Thursday, March 5, 2026

rap

Brian HillsmanLive MusicReview

Live music review: Atmosphere Winter Carnival at Moody Theater ACL Live was a hip hop showcase

Minneapolis legends, Atmosphere, brought a crew of hip hop elites to ACL Live at the Moody Theater on their Winter Carnival tour on February 6. The performance showcased prominent contemporaries of hip hop before the duo commanded the attention of each concertgoer in the room during their performance.

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Standout rapper Earl Sweatshirt cemented his legacy at Stubb’s

For the release of his fifth studio LP Live Laugh Love, the Earl hive is as healthy as ever, even if it means the 31-year-old’s legacy is a long way from his angst-ridden years. Earl and his worthy entourage made their way to Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater on November 21, an evening filled with beats and bars that affirmed his consistent, independent trajectory, which has mounted to that of one of hip-hop’s most forward-thinking figures.

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Live MusicReviewRobert Dean

Essay: Is Hip Hop dead or just resetting?

For the first time in a crazy long time, there were no hip-hop tracks in the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of October 25, 2025. The last time that happened was in February 1990 — Nirvana was still an indie band, and Run-DMC were already a nostalgia act. So what’s going on? Is hip hop dead or just resetting?

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Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: Six must see bands at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2025

Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual music extravaganza that takes place in the heart of Austin every Fall, and the curated talent ranges from worthy up-and-coming artists and legacy acts to round out its eclectic, genre-spanning array of music. For this year’s installment, The Cosmic Clash has put together a list of six must-sees you need to put on your list for the first weekend at Zilker Park which begins October 3. Tickets and set times can be found via the ACL website or through recommended resellers.

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Brian HillsmanLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: DAWA benefit to feature Killer Mike of Run the Jewels at Radio/East

There is some big news for Austin music fans this weekend. This Friday, September 12, Atlanta-based MC, Killer Mike (Run the Jewels), will headline Radio/East as part of the first DAWA fest. DAWA (Diversity Awareness and Wellness in Action) is celebrating their sixth anniversary is an Austin-based non-profit dedicated to providing opportunity to historically marginalized, underserved creative communities. Riders Against the Storm bandleader and former city Music Commission Chair Jonathan “Chaka” Mahone conceived the organization to directly fund BIPOC community frontliners via direct giving and thoughtful projects like DAWA Studios which provides a place for creatives to film and record with equipment provided by the upstart NPO which was founded in 2019.

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AlbumReviewRobert Dean

New music: Teddy Long, Dim Light and Hugo Monster albums are fresh finds

I wanted to give you a few new things to listen to if you’re in the market for new ear candy. When the world is a constant depression machine, the power of music is unmatched, a salve that can make us feel human again when there’s just too much punishment on our hearts and souls and by the grace of god, some caveman, somewhere, figured out that if you beat a few rocks together with sticks over a cowhide, the beautiful noise happened.

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Case CockrellLive MusicPreview

Live music preview: seven buzz bands to see at SXSW 2025

The 2025 edition of South By Southwest is fast approaching, and the list of acts making their way to Austin for the six-day music festival spans multiple genres and geographic origins. With this in mind, the Cosmic Clash team has curated a group of seven buzz bands we think you should put on your list for the long week of around-the-clock music. All acts are Sx official artists. All set times, along with venues, can be found on the SXSW website and SXSW GO cell application. 

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AlbumBrian HillsmanReview

Album Review: Austin Hip-Hop artist Pat G released Talk To Me Nice

In July, Pat G released his latest EP, Talk To Me Nice, July 11 on his own, Be Relentless label. It was his first release since his 2019 LP, Whatever it Takes. So much happened in the time between the two album releases, the Temple-born, Austin-based emcee felt it appropriate to convey his personal and artistic growth with this, his fifth record.

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Case CockrellLive MusicReview

Live music review: Danny Brown threw down a rager at Empire Garage

Sometimes, live music crowds can be major downers. Austin, Texas’ vibrant music scene has a massive influx of live shows that draw a variety of different crowds, some good, some bad. For Detroit-turned-Austin oddball rapper Danny Brown, an unforgettable live spectacle made sure to cancel out the entitled personalities that attempted to harsh the triumphant vibes of Danny’s homecoming for yet another Austin appearance, this time at Empire Garage on Thursday, April 11.

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AlbumCase CockrellReview

Album review: Danny Brown delivered reflective Warp Records solo record Quaranta

With a blockbuster collaboration and tour with experimental Hip Hop powerhouse JPEGMAFIA under the Detroit-turned-Austin artist’s belt, the modern rap icon has ceremoniously unveiled his most personal album to date, Quaranta. For those who aren’t fluent in Italian, the record’s title means 40, showing Brown’s vulnerability as he ages into a seasoned rhyme sculptor who still feels like he has lots to prove despite his glowing resume. On Quaranta, he treats like Hip Hop has been a double-edged sword, and he is finally seeing destiny as he has painted it over his long, fabled career.

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Case CockrellReview

Live music review: Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA packed Stubbs for collaborative rager Friday  

The new album also brought out fans in droves at Stubbs which was sold out for Brown and JPEGMAFIA for a live collaborative rager on Friday. For relentless music fans that chomp at the bit for weird music and what lies beneath the surface, Danny and Peggy have brought their unending creativity to the forefront, which comes as an attempt to make the underground and mainstream collapse on top of each other. 

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