Antwan "Big Boi" Patton

The ten best concerts to see in Denver this week

SHABAZZ PALACES @ LARIMER LOUNGE | MON, 5/6/13 In the first half of the '90s, Ishmael Butler went by the moniker "Butterfly" as part of the rap trio Digable Planets. After the outfit's 1995 split, the group performed one-off shows here and there, but since 2009, Butler has released music with Tendai ... More >>

Ten best hip-hop shows in Denver this month

FLOBOTS @ AGGIE THEATRE | FRI, 5/3/13 Half a decade after releasing the platinum single "Handlebars," which made rounds on radios across the country, the Flobots have grown significantly, both as a musical group and as a philanthropic force within the Denver community. Since parting ways with Univer ... More >>

Here's what we're all listening to right now: What's on your playlist this week?

Music is life. Or at least it is for us. When we're not writing about it, we're thinking about it, talking about it or listening to it. These are the things that were in heavy rotation for us this week. What are you listening to? What should we be listening to? C'mon now. Sharing is caring. Don't ho ... More >>

The ten best concerts in Denver this weekend

Welcome to the weekend! Another work week is almost in the books. Time to cut loose. If it's live music you seek, you've come to the right place. Tons of great music on tap this weekend, a diverse array of options whatever your flavor, everything from jazz and jam to hip-hop and hardcore to industri ... More >>

Ten best hip-hop shows in Denver this month

February is already off to a good start for hip-hop with a pair of great shows this past weekend, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks and Brother Ali with Prof, Danny Brown and Evidence at Cervantes'. Even excluding those shows, the rest of the month looks to be just as enti ... More >>

New Denver shows: Zac Brown adds third show at Red Rocks, plus Sting, the XX and more

Okay, hands up if you knew the Zac Brown Band was so popular. He's wildly popular, in case you're wondering. Dude just added another show at Red Rocks, thanks to the fact that the first two have already sold out. Oh, and speaking of the Rocks, Sting has announced a June date up there, and we've got ... More >>

New shows: Cat Power, Lucero, Mike Cooley of the Drive-By Truckers solo show and more

It's less than a week now until Christmas. Did you get all your shopping done yet? Ah, don't beat yourself up. Neither have we. If you're like us, you've probably got some people on our list who are just impossible to buy for, yes? If so, here's an idea, one that won't require you to brave the masse ... More >>

Backbeat's top five spins: This is what we're listening to this week. What's on your playlist?

As people who think about, talk about, write about, listen to and make music, it shouldn't be surprising to find that the most common (and mutually favorite) topic of conversation among us is the same: "What are you listening to right now?" Stick a quarter in us, and, boy, wouldn't you know it, off ... More >>

Lady Gaga congratulates Colorado on legalizing marijuana, Big Boi says we're New Amsterdam

Holy shit! Amendment 64 has passed. Hands up if you ever thought you'd live to see this day: Pot is now legal in Colorado. In case you've been somehow sequestered all night, the results are in, and let's just say our fine city's nickname, the Mile High City, has taken on a whole new meaning. Of cour ... More >>

The ten best concerts this weekend: Oct. 19-21

Ah, yes, welcome to the weekend! And what a glorious weekend it's going to be. Have you seen the forcast? What's more, the Broncos have a bye-week this week, which means there's no reason at not to get out in the sunshine during the day and then treat yourself to some shows at night. As always, we'v ... More >>

Win tix to see Big Boi at Cervantes' this Saturday

This Saturday night, Big Boi (whom you might also know as Sir Lucious Left Foot, Daddy Fat Sacks, Antwan Patton or "that same mothafucka that took them knuckles to your eye") is coming back to Denver, this time with a backing band. We've got a pair of tickets to the show up for grabs. Continue on fo ... More >>

Backbeat's top five spins, week of October 1-7

As people who think about, talk about, write about, listen to and make music, it shouldn't be too surprising to find that the most common (and our mutually favorite) topic of conversation among all of us is the same: "What are you listening to right now?" Stick a quarter in us, and, boy, wouldn't yo ... More >>

Enjoy these five dance-move GIFs from Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco

The following is a dispatch from Outside Lands Festival, from our sister paper, SF Weekly. One thing crowds at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival do pretty well is get down. Despite the relentless wind, heavy fog, and numbing temperatures, we saw plenty of good moves last weekend -- and some r ... More >>

