OutKast

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 fifty greatest rap groups of all time

There's something great about a hip-hop group. From the beginning, it was never intended to be a solo endeavor; rap began in cyphers at block parties, and the first established rappers were components of a collective centered around the more important DJ. Even now that the rapper is the star, it's n ... More >>

The ten greatest southern rappers of all time

It took a long time for the south to be recognized as a major player in the hip-hop scene, and it still has a ways to go to be held in the same regard as the East and West Coasts, but with the emergence of a new breed of countrified rappers such as Big K.R.I.T., Future, Yelawolf and 2 Chainz (and ev ... More >>

Ten acts that helped make hip-hop more accessible to mainstream audiences

Hip-hop is a world unto itself. Its rich tradition of spoken word poetry, self-referential subject matter and electronic and sample-based production make it, in many ways, a difficult musical form to adapt to, especially if you come from a more traditional background. These ten acts helped make rap ... More >>

Here's what we're all listening to right now. What's rocking your world this week?

As people who think about, talk about, write about, listen to and make music, it's not surprising that the most common (and 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 we go, on and on about t ... More >>

The ten best storytellers in hip-hop

The art of storytelling has existed since before recorded history, so it's somewhat surprising that the practice didn't take off in hip-hop, an originally oral tradition, until the late '80s. Since rappers discovered just how captivating a well-told story could be, the storytelling track has become ... More >>

Here's what we're all listening to right now. What's rocking your world this week?

As people who think about, talk about, write about, listen to and make music, it's not surprising that the most common (and 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 we go, on and on about t ... 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's not surprising that the most common (and 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 we go, on and on about t ... 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's not surprising that the most common (and 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 we go, on and on about t ... 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 >>

Killer Mike

Saturday, September 22, Summit Music Hall, 866-468-7621.

Macklemore on his new record and what rap album he'd take with him on the mothership

The last time we caught up with Seattle rapper Macklemore (due tomorrow at the Westword Music Showcase on the mainstage), he was working on his latest album with such fervor, he chose to skip SXSW. That, combined with having been inducted into XXL's prestigious 2012 Freshman class and performances a ... More >>

Ernest Greene of Washed Out on how drums bring a different energy to the live show

Washed Out (due Thursday, April 26, at the Bluebird Theater) started out as a bedroom project of Ernest Greene when he was living in Perry, Georgia. As with many artists in the last decade or so, Perry connected with other independent musicians through the Internet, where he posted music to MySpace, ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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

What the riders were jammin' at the Backyard Bang

Britt ChesterBackyard Bangers​This past Saturday, we stopped by the Backyard Bang, which stretched between Lincoln and Sherman on 12th. We noticed the riders all had headphones in, so being all about the music, we asked them what they were listening to during their respective drops, rail slide ... 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 >>

Erykah Badu, Brian Eno on 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 >>

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 Ten Songs from the '00s That Will Puzzle Future Generations

Wonder if whoever set these misfit creatures loose happened to notice their poker faces?​This last decade has seen several genres rise and fall on the Billboard charts and because of that we've had a weird array of singles briefly topping the charts. In ten years or so, when we look back on th ... More >>

Denver greats pay tribute to hip-hop's greats at Get Down Wednesdays

Gotta love Denver, man. At the risk of sounding like a homer, the creativity here is invigorating. It seems cats are constantly striving to come up with compelling ways to put on shows, Stand By Your Band at the hi-dive, Denver Does Denver and now Hip-Hop Bites Back, an idea whose time has truly com ... More >>

Friday Rap-Up: Suge Knight, Outkast, YouTube Live

Suge Knight files lawsuit against Kanye West Former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight has filed a $135,000 lawsuit against Kanye West for a gunshot wound and a robbery of his diamond-stud earring that occurred at West’s pre-MTV Music Awards party back in August 2005. According to TMZ, Knight bel ... More >>

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

Friday Rap-Up: Pimp C Dies, Spice 1 Shot, Lauryn Hill Still a Pain in the Ass

Mudhoneyed Krautrock and Other Assorted Goodies

Party in Your Pampers

OutKast

Idlewild (LaFace)

About a Boi

OutKast's Depression-era hip-hop musical has a loving respect for the Old South.

Omarion

O (Sony Urban Music/Epic)

Buck 65

This Right Here Is Buck 65 (V2)

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.

Rock and Gold

Olympic stars swoop in for the 2004 Rock and Roll Gymnastics Championships Tour.

The Stations Remain the Same

The hits just keep coming on radio.

Various Artists

Barbie Hit Mix (Kid Rhino)

Best Synth-Pop Answer to Outkast

George & Caplin

Soul Survivor

Through injury, adversity and obscurity, Orlando Terrell struggles to keep his music alive.

For the Record

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

Best Jukebox

Don's Club Tavern

Perfect Truth

Cee-Lo breaks from the Mob in a solo quest to save hip-hop.

Discmania

Backbeat writers revisit their favorite albums of the year.

Critic's Choice

OutKast

Year-End Close-Out

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

Two for the Future

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

Mob Rules

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

BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL