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DJ nights, live shows, fashion, producers and more: A guide to North Texas hip-hop and rap

Coach Tev performs at Big Rob's in Fort Worth
Jared A. Moody
Coach Tev performs at Big Rob's in Fort Worth

North Texas rap legends like The D.O.C., Tum Tum and Big Tuck cemented the area鈥檚 hip-hop culture. Today their legacy lives on through the eccentric rap and hip-hop scene in North Texas filled with a variety of multi-hyphenated artists and creatives expanding the culture through community.

Whether you鈥檙e an aspiring rapper or just a lover of all things hip-hop, here are all the places you should know about in North Texas.

Live performances 

If you鈥檙e interested in live performance, you have to stop by , a monthly concert series that takes place on the first Sunday of every month at The Limbo Room at in Deep Ellum. The event features up-and-coming rap and hip-hop artists in North Texas. Typically, three to four artists perform, more on special occasions. You can expect to see artist such as Cush With a C, Scuttino and Honey Daii.

Just down the street from Ruins, Dallas鈥 very own improv hip-hop fusion band, takes over neighborhood bar and punk venue every Tuesday night. CoLab, which is composed of a rotating roster of musicians, performs a combination of hip-hop, funk and soul with special guests. When the band hops on stage they don鈥檛 have an idea what direction the music will go. Instead, they play off of vibes and whatever makes the crowd 鈥渟hake.鈥

Over in Garland, just about anything that happens at is worth attending.

The multi-use space founded by rapper Meka Jackson is a postmodern multimedia agency that calls itself 鈥渢he heart of Texas Underground.鈥 One of the events hosted here is , an open-mic event for artists, producers, poets, comedians and more to perform but also collaborate with one another.

Rapper has also curated live hip-hop shows in Deep Ellum venues since 2015. He鈥檚 featured rappers such as Bobby Sessions, Rikki Blu, Cure For Paranoia, So-So Topic, who now goes by Tommy Raps, and more at and

If you want to check out live performances from the comfort of your home check out , which is a little different from a traditional live music show. Arlington-based bedroom pop artist A-Wall leads these visual-heavy livestreamed performances on YouTube and Twitch. The creatives behind Deja Vu help performers put their vision together for the entire show and viewers can watch live from anywhere.

DJ Nights

Looking for a place to vibe and connect with local hip-hop artists? DJ sets at local bars like are where you should be at. is a monthly party series that takes place there every last Sunday of each month with DJ Sober and special guests. Only guest DJs perform, so it鈥檚 no rap show but it鈥檚 where all the cool people go, including rappers. Big Tuck made an appearance there once.

, a Dallas-based DJ collective, also hosts DJ sets at East Dallas bar once a month. The bar is set to close in 鈥淥ctoberish鈥 but Friends & Family will continue in another unannounced venue. The collective鈥檚 purpose is to create a safe space for people to meet some of the 鈥渘icest and dopest鈥 people in the city and enjoy new genres of music.

Hip-Hop Influencers

Stay on the up and up with the rap scene in North Texas by keeping up with people like promoter and local music supporter Alicia Cunningham. Cunningham has curated local shows under the name since 2018. She books new acts all over Dallas that feature rappers, singers, comedians, poets and more. Doesn鈥檛 matter what their social media follower count is, Cunningham likes to add new and fresh acts to her lineups to give them a space to show off their craft.

Another person to follow is Dallas rapper Rakim Al-Jabbaar, son of Big Al of the famous Dallas rap group Nemesis. Al-Jabbaar is best known for producing legendary lyrics off the dome, but did you know he books shows, too? His booking label , presented the Dallas celebration of hip-hop鈥檚 50th anniversary at the in Deep Ellum.

Leo J, a DJ and the founder of , is also behind two monthly events in Dallas that highlight hip-hop culture. , which brings street dancers together for breakdancing battles, happens every second Thursday of the month at The Limbo Room. , also at Ruins, is his all-things-DJ-culture night every third Thursday of the month. Leo J is also a co-producer of 鈥淲e From Dallas,鈥 a 2014 documentary about the rise of hip-hop culture in Dallas.

And if podcasts are more your speed, is the place for 鈥渦napologetic commentary鈥 on music, food and local culture. Hosts Diego Escobar, Ren茅 Campos Jr., Daniel Garcia and Shahmir Ali Bhangar interview all the up-and-coming rappers and hip-hop and R&B artists in North Texas like Bran Movay and Asia Kyree. If you have a favorite local creative, there鈥檚 probably an episode featuring them at Up2Something Media.

