones, AKA Cajmere, AKA Green Velvet. That’s because Curtis has preserved the raw, body-jacking essentials of those sounds for as long as he’s been making music. Whether it’s perky…
Last night before Thanksgiving dinner, Crossfade joined hands with friends and family to recite our Lord’s Prayer, “Go DJ.” Since Lil Wayne’s 2004 breakthrough record, Tha Carter, we have been loyal disciples of the dreadlocked messiah, praising his name before each meal and thanking the hip-hop gods for bestowing their…
Déjà vu! That’s right … Le Baron — everyone’s favorite, occasionally nomadic chi-chi French nightclub — will be popping up for another Art Basel Miami Beach week. However, unlike its last few visits to Basel on the Beach, the Parisian party spot won’t just be plopping down at the Delano’s…
It’s OK to be gay in Russia. Well, it’s actually okay to be gay anywhere. But in St. Petersburg, the “propagation of homosexuality” and “promotion of gay lifestyles” is severely frowned upon. And it’s illegal. So when Madonna showed up for a concert back on August 9, the singer did…
Earlier this summer, we here at Crossfade included Murk in our list of the 50 Best Miami Bands of All Time. And with good reason. The production power duo of Oscar Gaetan and Ralph Falcon is among the most commercially successful acts in the history of house music. But also…
If we could spend Thanksgiving hanging out with any rapper of our choosing, we would immediately select Rick Ross. Do we even have to tell you why? For starters … He’s The Boss! And he’s one of the phattest rappers alive. But most importantly, the Teflon Don who (unlike God)…
Parisian DJ-production threesome Apollonia borrowed its name from Prince’s ’80s backup group Apollonia 6. It’s a nod to that raunchy Minneapolis funk sound, which the trio has infused with European tech-house. This signature sound is currently all the rage on international dance floors. And Resident Advisor even picked Apollonia for…
Just a couple of chicos, hablando mierda in matching suits … Our homie Pitbull recently visited Jimmy Fallon’s casa (AKA NBC Studio 6B in the GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City) for a lil’ late-night shit talking. The topics: Ancient Cuban wisdom, the experience of being…
