Ladies love G-Eazy. They absolutely adore him. Whether it’s his lazy-smooth flow or Dapper Dan look, we don’t know, but the last time he was in Denver, warming up for Hoodie Allen on the Excellent Adventure Tour at Summit Music Hall, bras were flying on stage like roses at the…
When you think of the Civil Rights Movement, you likely think of Martin Luther King Jr. — for good reason. The role he played was monumental — and because of that, monuments have been erected, pages in textbooks set aside and a national holiday named in his honor. So much…
Hip-hop is a world unto itself. Its rich tradition of spoken word poetry, self-referential subject matter and electronic and sample-based production make it, in many ways, a difficult musical form to adapt to, especially if you come from a more traditional background. These ten acts helped make rap more accessible…
Jai Harris was a poet before she even knew it. Hmm…doesn’t sound as good in the past tense, but in Harris’s case, it really is true. She recalls going to a yard sale with her grandma when she was seven and buying a little book with a poem written on…
If there’s one thing Mountain Lion, Pt. 1 succeeds in doing, it’s putting a song in your head and keeping it there, whether you want it or not. While Jahni Denver’s flow is only okay and his subject matter is rarely original, he is a master of the hook, and…
Another week, another fresh batch of local hip-hop. We’ve got new joints from the Southern-flavored but fully local Hustle Man, as well as a new cut from Whygee that name-checks one of East High School’s most famous former students, plus a nighttime call to action from Drop Switch and a…
BROTHER ALI @ CERVANTES’ MASTERPIECE BALLROOM | 2/2/13 Brother Ali commands the stage like a political figure, only one who’s less concerned with appearance and more concerned with the impact of his speech. In the nihilistic rap world of uncountable monies, untraceable guns and impregnable bitches, Ali has remained a…
The art of storytelling has existed since before recorded history, so it’s somewhat surprising that the practice didn’t take off in hip-hop, an originally oral tradition, until the late ’80s. Since rappers discovered just how captivating a well-told story could be, the storytelling track has become a staple for almost…
Machine Gun Kelly (named after the infamous early 20th Century gangster) is well-known for his rapid-fire delivery, rabid fan base, “Wild Boy” persona and crazy antics (during a performance for a Microsoft Store, he was stomping across tables, destroying several computers before getting shut down by the very company that…
Gateway Acts is a new ongoing series on Backbeat in which we examine the music that served as an entry point for our burgeoning musical obsessions, a gateway drug that tuned us in and turned us on. Today, Noah Hubbell gives us the goods on a Rush to judgment that…
Rooke5 (aka Luke Whitrock) grew up in Loveland and Greeley, but he moved to El Paso, Texas, in the middle of high school. Though he has a self-described “southern twinge” to his personality and cites Kanye West as an influence (who isn’t influenced by the omnipotent Yeezy), lyrically, he is…
A-L’s Future Classic Music would be best enjoyed in a smokey lounge, perhaps with a dry martini or a fine cigar, amid electric light from neon tubes. The album blends classic jazz and golden-age hip-hop samples with elements of futuristic hip-hop and house, so the title rings true, even if…
As the Broncos and the Ravens gear up to face off this Saturday, trying to extend their seasons at least one more game, one illustrious player faces what is possibly the final game of his career. After this season’s playoffs, Ray Lewis says he’ll put down the pads for good…
A new year is here, and from the looks of this week’s new batch of music, it’s going to be a good one for local hip-hop. We’re off to a good start, anyway. We’ve got new beats from Man Mantis off his label’s new comp, a fresh joint from production…
Devoted Broncos fans probably remember the greatest among their ranks, Tim “Barrel Man” McKernan, as the guy who wore nothing but a barrel with overalls to pretty much every home game — rain or shine — from 1977 to 2007 (though he attended, fully-clothed, nearly every game ten years beyond…
1. 2 Chainz – Birthday Song “She got a big booty, so I call her Big Booty.” Don’t freak. We’re just kidding. Every year, people say hip-hop is dead, but every year it keeps expanding — commercially, sonically. thematically — pretty much in every way imaginable. Although the radio may…
We go to concerts for the music, but the best moments are often unrehearsed. For some bands, a show is just a series of songs — the moments between, nothing but time to be killed until the music begins again. But we don’t go to concerts to kill time– and,…
THE FOODCHAIN @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 12/20/12 As the Foodchain played “Young Amsterdam,” their anthem to Denver’s favorite plant, the thick cloud that hovered near the ceiling of the Bluebird got thicker, and the pungent smell that pervaded the venue got even more pronounced. The band shifted from a sound…
Another week, another batch of fresh hip-hop from the Mile High City. Pries draws all eyes to him with The Lonely Kid Show, the tireless SP Double shows his proficiency on “The Mission Statement,” Myke Charles, FL and the ReMINDers take on some G.O.O.D. music in “The Mourning,” Black Mask…
A revered hip-hop producer who got his start with Phonte and Big Pooh in the North Carolina-based group Little Brother, 9th Wonder has worked with an array of top-shelf artists, from Jay-Z and Destiny’s Child to Mary J. Blige and Ludacris, among many others. Known as one of the best…
T.I. / KS-107.5 JINGLE JAM @ 1STBANK CENTER | 12/15/12 After a bit of a wait, the lights dimmed. Screams of delight filled the 1STBANK Center, fighting for preeminence in a veritable bass-made earthquake. A booming, overpowering voice delivered a fiery sermon as the man of the evening finally took…
MACKLEMORE @ OGDEN THEATRE | 12/6/12 All Macklemore has to do is pose dramatically to induce the same frenzied reaction from an audience that a slightly lesser MC would draw with their signature song. Granted, a very sizable portion of his Denver audience comprised easily riled high school girls, but…
