Houston Hip Hop History

The real crazy history of Houston hip hop: City's rap scene finally gets the respect it deserves

Houston has its share of legendary hip hop figures — from the one-and-only DJ Screw to household names like Beyoncé.

In his comprehensive new book Hip Hop in Houston: Origins, scholar Maco Faniel offers a fresh look at the city's rap scene by documenting its early roots, long before the Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" put Space City on the hip hop map in 1991.

"The story really starts in 1979, which is this tipping point for hip hop as 'Rapper's Delight' becomes this national and global phenomenon," Faniel tells CultureMap. "It was the moment when rapping finally moved beyond New York and New Jersey and Philadelphia."

Thanks to massive dance clubs and a hungry consumer base, hip hop quickly thrived in Houston.

"It was the moment when rapping finally moved beyond New York and New Jersey and Philadelphia."

"People say everything's bigger in Texas and the nightclubs were no different," Faniel laughs. "Places like Boneshakers and the Rhinestone Wrangler would hold more than 1300 people, which was just something unheard of in the northeast."

Hip hop culture spread rapidly across the city as DJs, rappers and break dancers enjoyed access to huge audiences. By 1982, KTSU had a dedicated rap show called Kidz Jamm. Just few years later, the original Soundwaves (then located near Reliant Stadium) opened as one of Houston's first record stores to support hip hop, which Faniel says was still very much considered a fad in the mid 1980s.

By the end of the decade, strong systems of support fostered a unique local sound, establishing the South as a viable alternative to mainstream hip hop coming from the coasts.

To this day, '80s labels like Rap-A-Lot Records promote acclaimed Houston artists like Z-Ro, Devin the Dude and Juvenile on the national stage. In October, Bun B will release his much-anticipated fourth Rap-A-Lot album featuring guests 2 Chainz and Rick Ross.

"We seem to have a lack of knowledge about our own history here in Houston," Faniel says.

"It's crazy how much has been forgotten considering the city's contributions to American music in zydeco, jazz, blues and especially hip hop . . . I hope this book will change some of that."

On Sept. 13 at Brazos Bookstore, Faniel will speak about the new book alongside a DJ spinning the best of Houston hip hop. Here here for other events scheduled throughout the fall.

K Rino, circa 1980s

Photo courtesy of University of Houston Libraries Houston Hip-Hop Collection

K Rino, circa 1980s

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Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

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