Review: Big Boi at SnowBall Music Festival 3/2/12

BIG BOI @ SNOWBALL | 3/2/12The purple lights cast Big Boi in a Prince-ly hue. He's leading the audience through the chorus of "Ms. Jackson" and the entirety of the crowd is bobbing around like crazy. Big Boi is leaning back, with one arm up, casually steering an invisible Cadillac at about two miles ... More >>

Review: Rusko at SnowBall Music Festival, 3/2/12

RUSKO @ SNOWBALL | 3/2/12Rusko is a dubstep king. This guy touches a beat and it instantly is a smash-hit. Last night in the snowscape that is the main stage of Snowball Music Festival, Rusko dropped bass heavy enough to allow Ski Patrol to save avalanche ammunition. If you were anywhere near the va ... More >>

SnowBall Music Festival 2012: Day 1 travelogue

SNOWBALL MUSIC FESTIVAL, DAY 1 @ VAIL VALLEY | 3/2/12It took about four bone-chilling minutes, starting at the opening of gates, to remind me of the frigid misery I signed up for again this year. Did I learn my lesson from last year in regard to snow boots, multiple layers, cash, and festival planni ... More >>

Snowball Music Festival 2012 survival guide: What to know before you go this weekend

Snowball Music Festival is about to hit Avon again. We were there for the icy, snowy, steamy, crammed and all around awesomeness of the inaugural edition last year, and just in case you weren't, or you need a refresher of what to expect, we compiled this Survival Guide just for you, so you can get t ... More >>

Outkast is one of hip-hop's most successful and creative groups

​Outkast is easily one of the most noted and respected hip-hop groups in the game. Big Boi and Andre 3000 met in the East Point section of Atlanta when they were sixteen. The outfit combined funk, soul, jazz and blues influences with hip-hop lyrics on its 1994 debut, Southernplayalisticadillac ... More >>

Big Boi and MiM0SA added to Snowball 2012 with TV on the Radio, Bassnectar and Rusko

Update (12/2/11): The Head and the Heart and BoomBox named as additional headliners this morning. If you haven't been keeping track, the lineup for this year's Snowball Music Festival is pretty impressive so far. Moments ago, organizers made the Big announcement we alluded to earlier this week when ... More >>

Review: Disco Biscuits at Red Rocks, 5/28/11

Disco Biscuits lived up to their headliner status at Red Rocks for their third annual Bisco Inferno​DISCO BISCUITS at RED ROCKS, 5/28/11"Comparing Red Rocks to the Ogden shows is like comparing a Mack Truck to a Tonka. Either the Biscuits were holding out, teasing everyone for the first two ni ... More >>

Janelle Monae on Big Boi and what it takes to become an agent of change in the community

Janelle Monáe (due Sunday, May 29 at 1STBANK Center with Bruno Mars and Mayer Hawthorne), like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, grew up in Kansas, and like that character, Monáe left home to go on something of a fantastic journey. But instead of Oz, Monáe landed in Atlanta, Georgia, where she met u ... More >>

Pezzner, J.Caprice, Disco Biscuits and more on this Memorial Day weekend's Dance Card

Pezzner plays Appaloosa tonight.​The underground scene will be poppin' this Friday night with two back-to-back residencies sharing space. Seattle's Pezzner (Om/Freerange records) will share the stage with Sound Advice, the Tableist and Blood Beat, and Matt'e (aka Garret) at Appaloosa Grill. (9 ... More >>

Arcade Fire, Bruno Mars, Disco Biscuits shows announced. Tix on sale this weekend.

​Having just won a Grammy for Album of the Year for The Suburbs, the Arcade Fire kicks off its North American tour at the 1STBANK Center on Saturday, April 9, a week before the Montreal-based band headlines Coachella. Local Natives opens the show. General-admission tickets ($40) go on sale thi ... More >>

Earth, Deca, DeVotchKa, Mogwai, Hindershot, Warsaw and Adele top our weekly playlists

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" Whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

Big Boi at the Ogden, 1/28/11

Photo by Kiernan Maletsky​ BIG BOI With Eligh & Scarub and The Foodchain 01.28.11 | Ogden Theater Corporate sponsorship, lead by local ski and snowboard company Icelantic, brought Big Boi to Denver last night. The Atlanta rapper, who we'd venture has never set ski/board on a mountain in his ... More >>

Big Boi at the Ogden: Two different perspectives informed by two different backgrounds

​TonightBig Boi comes to Denver for the first time in forever to play at the Ogden Theatre. We're sending two writers to cover the show, as opposed to our usual one, because they come from very different yet very important sections of hip-hop's audience. To provide some context for the review, ... More >>

Big Boi dishes on OutKast, musical style and his latest release

Snow Job!

