Houston Music Blog

Welcome back to Five Spot. Every Friday, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and, sometimes awkwardly, tie it to a bit of Houston rap. It's five videos and occasional cussing. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com.

Several key artists in Houston released new videos this week. However, before we get down to them, a couple of things from our handy-dandy notebook:

​At the Kroger by our house, there's this electronic helicopter outside near one of the doors. It's one of those rides where you put your kid in it and then you pay 50 cents and then it shakes for a bit and then it stops and the kid goes apeshit and you wish an anvil would just fall out of the sky right on your head.

Anyway, it always makes us happy to see other dads standing there while their kids ride it. It does not, however, make us happy when we see them standing there with their kid riding in it when it's 11:40 p.m. What the H is wrong with people? Why would anyone think it's okay to have a baby out at 11:40 p.m.?

Also: Man, kids are really ungrateful. And what's worse, that shit hurts your feelings. Call your parents right now and apologize. It doesn't even matter what for.

Not much has been on our playlist lately besides Z-Ro's Cocaine, Trae's The Incredible Truth and E.S.G.'s Everyday Street Gangsta. However, Big Mello's Bone Hard Zaggin cycled through yesterday. That mess is good, yo. Google it.

​We got into an argument two days ago with this dude we went to school with about whether or not Paul Wall is rap's Matt Bullard. Thing is, we were both arguing yes. Our case stated that they:

• Worked mostly with a bunch of non-white guys, so much so that they inevitably started mimicking what they saw. Listen to Bullard when he calls a game with Clyde; he sounds like his little brother.
• Were especially good at one thing - Bullard, shooting threes; Wall, candy rap.
• Were, at one time, integral parts of a collective greater than themselves. Bullard was on one of the Rockets' championship teams; Wall was part of the 2005 Houston rap boom.

Other Dude's case stated that they both have caveman-like brows. How the hell Other Dude graduated from college is beyond us.

The videos:

"Testimony of Redemption," Bushwick Bill

Bushwick has always been one of our favorite rappers. And we loved how depraved he was on Little Big Man. But, for certain, it's good to see that he's gotten himself straightened out. Still waiting on that interview though...

P.S. At the end of the video when everyone is sitting around listening to Bushwick talk, why doesn't Lil' Wayne have a shirt on?

Chamillionaire, "Good Morning"

Damn, the emails we received after we wrote how this was a better song than people were going to admit. We still feel like that. But we hope, hope, hope that he began filming this video before that similarly-themed Jay-Z commercial came out.

"Not My Time," Trae

This is the first conceptual video we've seen Trae put out there. Pretty pretty good. J-Dawg, by the by, was way more natural in this role than we were expecting. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"Symptoms of a Crook," Big Mello

Clearly not new, but because we mentioned it earlier we had to link to it. Find this album somewhere, put it on your iPod and then wait for it to accidentally come on in a few weeks. It's like finding a $20 bill, except this $20 bill will put your sister's dead body in a ditch if you disrespect.

"5th Ward," Raheem

Sometimes, YouTube is smart. It recommended this one while we were listening to the last one. Never got into Raheem, but we can see why people liked him. Thanks for the support. Have a safe weekend.