Chris Norris

San Francisco, land of a thousand views. The Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach: burnt sienna slicing cerulean sky. Chinatown from Russian Hill: a giddy bazaar overflowing tiered streets. And, of course, Dave Matthews from Lombard Street: pale and slouching. "Oh, my God," gasps one viewer. "Dave!"Read More

One fine summer afternoon, a svelte rap star comes strolling into a west hollywood restaurant. Convention dictates a brief description of his outfit here, usually pasted in by standard Rap-Write(tm) software: platinum chain, home-team ball cap, baggies from own clothing line, tattoo of son/daughter/dead homie. But this rap star is Andre 3000 of Atlanta’s trailblazing hip-hop duo OutKast, one of the most fashion-forward men in music, if not the United States. Blond wigs, football shoulder pads, and velvet knickers have all played a part in Andre’s lonely quest for the Next Level, thus his look today merits special attention. There it is: striped polo shirt, blue slacks, tan Banana Republic sports jacket, and tasseled loafers. Repeat: Tasseled. Freaking. Loafers. To quote some old Ice-T, Man, have you went crazy?Read More

Andrew Schuster is a very good worker: responsible, efficient, attentive to detail. He even does well on surprise job tests. He got one about three years ago, when he was patting down patrons at St. Andrew's Hall, a storied Detroit nightclub that is surrounded by possibly the worst slums in America. The club hosts some of the country's more thug-oriented hip-hop nights and mosh-intensive rock nights. Weapons checks are, shall we say, an important part of the process. Staffers rely on frisking rather than metal detectors, which miss plastic shivs, fiberglass knuckles, and other popular accessories.Read More

They’ve been gone five years. But now Metallica are returning with St. Anger--possibly the most intense album of their career--and this summer’s Sanitarium tour. Drummer Lars Ulrich dug deep and talked openly about singer James Hetfield’s near breakdown and the band’s near breakupRead More

Why would anyone want to kill Jam Master Jay? Despite splashy front-page reports and federal probes blaming rap-music violence, the answer may be much less sensationalRead More