A Brief History of Super Bowl Halftime Performances

A series of promotional posters for the three most recent Super Bowl halftime performances. On the left is the photo for Usher’s performance, which is a picture of him in a dark room under purple lighting. The one in the middle is the photo for Rihanna’s performance, which is a picture of her hand carrying a football in front of a white background. On the right is the photo for Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming performance, which is a photo of him sitting on a football field with large red and white stripes behind him.

A Brief History of Super Bowl Halftime Performances

By Riley Watkins Music Journalist Finally, after 272 regular season games and 13 playoff matchups, Super Bowl LIX has completed. While there may not be anyone outside of Pennsylvania or Missouri (or the Taylor Swift fandom) who cared about the outcome of the game, there is one part of the broadcast that drew everyone’s attention: Kendrick Lamar headlining the Super Bowl halftime show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIEKK_j0fss The Super Bowl has featured countless […]

February 10, 2025 835 12

Album cover of Not Like Us with a google maps bird’s-eye-view of Drake’s Toronto mansion with 13 red markers from the sex offenders list.

Music

Catharsis Through Hip-Hop: The Success of Not Like Us

By Kyle Halligan-Duffy Music Journalist In the wake of Kendrick Lamar winning five awards for “Not Like Us” at the 2025 Grammy’s, curiosity struck as to how the diss track turned cultural phenomenon took off like it did. It wasn’t just the clever yet nuclear lyrics that atomized Drake, or the catchy Mustard produced beat that made this track ascend past the genre of hip-hop and the entire musical category. […]

February 10, 2025 128

Album cover filled with dollar bills with the presidential faces being swapped with Scrim and Ruby da Cherry.

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Music

Album Review: New World Depression by $uicideboy$

By Marcus Cortez Rap/Hip-hop Journalist New World Depression marks as the 4th studio album from New Orleans based rap duo $uicideboy$. With their last full-length project, Sing Me a Lullaby My Sweet Temptation releasing in 2022, $uicideboy$ return with 13 tracks on their newest album. Following similar themes of their past album, New World Depression explores the duo’s state of mind in their new mainstream success following 2020’s huge hit […]

July 5, 2024 5621 2

Music

I Wish it Was a Full Song: My Top Interludes/Intros

Marcus Cortez Rap/Hip-hop Journalist Interludes and intros have been essential in albums to set the stage for themes and tones or to provide a break between tracks. Whether it is instrumentals, a surprise feature, or skits, interludes and intros give artists a chance to show their range and create laid-back tracks. Here are 10 of my favorite interludes or intros that make me wish they weren’t only a minute or […]

June 19, 2024 107

Album title in blue letters and a collection of squares using colors of the background

Hip-Hop/Rap

Underground Texas Hip-Hop artistry

By Thomas Stevens Rap/Hip-hop Journalist The creation of hip-hop occurred in the early 1970s in Brooklyn, New York. Back in 1979, The Sugarhill Gang was bringing a whole new culture and style to America. Although, the birthplace of the new genre was New York, many other states started to take notice and began to make their own renditions of the sound. The sound that was drastically different from […]

September 21, 2023 189

The word ‘Metro’ spray painting on an orange wall in a dark park. Referencing Metro’s name being “everywhere”

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Hip-Hop/Rap

Metro Boomin is Dominating the Rap Community

By Ariana Mendoza Music Journalist Leland Tyler Wayne, popularly known as Metro Boomin, is nothing new to the music industry. He has created many hits since he first started his career in 2009 at age 16. Metro moved to Atlanta after his mixtapes received a lot of attention from big Atlanta rappers like Future, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane and Migos. Following his first extremely successful release, Tuesday by […]

July 5, 2023 245 5

a frame of four subjects on a white background

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Album Review

Planet Giza: Ready When You Are Album Review

By Thomas Stevens Rap/Hip-hop Journalist The Rap trio, Planet Giza, has once again crafted a mind-blowing experience that gives listeners a taste of multiple genres. Planet Giza consists of three members, Singer/Songwriter Tony Stone and producers DoomX and Rami B. The trio was formed back in 2012 coming out of Montreal Canada. They made what first started out as traditional hip-hop and soon began to incorporate sonics from jazz, soul […]

July 3, 2023 176 1

collage showing the words “San Marcos Poetry” made of newspaper.

Music

The San Marcos Poetry Scene

By Bryce Lambeth Local Music Journalist On any given weekend in San Marcos, there are a lot of choices when it comes to how one might decide to spend their time. You could float the river, mosey around the square for a drink, or enjoy some music at one of the many San Marcos bars and clubs. One lesser-known option might be the various poetry slams or performances that happen […]

April 2, 2023 129

The album art for 2000 displays a variety of colors. The theme of the album cover is the artist, Joey Bada$$ kneeling on a sidewalk in front of a building. In the center of the cover in bright white/multicolor, the word 2000 is shown above him. His name in a white font is displayed below him.

Album Review

Joey Bada$$: 2000 Album Review

Chizobam Okeke Music Journalist It has been a long five-year wait for the kid from Flatbush to release another album, but it is finally here! On July 22, 2022, Joey Bada$$ dropped his third studio album, 2000. I’m sure that all over the world, hip-hop fans were curious about what the next step for Joey would be after he blessed us with his critically acclaimed, breakthrough mixtape, 1999, ten years ago. The New […]

August 15, 2022 239

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