J Dilla

Last Night ... The Pirate Signal, Digitata, Sims, and Mel Gibson and The Pants

Friday Rap-Up: The Pirate Signal, Remy Ma, Tupac, Diddy, 50 Cent

Q&A with Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson of the Roots

The Friday Rap-Up: Ice Cube, Phife, 50 Cent, Jam Master Jay

Triple P

Platinum Pied Pipers (Ubiquity)

Friday Rap-Up: ManeLine, Hip-Hop Stars React to Obama win, Shakir Stewart Suicide, Mos Def

Platinum Pied Pipers (Ubiquity)

Dent offers sneak peek of new album

Dent, a respected elder statesman of hip-hop in Denver, has been toiling in the studio with his ace cohort, Noel Zancanella, putting together a brand-new album, the followup to his last release, the excellent Confi-Dent, which contained the feel good track "Sunshowers." After the jump, check out a p ... More >>

Common

Electric Circus (MCA)

Black Milk

Thursday, February 19, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303-443-3399.

Westword's favorite national albums of the year

Thursday, February 19, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303-443-3399.

Peanut Butter Wolf

Friday, October 10, Vinyl, 303-860-8469.

Nationalistic 2005

The rest of the planet generated some good CDs this year, too.

A quick look at albums due out this summer

The rest of the planet generated some good CDs this year, too.

Westword Music Showcase 2007

Saturday, June 16

Scene and Heard

Sounds Supreme and Low Key have The Solution.

Nationalistic

Our music writers pick the year’s national bests.

Listen Up

Fast reviews of recent releases

Westword Music Showcase 2006

Be there or be square!

Brother, Brother, Brother

Little Brother's new record takes hip-hop's stereotypes to task.

Westword Music Showcase 2005

Little Brother's new record takes hip-hop's stereotypes to task.

On the Down-Low

Shovel away all that Usher, Prince and Lil Jon you've been jamming and dig this year's buried black-music treasures.

God Save the Scene

Sassy Brits, hoochie mamas and a dude named Beans attempted to invigorate a stagnant year for hip-hop.

Soul School

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

Slum Village

Detroit Deli: A Taste of Detroit (Priority Records)

Love the Player

Okayplayer.com is more than just a website. For some, it's a way of life.

Styles, Slum Village and Clipse

A Gangster and a Gentleman (Ruff Ryder)
Trinity (Past, Present and Future)
Lord Willin' (Star Trak)

Vision Quest

Phife Dawg makes a solo stand in a post-Tribe world.

Universal Man

Cultural awareness, positivity and groove are all part of the Common cause.

Heavy Rotation, our top five spins for the week of May 11, 2009<

As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

Kid Hum charts on CMJ

screenshot (click to enlarge) straight jacked from Ralphie Another Colorado hip-hop artist has charted on CMJ's hip-hop chart. Massive props go out to Kid Hum, who checks in this week at number eighteen, just one spot being J Dilla, with his latest effort Offshore Drilling. Certainly a good look for ... More >>

Dead Weather top seller at Wax Trax

Dead Weather's debut, Horehound, was the top seller at Wax Trax while Cage's Depart From Me came in second for the week ending July 19. Clutch's Strange Cousins From the West, J Dilla's Dillanthology 2 and Tortoise's Beacons of Ancestorship rounded out the top five. See the full breakdown after the ... More >>

Starlight Mints top seller at Wax Trax

​Starlight Mints, who play tonight at the hi-dive, moved up to the top slot at Wax Trax from last week's third slot with their latest Barsuk release, Change Remains. The Dead Weather's Horehound, Magnolia Electric Company's Josephine Bardo Pond's Peri also grabbed spots in the top five. See the fu ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of October 12, 2009

​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Q&A with Robert Glasper

​Robert Glasper's latest Blue Note effort, Double Booked, shows just how well the pianist straddles the jazz and hip-hop worlds. While he flexes his jazz chops within the confines of an acoustic trio setting during the first half of the disc, he delves into more forward thinking hip-hop territ ... More >>

Hey, DJ! Q&A with DJ Amen

​ 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 the ... More >>

Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Otis Taylor and Trace Bundy 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 >>

Denver's emerging hip-hop producers speak out

​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 >>

Anatomy of a hip-hop song: Local producers weigh in on what it takes to make a great track

David Lang / Red Bull PhotofilesBoonie Mayfield (top) and Xperiment Beats​The term "producer" has very different connotations in the worlds of rock and hip-hop. Although they're both instrumental in shaping the sound, they serve very different functions. Generally speaking, in rock, a produc ... More >>

Kraddy: Dubstep is just slow hip-hop

David Lang / Red Bull PhotofilesBoonie Mayfield (top) and Xperiment Beats​The term "producer" has very different connotations in the worlds of rock and hip-hop. Although they're both instrumental in shaping the sound, they serve very different functions. Generally speaking, in rock, a produc ... 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 >>

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 >>

Download a free track from Collapse and a preview of Patrick Lee's new album

​If you don't recognize the name Collapse yet, rest assured, you will. The band, which was formed by Zac Joe from Cephalic Carnage and is fronted by Ben Pitts of To Be Eaten, just released its first 7-inch split on the relaunched Ash From Sweat Records.

Win free tickets to Dinner at the Thompson's at Cervantes tomorrow night

​What do you get when a New York-born, California-bred songstress and a French-born producer with influences ranging from J. Dilla and DJ Shadow combine forces? The duo known as Dinner at the Thompson's. An electro-funk-soul outfit with enough talent to fill a room twice between them, vocalist ... More >>

Gramatik on joining Pretty Lights Music and what he has in store for his show at Red Rocks

​Gramatik (due at the Fillmore tonight and tomorrow at Red Rocks with Pretty Lights) used to be an MC who rapped with his buddies over his beats. He grew up in Slovenia listening to DJ Premier, Guru, Rza, Dre, and an arsenal of hip-hop and break beats fills his catalog of sample options. Now, ... More >>

Celebrate the life of J. Dilla at Beauty Bar on Tuesday night

​Celebrating the life and legacy of J Dilla, the super producer from Detroit, has become a yearly occurrence since his passing from Lupus in 2007. Started by New York DJ Dee Phunk, the Donuts are Forever parties have been going strong for the past five years. Recent Denver transplant, audio en ... 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 >>