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Gee Watts

Kansas City’s own Gee Watts is headlining at the Granada today, his newest record “199x” (Nineteen Ninety Never) just out this past April. Even after 11 mixtape releases, Watts is best known for establishing an early social media relationship with Kendrick Lamar that would help him garner some of his own prominence. In 2011, Lamar tweeted “Follow this young boi. You’ll hear his name one day @gee_watts.” Watts put out a track featuring Lamar, “Watts R.I.O.T.” his verse recorded in seven minutes on Lamar’s tour bus after attending the rapper’s show (he was invited by Lamar, free tickets and backstage access) in Kansas City. With an official release of his own full-length, let’s hope the attention turns from his association with the Compton rapper to a well-rounded representation of the artist he’s become.
8 p.m. Thursday at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St.,$10-$15.

Riff Raff

Rescheduled from the original April 14 date (Liberty Hall will honor those tickets), Riff Raff will be stopping in Lawrence about a month before the release of his latest album, “Neon Icon.” Set to release June 24 through Diplo’s label Mad Decent, the outrageous Houston rapper has several featured artists collaborating on this one: Mac Miller, Childish Gambino, Mike Posner, Slim Thug and Paul Wall. The cover art that he just released shows Riff Raff holding a baby in one arm and a puppy in another with neon letters above his head. How fitting for his strange demeanor and loud reputation. His single “How to be a Man” already comes with a music video that can only be described as insane with the cornrowed artist in busy printed clothing surrounded by women in bikinis, teaching children and once again, holding both a child and a dog. https://myspace.com/riffraff/video/riff-raff-how-to-be-the-man/109538631
9 p.m. Thursday at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St., $20-$23.

Metronomy

This British electronic pop four-piece formed by Joseph Mount in 1999 is on tour to support the group’s latest album, “Love Letters.” In the video for the title track, the group sports burgundy blazers, black turtlenecks and khaki pants while playing tambourine, keyboard, drums and bass; it’s like reliving ’60s fashion but not in a good way. Clothes aside, their sound has moved in the direction of soulful baroque pop from the ’60s, with hints of Motown and doo-wop with raw layers of female vocals backing the tracks. “Love Letters” was recorded in Toe Rag Studios in London, a studio known to host the likes of The White Stripes. Mount described the space (to the Boston Globe) as “a no-frills studio by virtue that technologically it’s stuck in 1965,” so it’s likely the quartet drew some inspiration from their environment on this one.
9 p.m. Friday at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., $15.

Pocket Full of Loud Tour

The Pocket Full of Loud Tour starts in Lawrence so make sure you make it out to the Replay to give Midwest hip-hop artists Steddy P and DJ Mahf a nice send off. Originally from Missouri, the duo has been at it for three years releasing mixtapes and albums; their latest was a free album released in March called “What Happened Tomorrow” with Steddy on rhymes and Mahf on turntables. They’ve joined tours and opened for numerous well-known artists who helped them get their footing in the industry, including Snoop Dogg, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Talib Kweli, Slaughterhouse, Tech N9ne, Raekwon of Wu Tang Clan, Brother Ali and more. The two will be joined by Stik Figa, D/Will, Dom Chronicles, Prettygirlhatemachine and All Natty.
10 p.m. Friday at the Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts St., $3.

Jock Jamz

A new night (replacing Taking Back Mondays) featured at The Bottleneck called Jock Jamz includes ’90s hits, ’90s sports films and NBA highlights. Wear your favorite jerseys and try to remember all of the cool catchphrases of your youth like “da bomb,” “trippin’,” and “whoop there it is.” If you’re still saying those things, here’s a newsflash that you belong at this night (and nowhere else). At the last Jock Jamz there was a free-throw contest for a jersey, so you never know what kind of sporty fun you’ll walk into.
9 p.m. Monday at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., FREE.