BLKHRTS, Wu-Tang top our weekly playlists

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" Whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

Our 55 favorite musical releases of 2010

If President Obama has a thing for hip-hop, here are five artists to add to his iPod

​In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, our president revealed that his music palette has expanded slightly in recent years with a little help from his personal aide, Reggie Love. New additions to his usual standbys of Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones include Nas and Lil' Wayne. It's a lit ... More >>

Ryan Bingham, Arcade Fire, Git Some top sellers at local stores

​Ryan Bingham, who won an Oscar for his theme song to the film Crazy Heart, claimed the number two and four spots at Albums on the Hill and Twist & Shout with his new album, Junky Star, released last week on Lost Highway. Arcade Fire's The Suburbs and the Black Keys' Brothers, meanwhile, cont ... More >>

Beside Rick Ross and Big Boi, we're all listening to completely different stuff this week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Best Coast, Big Boi top sellers at local stores

​While there weren't any unanimous winners across the board, Best Coast's debut, Crazy For You, released last week on Mexican Summer, took the top spot at Wax Trax and the tenth spot at Albums on the Hill for the week ending August 1. Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son Of Chico Dusty, ... More >>

Big Boi, the Roots, Rick Ross, FOE & Whygee dominate our playlists this week

Jason StoffBig Boi, shown here at this past weekend's Pitchfork Festival, dominated our playlists.​ As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, ... More >>

Pitchfork Music Festival 2010: Interviews with Big Boi, Raekwon, Surfer Blood and more

So this is pretty cool, particularly for those of us who couldn't attend. Our sister paper in Minneapolis, City Pages, just shared this with us. Seems they teamed up with MPLS.TV and sent a film crew to this past weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival, and they came back with some pretty cool footage ... More >>

Big Boi hits the nail on the head with Sir Lucious Left Foot

​Since Speakerboxxx/The Love Below showcased Outkast's individual talents, André 3000 has generally been regarded as the auteur of the duo. And while that might be true -- André 3000 does tend to be weirder than his colleague Big Boi -- there's something to be said for consistency, as the la ... More >>

Danielle Ate the Sandwich, 3OH!3 top sellers at local stores

​While national acts like the Roots, the Black Keys and the Wolf Parade continue to be strong sellers at local record stores, local acts came in on top at two stores for the week ending Sunday, July 11. Danielle At the Sandwich, who gave an in-store performance at Twist & Shout last week, debu ... More >>

Behold the nimble funkistry of Janelle Monae

Whoops, forgot about this amazing Outkast album

​In the year 2000, I heard my first Outkast album, Stankonia. You'll have to excuse my sheltered existence -- being a small-time kid from a small mountain town didn't exactly lend itself to being on the cutting edge.

Top 10 Summer Jams for 2010

Kiernan Maletsky​The cover's off the grill, the windows are down and sweet freedom is on the horizon. Ahh, summer is coming. And while it's still early, there have already been more than enough entrants in the summer jam sweepstakes to make a short list. A few ground rules: 1. Must have been ... More >>

Did Big Boi reveal the first five singles off Sir Lucious Left Foot?

Last night, Big Boi and his new label Def Jam hosted a listening party for the long-awaited Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty. The main purpose of the party was to officially release the album's first single, "Shutterbugg," which, as you can hear above, is pretty great. But in the half-ho ... More >>

Friday Rap-Up: 25 Colorado Rappers Spit on One Song

OutKast

Idlewild (LaFace)

Omarion

O (Sony Urban Music/Epic)

Club Scout

NBA All-Star Weekend

For the Record

For national releases, 2003 wonked as much as it rocked.

Beyoncé

Dangerously in Love (Columbia)

Critic's Choice

OutKast

Two for the Future

To hip-hop's OutKast and Black Eyed Peas, the glass is half full.