Mos Def

The 50 best rap lyrics of all time: Complete list

Last week, we took a look at the fifty worst rap lyrics of all time. Going through all the dreck and drivel to get to the crème de la crème of crappiness was tedious and rather exhausting. This week, we even things out by taking a look at the other end of the spectrum and examining rap lyrics to f ... More >>

The 50 best rap lyrics of all time: 50-26

Last week, we took a look at the fifty worst rap lyrics of all time. Culling through all the dreck and drivel to get to the crème de la crème of crappiness was tedious and rather exhausting. This week we even things out by taking a look at the other end of the spectrum and examining the fifty best ... More >>

BurntMD

Not So Black & White
Self-released

The ten best concerts this weekend: October 5-7

Welcome to the weekend, amigos! Cold enough for you this morning? Yeah, we're feeling all sorts of brrrrrr over here. Only in Colorado can you go from eighty degrees to the thirties in the expanse of a couple of days. Alas, though, there's relief on the horizion, plenty of hot music this weekend to ... More >>

Backbeat's five most listened-to songs and albums, week of September 5, 2012

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 you ... More >>

The five biggest hip-hop name changes

See also: - Snoop Dogg at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre, 8/17/12 - Review: Snoop Dogg at Snowball, 3/3/12 - Review: Snoop Dogg at the Fillmore, 3/2/12 Artists do what they can to control their image, from their songs to their videos to their Twitter feeds and Facebook pages. They hire publicists. The ... More >>

Weekend's best live bets: the Fray, the Lumineers, Leftover Salmon, Drake and more

Welcome to the weekend! The sun's hiding this morning and rain's in the forecast for the next few days, but even that can't dampen spirits today. The Nuggets destroyed the Lakers last night, and you've got another full slate of local goodness on tap this weekend: Tonight the Fray kicks off a two-nig ... More >>

Black Star

Friday, May 11, Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, 303-297-1772.

Black Star show at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom this Saturday moved to Friday, May 11

Update (4/10): We've confirmed that Talib Kweli will indeed be performing at Cervantes this Satruday, April 14, in place of Black Star, originally slated for that same date but moved to 5/11. Tickets for the show are $5 ($10 on Saturday for those under 21). Heads up, hip-hop heads: Black Star (the ... More >>

Re:Generation strives to break down barriers

This past Sunday during his acceptance speech on behalf of his band the Foo Fighters for Best Rock Performance at the 54th Annual Grammy awards, Dave Grohl made some comments that stirred the ire of some folks. Lauding the fact that Wasting Light, the album in question, had been recorded in his gara ... More >>

Fresh Breath, Spoke in Wordz, the ReMINDers and Prime Element spit fire in BET-style cypher

Ah, yes, we love it when cats take it back to the old school. A team of Colorado's dopest MCs, including Paul JR and Myke Charles from Fresh Breath Committee, Aja Black and Big Samir from the ReMINDers and A.V.I.U.S. from Prime Element, have done just that with their own BET-styled rap cypher. With ... More >>

In honor of Modest Mouse and Big Boi: A look at the Top 10 rap/rock collaborations of all time

​In case you haven't heard yet, Modest Mouse is working with Big Boi on its next album. Seriously. Yeah, we're having a hard time even trying to imagine what that's going to sound like. The news, however, did get us thinking about the ten of the best and rap/rock collaborations. You know Aeros ... More >>

Odd Future on Fallon: What the hell happened?

​Tyler The Creator and Hodgy Beats from LA shock rap collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All made an appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night. If you know anything about the group, it will come as no surprise that the performance was four minutes of sheer pandemonium, culmin ... More >>

Bad Religion, Shad and Eels 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?" 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 >>

Cee Lo Green's inescapably charming (and shamelessly profane) kiss off tops our playlists

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most persistent 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 lis ... More >>

Ten musicians we'd like to see teach elementary school

David Shankbone​ This weekend in New York City, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth is evidently slated to give a lecture to kids between the ages of eight and twelve titled "A Dissertation on White Noise." This news got us to thinking: What other musicians would we like to see teaching our childre ... More >>

The ReMINDers rock the Apollo

Aside from Red Rocks, there's only a handful of stages that merit inclusion on any performer's bucket list. We're talking about places that are so revered they're considered hallowed ground, the type of places in which artists dream of performing at for their entire lives. CBGB's before it became a ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of February 8, 2010

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. ... More >>

Backbeat writers weigh in on the year's best national releases

Over the Weekend: Mos Def and Talib Kweli at the Gothic Theatre

Letitia Salazar​Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jay Electronica, DCQ, Spoke-In-WordzGothic TheatreFriday, August 21, 2009Better Than: anything Lil Wayne or Drake could pull offMos Def hasn't headlined a nationwide tour since the Lyricist Lounge tour in 2000, where he recruited folks like Bernie Worrell (of ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Booze, beats and bachelorettes

Letitia Salazar​ It was a busy weekend in Denver, with a fashion show on Thursday, Mos Def and Talib Kweli at the Bluebird on Friday, the Avett Brothers at the Ogden on Saturday, the Flaming Lips at Red Rocks on Sunday, and the grand opening of a new nightclub downtown. So if you're looking t ... More >>

Wilco top seller at Twist and Shout again

​Wilco's latest effort, Wilco (the album), has been holding steady ground on Twist & Shout's charts since being released June 30 and it topped the charts once again for the week ending August 9. Dead Weather's Horehound, Levon Helm's Electric Dirt, Mos Def's Ecstatic and Regina Spektor's Far r ... More >>

Modest Mouse top seller at Twist and Shout

​Modest Mouse's No One's First and You're Next, released last week on Sony, grabbed the top spot at Twist & Shout while Yim Yames (aka Jim Jones of My Morning Jacket) nabbed the second slot for the week ending August 9. Wilco's Wilco (the album), Levon Helm's Electric Dirt and Dead Weather's H ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 3, 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 >>

Wilco tops charts at Twist and Shout again

​Wilco's latest effort, Wilco (the album), has been strong seller at Twist & Shout since it was released June 30, and once again it tops the charts for the week ending August 2. Dead Weather's Horehound, Levon Helm's Electric Dirt, Mos Def's Ecstatic and Regina Spektor's Far ound out the top f ... More >>

Eminem grabs top spot at Independent Records again

For the fifth week in a row, Eminem's Relapse grabbed the top spot on Independent's best seller list for the week ending June 21. Tech N9ne's Sickology 101, which has been a top seller since it was released April 28, moved up the second spot while new discs by Black Eyed Peas and Mos Def grabbed thr ... More >>

Grizzly Bear top seller at Wax Trax

Grizzly Bear's latest disc, Veckatimest, nabbed the top slot at Wax Trax for the week ending June 21. The late-'70s Colorado punk compilation Rocky Mountain Low continues to stay in the top ten while new albums from Mos Def and Sonic Youth also grabbed spots in the top five. See the full breakdown a ... More >>

Sonic Youth top seller at Twist and Shout again

Sonic Youth's new album, The Eternal, grabbed the top slot for the second week in a row while George Harrison's new greatest hits collection, Let It Roll, came in second for the week ending June 21. Steve Earle's Townes, Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown and Mos Def's Ecstatic rounded out the top f ... More >>

Sonic Youth top seller at Twist and Shout

After two decades on Geffen Records, Eternal, Sonic Youth's Matador Records debut released last week, was the top seller at Twist & Shout for the week ending June 14. Mos Def's The Ecstatic,  Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca, both released last week, came in at the second and fourth slots while ... More >>

Eminem grabs top spot at Independent Records for fourth week in a row

Eminem has been holding on to the top spot at Independent Records for a month now with his latest release, Relapse. Mos Def's The Ecstatic and Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D., both released last week, grabbed the second and third slots while Method Man & Redman and DJ Quick & Kurupt rounded out ... More >>

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

Live Review: Rock the Bells Tour

The Rap-Up: Apostle, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Mos Def, Beyonce

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

Be Kind Rewind

Michel Gondry attempts to celebrate DIY filmmaking but comes up short, stale and flat.

Best 2007 - Miami: DJ I-Dee's Tracks to Relax

Bring Hip-Hop Back

Hard Ride

Stuck with Bruce Willis in rush-hour traffic? You could always walk.

Get Down With Dave

Chappelle returns with a raucous Block Party.

Pharoahe Monch

Thursday, November 10, and Friday, November 11, Ogden Theatre, 303-830-2525.

Looks That Kill

D.C. Gallery is turning Japanese, we really think so.

Mos Def

Tuesday, October 26, Boulder Theater, 303-786-7030.

All in the Family

Hip-hop revivalists the Family Tree put the paddles to a dying art.

Think Distinct

This summer's movies could withstand the drought.

Critic's Choice

Soul Brains

Scritti Politti

Anomie & Bonhomie
(EMI)

Judgment Day

Backbeat contributors offer up their favorite recordings of 1999.

Mos Def

Black on Both Sides
(Rawkus)

Year-End Close-Out

We've got 1998's best albums in stock, but they're going fast.

The Major and the Minor

A roundup of big-name recordings that live up (or down) to expectations.