trill takeover

Houston hip-hop legend Bun B reveals 4 new acts for his trill rodeo Takeover

Bun B has just announced four new names for his historic rodeo show.

Photo courtesy of Bun B/RodeoHouston

Houston hip-hop icon Bun B will make history as the first Black male rodeo headliner from Houston when he takes the stage March 11 for Bun B’s H-Town Takeover. Now, the rapper/philanthropist/CultureMap Tastemaker Awards host/burger vendor is shaking things up again with a show update.

Four new acts will join his H-Town Takeover, which honors RodeoHouston’s Black Heritage Day, Bun B and the rodeo announced.

The Takeover already boasts some of H-Town’s most legendary rappers to ever hoist a mic: Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Lil Flip, Lil Keke, and Z-Ro. Joining the legends on the lineup now are Baby Bash, Big Pokey, Frankie J, and H-Town.

Individual tickets for the March 11 Takeover performance are on sale online; prices start at $20, plus a $4 convenience fee.

“Everything is bigger in Texas—no reason why my H-Town Takeover shouldn’t be," Bun B tells CultureMap. “Still more to come!”

Rodeo president and CEO Chris Boleman echoed the excitement: “Thanks to Bun B for helping us put this group of Houston rap legends together,” he said in a statement. “We think this all-star list will make an unforgettable Black Heritage Day performance.”

The significance of the show isn’t lost on proud Port Arthur native Bun B. “I understand the cultural significance of being not just a Black man, but a Black rapper headlining the Rodeo,” he told CultureMap in September 2021. “There’s a lot of expectations. There’s also gonna be a lot of people counting on me to fail. So, I wanna prove my supporters right and my haters wrong.”

With a lineup like this, it’s hard to imagine the Houston rap statesman failing.

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spooky szn

Spooky new study ranks Texas near the top of Halloween-obsessed states

Pumpkin Nights/Facebook

Let's get spooky, Houston.

Is Halloween the new Christmas? Sure seems like it in Texas, which just earned top-5 status in a new study of the U.S. states that are the most into the Halloween spirit.

When it comes to doing up the spookiest holiday of the year, the Lone Star State comes in as the third-most Halloween-obsessed state in America.

The report by outdoor furniture retailer Backyard Oasis ranked all 50 states based on an analysis of search results for Halloween costumes, decor, candy, haunted houses, upcoming Halloween events, and more. State populations were also factored into the rankings to ensure the scores were "accurately comparable."

Texas ranked No. 3 with a composite score of 48.16 points, beat only by California who ruled the list at No. 1, and New York which came in at No. 2, earning gilded costume crowns as the top two most Halloween-enthusiastic states.

According to the study's data, Texas is home to 47 haunted houses. The state has more than 75 Spirit Halloween stores in 2024, including nearly 30 in Dallas-Fort Worth, a dozen here in Houston, half a dozen in Austin, and four in San Antonio.

Overall, there are approximately 3,000 Halloween-related events happening all around the state in October, including candlelit performances of favorite songs by a string quartet.

Many trick-or-treaters dream of getting full size candy bars for Halloween, but in a surprising twist, the study found that the most popular Halloween candy in Texas is actually Sour Patch Kids. The sour-then-sweet candy is also highly popular in New York and Illinois, the report says.

Here's how Backyard Oasis broke down the rest of Texas' score:

9,314,440 – Halloween costume searches in October 2023
1,168,320 – Halloween decoration searches
445,670 – Halloween candy searches

Backyard Oasis CEO Andy Wu said in the report that the spirit of Halloween isn't just about giving out candy or dressing up in fun costumes, it's about sharing in a "tradition that sparks creativity and joy across the U.S."

"Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year, bringing people together through creativity and celebration," said Wu. "It's amazing to see how different states embrace the holiday in their own unique ways, from massive costume searches to thrilling haunted houses."

The top 10 most Halloween-obsessed states are:

No. 1 – California
No. 2 – New York
No. 3 – Texas
No. 4 – Florida
No. 5 – Illinois
No. 6 – Ohio
No. 7 – Pennsylvania
No. 8 – Indiana
No. 9 – Michigan
No. 10 – Massachusetts

The least spooky state in the U.S. is Wyoming, which came in at No. 50, joined by nearby states Montana and South Dakota. New Mexico (No. 46) and Vermont (No. 47) were the other two states on the list's bottom five. The full report can be found on backyardoas.com.

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