Common (Rapper)

The ten greatest Midwest rappers of all time

The Midwest is the bastard child of the American rap scene at large -- unsung and independent, with a massive chip on its shoulder. The most talented artists from the Midwest have succeeded each with their own unique style and flavor, regardless of what was making money elsewhere in the country at a ... More >>

The ten best concerts in Denver this week

KEGGS & EGGS @ LODO'S | FRI, 3/15/13 In addition to being a Denver institution at this point, Keggs & Eggs has become a signifier of spring and annual monument to daytime drinking. No matter who's playing KTCL's free St. Patrick's Day shindig, the lines start forming in LoDo just after midnight. In ... More >>

The 20 most coveted Colorado music-industry jobs: The complete list with five new profiles

In our series of coveted Colorado music-industry jobs, we've covered a range of jobs, from guitar tech and handling publicity to being tasked with overseeing digital music delivery from a vast electronic music catalog to band management. Today, we complete our list of the most coveted Colorado music ... More >>

The 50 worst rap lyrics of all time: 20-11

We've almost reached the end of our countdown of rap's most dreadful lyrics. Think you can stomach ten more? Good. Purely by coincidence, today's selections feature some of hip-hop's most memorable scientific and mathematical gaffes. And we're not talking anything complicated, here; we mean basic ma ... More >>

The five best concerts in Denver this week

Another week, another swell roster of music in the Mile High City. From the bacchanalian throwback debauchery of the Darkness, who will be invading the Summit Music Hall, to the lyrical thriftiness of Macklemore, who is set to headline Icelantic's second annual edition of Winter on the Rocks, there ... More >>

The 25 best concerts this winter/spring

As the winter chill finally thaws (work with us here -- we know it's still below freezing right now) and gives way to the hopefulness and fertility of spring, the upcoming concert season is likewise bursting with promise. Coming off one of the best years for live music in recent memory, the lineup i ... More >>

The ten best music books of 2012

This year, ambitious new books tackled the lives of music legends from Neil Young to Pete Townshend -- and many of these 2012 releases managed to burst through genres to offer significantly more than the average biography. We at Backbeat explored memoirs, historical surveys, ruminations on philosoph ... More >>

Aimee Mann at Ogden Theatre, 10/9/12

AIMEE MANN @ OGDEN THEATRE | 10/9/12 With an interesting mix of middle aged 'Til Tuesday fans reliving their high school heartaches, along with twenty-something feminist-lit majors swaying with their eyes closed, Aimee Mann delivered a refreshing dose of singer/songwriter warmth to the Ogden Theatr ... More >>

The five best concerts this week: October 8-12

Happy Monday, amigo! Another great batch of shows this week to help you get through the work week. We've got all this week's shows listed in our concert calendar if you're so inclined. Otherwise, keep reading to get a full rundown on the five best concerts this week, the ones we think are worth stay ... More >>

Wondering what's on Mitt Romney's iPod? Wonder no more. We think we know.

If Mitt Romney wins tonight in Michigan, he'll be one step closer to earning the Republican nomination to run against incumbent President Barack Obama. Romney has a ton of money, an impeccable head of hair and a hustler's spirit. While everybody's all worried about the economy this and recession tha ... More >>

Gil Scott-Heron, a bluesologist, cultural anthropologist and black icon

Gil Scot-Heron is the modern day god-father of rap, although he held the title with ambivalence while he was still alive, insisting he was rather, a "bluesologist," someone who is concerned with the origin of the blues. Regardless, hip-hop, soul, funk and acid jazz were all influenced by the reality ... More >>

Sounds of Blackness: J Dilla

Happy birthday, J Dilla!​Ah, J Dilla. His influence and production style brought forth beatmakers carrying their backpacks filled with treasures from the basement into the mainstream. Even more so after his death. A cult-like following surrounds his legacy. Born James Dewitt Yancey in February ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Atmosphere on the Rocks, Auction Hunters, Descendents, meat stadiums!

