Dr. Dre

Paper Diamond

Paragon
Elm & Oak Records

The ten best diss tracks of all time

Since hip-hop's genesis, beef has been as integral a driving force to the art as bravado. There's been some titanic tangles over the years, from Canibus facing off with LL Cool J to Jay-Z and Nas locking horns with one other, all of which have resulted in some relentless and incendiary rhymes being ... More >>

So that guy you see twirling the sign on the side of the road? He's probably listening to Slayer

Alright, how many times have you driven past that dude on the corner, the one twirling his sign like a madman, and thought to yourself Wow! That dude is rocking out. Wonder what the hell he's listening to? Wonder no more. Mystery solved. It's Slayer. At least that's what this particular gentleman wa ... More >>

9th Wonder on how hip-hop is like pills in the applesauce, a gateway to knowledge and history

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 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 samplers in hip-hop, w ... More >>

The ten best concerts this weekend: Dec. 14-16

It feels like we say this every week, and we probably do, but we're continually astounded by how good we have it here music wise. If you haven't noticed, this time of year, the number of touring acts decreases dramatically, generally in line with the music industry itself, which pretty much slows to ... 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 >>

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 >>

The five worst albums by professional athletes

Over the weekend, Serena Williams might have been in Spain playing tennis, but she was getting more attention in the blogosphere for seventy seconds of a leaked rap song she made. The results sound like an amateurish impression of a collaboration between Missy Eliot and the Neptunes. The opening lin ... More >>

Alert: SXSW coverage ahead

"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area." -- Tommy Lee Jones, The Fugitive You don't have to spend much time at South By Southwest to know that all of the above building ... More >>

As Black History Month comes to a close, we reflect on the influential Sounds of Blackness

Black History Month 2012 has been a doozy. Beginning with the tragic and shocking death of Don Cornelius to dealing with equally troubling news of Whitney Houston's passing as the month wore on. Most interesting about this time is the ways in which the music healed us. When Whitney died, DJs played ... More >>

Tony Clement, exec chef of Roam, on finding the best ribs, cooking for rappers and mangling his foot with a chainsaw

Tony Clement Roam 1033 East 17th Avenue 720-382-2935 www.denverseafoodrestaurants.com This is part one of my interview with Tony Clement, exec chef of Roam. Part two of our chat will run in this space tomorrow. A few months ago, when the former Wild Catch temporarily shuttered after then-executiv ... More >>

Medical marijuana dispensary review: Heartland Pharmacy

For such a big shop, Heartland Pharmacy's exterior has a low-key vibe. Because it's partially obscured by large trees out front, I drove past it twice before its green-cross sign caught my eye -- and I wasn't even medicated.

A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory is 20 years old

​On September 24, 1991, A Tribe Called Quest released The Low End Theory, a beautiful fusion of hip-hop, jazz, and esoteric lyrics aimed at a new generation of hip-hop. Twenty years later, the album sounds just the same in 2011, as it did, frankly, whenever you heard it. Inspiring such artists ... More >>

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 >>

Ice Cube

Skrillex at the Fox Theatre, 12/16/10

SKRILLEX With Pillowfight 12.16.10 | Boulder Theatre Last night at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Skrillex showed his fans exactly what creatures can lurk in the hard, dark reaches of dance music and broke the rules for a live DJ gig in surprisingly delightful ways.

Jeremih at Comedy Works South, 12/08/10

​ KS-107.5 MORNING SHOW CHRISTMAS PARTY With Jeremih • Bow Wow 12.08.10 | Comedy Works South When a show begins with an open-to-all karaoke session, things could go one of two ways: A bunch of bad singers (or in this case, rappers) could burn up the atmosphere and take the show with them. ... More >>

Bizzy Bone: "Do not get caught up in all the bullshit"

American Tomahawk, Chromeo, Black Milk 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 >>

Mashed landings: A rundown of the 5 worst mash-ups

flickr / nmfin​Thanks to the absurdly low cost of music and video editing software and an inexhaustible number of people who clearly have too much time on their hands, the Internet has been inundated with mash-ups. Some folks, believe this is a auspicious development for humanity. And while we ... More >>

The 10 Most Hated People in Hip-Hop

Guru (left) and heartless greed monger Solar (right). Photo by Barbara Mürdter​ There is no fence-riding in hip-hop. It is the most competitive genre of music, partly because of the way it formed and partly because it remains the newest major movement. So there is no shortage of hatred going ... More >>

Devin the Dude

Tuesday, May 11, Bluebird Theater, 303-830-8497.

B.o.B., Bop Skizzum, Tommy Metz and The Pirate Signal 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?" 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 >>

Being King of the Mountain for F.O.E. means setting his sights outside of Denver

Does Denver have a burgeoning urban/top 40 sensation on its hands?

Hunter Brown's boy band-worthy visage earned him the nickname "Baby Beckham" from a Jive Records exec.​Yes. It appears so. Meet Hunter Brown, an eighteen-year-old artist from Denver, who's already amassed an impressive pedigree. Over the past three years, Brown has worked Dr. Dre associate Kirv (a ... More >>

SP Double returns with mixtape and upcoming projects

It's been a while since we've heard from SP Double, especially since the dissolution of his Boostwell crew. But from the ashes, he's dusted himself off and is gearing up to drop a collection of projects over the next six months. His new album, Loyalty, Honor, Respect, is due out sometime this fall, ... More >>

The Game

A player himself now, the Game is still paying homage to rap's finest

3OH3!

Spontaneity is a big part of Stereolab's approach to making music

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

3OH!3

Rakim

This revered hip-hop framer isn't crazy about the state of the game.

Rilo Kiley

Under the Blacklight
Warner Bros.

Jay-Z

Kingdom Come
Roc-A-Fella

Ben Folds

Supersunnyspeedgraphic: The LP
Sony

Zodiac Room

New night, new faces

Gwen Stefani

Love, Angel, Music, Baby (Interscope)

Eminem

Encore (Aftermath)

Emvisible

D12 looks to get out from underneath Eminem's shadow.

The World Within

When DJ Vadim traveled to the ends of the earth, he found hip-hop in every corner.

The Light Stuff

Coors loves the young male demographic -- and twins!

Urban Renewal

How could an R&B outlet become the most popular radio station in Denver? The little girls understand.

Playlist

Ol' Dirty Bastard, Richmond Fontaine, Basement Jaxx, Barbra Streisand

More Songs of the Century

Part two of a pre-millennial trek through a hundred years of pop music.

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