Fashion 

If you鈥檙e into music and fashion, hosts live music shows and pop-up markets. Founder Romii Rae created this event to bring together some of the city鈥檚 most popular underground musicians, artists and fashion designers at venues like Trees and . For a more Fashion Week vibe, , a fashion and music experience by Creative Currency, puts on fashion shows twice a year at with live musical performances. , founded by Raw Elementz, hosts events that combine street fashion, small business pop-ups, art and music in North Texas. It calls itself the 鈥渂iggest streetwear fashion event and pop鈥 with a purpose to connect, network and support artists.

Rep streetwear or thrifted items at the next rap show by shopping at North Texas-based brands. Independent clothing brand specializes in athletic shorts representing various Dallas Independent School District schools and HBCUs. sells vintage clothing, thrifted items and sneakers in downtown Dallas and at various pop-up events throughout the city.

Or, if you want to dress like a rapper, shop where they shop. , a Black woman-owned clothing store monograms streetwear pieces that have been worn by Dallas hip-hop artists like Yella Beezy.

Other brands you should check out: , , , , , , , , and

Rap Networks

If you鈥檙e new to the rap game, getting in touch with a local collective can help. is a hip-hop collective that hosted a series of warehouse parties 鈥渞epresenting Dallas culture.鈥 After a long hiatus, WeAreDallas is back curating shows and pop-ups in Dallas.

, a Dallas-based rap collective, hosts music sessions dedicated to growing the rap community. Curated by rappers Graham Malice and Capshun, The Waiting List collaborates with local rappers on writing, producing and releasing music.

Producers

Trying to find that perfect beat or sound? There are a ton of producers, but here are some leads.

has worked on many tracks by Devy Stonez, whose music is a blend of southern and east coast rap. Abyl鈥檚 smooth synths and drum beats are featured in Stonez鈥檚 track 鈥淲hatever鈥 off the 2023 album I Luv Stoney (Deluxe Version) and 鈥淲a$$up.鈥 Female producer and mixing engineer , who has also worked with Stonez and other rappers, has also produced for Dallas-based R&B artists like Briana Renee for more dreamier tracks.

Rapper and DJ is another producer that should be on your radar. He worked withP$O Kwame on his summer track 鈥淵ou Know Me鈥 featuring Alexa Rae and Dandii Sun. His genre-defying mixes are a combination of trap, hip-hop and futuristic sound elements. And then there鈥檚 producer , who worked on Coach Tev鈥檚 latest single 鈥淒ynasty鈥 and did all the production for Dallas-based hip-hop artist Sherm STX鈥檚 EP 鈥淐abin Fever.鈥

More producers you can鈥檛 overlook: , , , .

Other things to check out:

  • is a recording studio in Dallas by Xela and is open for booking for rappers, hip-hop artists, engineers and producers. 

  • Screw Done Already Warned Me is a Dallas celebration of the late hip-hop legend DJ screw hosted by . The multimedia company, which was founded by Dallas DJ Nosocial, honors DJ Screw鈥檚 musical impact with friends and fans at historic venues in the city.
  • If you want to feel like a real celebrity, head to . The sleek hip-hop nightclub is where you can catch celebrities like Lil Wayne, Yella Beezy and Summer Walker partying or performing with the city鈥檚 best DJs and VIP bottle service.
  • , founded by Dallas entrepreneur and music manager Matthew Winn, is an independent artist and label services company. It helps cultivate up-and-coming rap and hip-hop artists in North Texas through artist development and music education. 
  • From R&B Tuesdays to Trap Brunch, near the Bishop Arts District offers southern food with the latest hip-hop and R&B every day of the week.

If you don鈥檛 know, now you know.

Arts Access audience engagement fellow Brittany Stubblefield-Engram contributed to this story.

Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and 四虎影院.

This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and 四虎影院 retain full editorial control of Arts Access鈥 journalism.

Corrected: September 27, 2023 at 2:46 PM CDT
An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Honey Daii as a rapper. Honey Daii is an R&B singer. An earlier version of this story also incorrectly identified Family and Friends as Friends & Family and as a weekly event. Family and Friends happens once a month. In an earlier version of this story Vibes Texas, Emerge and Real Street Jams were misspelled.