No need to check your calendar: There really was a concert at Red Rocks this weekend -- one of many notable events covered by Westword's intrepid journalists and photographers for our slide-show page plus Backbeat Online, Show and Tell and Cafe Society blogs. Page down to check out samples featuring ... More >>

Weekend's best live bets: Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks and more

Are you ready? This is a weekend to remember. Tonight for the first time ever, the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre will add to its renown by hosting the first ever wintertime concert with Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks with Atmosphere, Common, Grieves and Budo and Get Cryphy. And that's just the tip o ... More >>

Slug of Atmosphere: We're not scared of Colorado in January

Snow Daze

Hip-hop's ten most impactful deaths

​Today marks the anniversary of the day that the world lost the greatest rapper of all time. Christopher Wallace's untimely death on March 9, 1997, had a significant impact on the rap game. If Biggie had lived, for instance, his presence would have essentially erased the need for Jay-Z. Unstop ... More >>

Five reasons Dilla's still missed five years later

​ The hip-hop purists among us are very familiar with the story and legacy of James Dewitt Yancy, better known as J. Dilla. Having come up in the hip-hop underground scene in Detroit and later emerging as one of the most influential producers in hip-hop, it was Dilla's death at the height of ... More >>

Of Montreal, Kayne West and Air Dubai fill our playlists 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 >>

We Are the World 25/2010 performers pull off impressive performance

All right, so we were admittedly skeptical of how this whole "We Are the World" remake was going to turn out with the seemingly random cast of characters organizers assembled. When we first glimpsed the initial list of those present the night of the recording, there were some head scratchers in the ... More >>

Hey, DJ! Q&A with DJ Psycho

​Every Friday we spotlight the hottest cats (and kittens) behind the decks in the MHC, grilling them to gain some insight on what it takes, exactly, to get the party rocking, to find out about their most treasured crate digging experiences and what they really think when we stumble up to them half ... More >>

When it comes to hip-hop, Busdriver refuses to stick to a designated route

From Mile High to Monolith, breaking down Denver's summer music fests

The Mile High Music Fest returns to Dick's with Tool, Widespread Panic and the Fray. With so many music festivals to fill up your summer and drain your pocketbook, we put together a handy rundown of Denver's fests, in order of their appearance on your calendar. Which are you looking most forward to ... More >>

Friday Rap-Up: On Point, Lil Wayne, Scarface, Common

Friday Rap-Up: Bionik Brown, Ozone Awards, Large Professor, DMX

Bionik Brown Killed in Car Crash

Friday Rap-Up: Basementalism, Hip-Hop 4 Obama, 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Juvenile

Freeloader

The best in legitimate, artist-approved downloads.

Friday Rap-Up: D.O. The Fabulous Drifter, 50 Cent, Grandmaster Flash, Foxy Brown

Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
Atlantic

Critics' Picks for 2007

Backbeat scribes sound off on their favorite releases of the past year.

This Week in Hip Hop

Jamie Foxx

Unpredictable (J-Records)

RRAAHH Potential

RRAAHH Foundashun shows what can be done when you have more talent than money.

Talib Kweli

The Beautiful Struggle (Rawkus)

Soul School

After fifteen years of the grind, De La Soul is still schooling folks.

Turning Pro

The Procussions take their homegrown hip-hop to the West Coast.

Club Scout

?uestlove

Living Out Loud

After a difficult beginning, J-Live gives hope to hip-hop.

On the Records

Backbeat contributors reflect on the releases that helped them survive the year 2000.

Backwash

Wishing for a perfect world.

Into the Light

The Jurassic 5 make a heroic ascent from the hip-hop underground.

Judgment Day

Backbeat contributors offer up their favorite recordings of 1999.

Feedback

Mob Rules

The Goodie Mob is a hip-hop group with a higher purpose.

Kingdom Comes

Denver rapper Kingdom hopes he has the golden touch.

Feedback

RUSH'S HOUR

THE TIME MAY FINALLY HAVE COME FOR OTIS RUSH.

THRILLS

THRILLS