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More About

• Talib Kweli
• Jeff Campbell
• Glenn Miller
• Hip-Hop and Rap
• Conscious Rap

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An underground East Coast MC made good, Talib Kweli has rightfully earned his title as a hip-hop headliner. But before the rapper takes over the Glenn Miller Ballroom in Boulder on Saturday, March 16, some local groups will show that Colorado doesn't have to import talent in order to put on a hell of a show. Elemental, Nyte Syde and Dragons of Edin, with Exam and DJ Anomie, will take turns kicking down some homegrown raps, rhymes and beats in a variety-show-style performance hosted by local rapper Jeff Campbell (aka Apostle). As the culminating event of Hip-Hop Week, sponsored by the Boulder branch of the nationwide Hip-Hop Congress organization, Monday's show has all the makings of a finale. Elemental, a seven-piece Denver group that blends live instrumentation with the flowing styles of four MCs, should have no problem living up to the challenge: Incorporating Spanish-style guitar, reggae grooves and bilingual lyrics, the group is tight, smart and, most important, working to bring something new to the hip-hop genre. Kweli has got his work cut out for him.