Raekwon

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 >>

Photos: Hoodlab's Extravaganja celebration lights up 4/20 weekend

While people puffed and passed in public and private this weekend, the Extravaganja (say that five times fast -- without giggling) party lit up the Hoodlab over the weekend with a performance from Raekwon himself on Friday evening. Continue reading for scenes from the 4-20-friendly celebration, and ... More >>

The twelve best concerts in Denver this weekend

LUCERO @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | THURS, 4/18/13 Outside of perhaps the Hold Steady -- which shares a proclivity for Bruce Springsteen -- nobody plays straight-up rock these days as convincingly as Lucero. Led by Ben Nichols's gravelly croak, Lucero borrows liberally from the Boss and Lynyrd Skynyrd on so ... More >>

Raekwon's thoughts on storytelling in hip-hop

This Friday, Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan is teaming up with DJ Premier to celebrate 4/20 with the legendary DJ Premier at the 420 Extravaganja this Friday, April 19, at HoodLab. This show marks the first time Raekwon and DJ Premier share a bill. We spoke with Raekwon about the prospect of performing ... More >>

The 4/20 party list: Where to get your, ahem, green on in Denver this holiday weekend

This Saturday is poised to be the most celebrated day in our state's history, what with this being the first 4/20 since Amendment 64 was passed and all. Some of music's most heralded imbibers are being shipped in just to help the local stoners celebrate in style, from Slightly Stoopid and Cypress Hi ... More >>

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 >>

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 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 >>

Dave Matthews to perform for free Sunday in Aurora for Obama/Biden grassroots event

Update: Campaign reps alerted us to an error in the initial release: Dave Matthews will be appearing solo. Our post has been amended to reflect this. There's four days until the election. Only four. We know this first because, well, at least a dozen helpful Obama for America volunteers reminded us ... More >>

The Head and the Heart perform for free tomorrow in Boulder for Obama/Biden event

Okay, so while the election is reducing some little girls to tears, we're nowhere near sick of all the attack ads and gladhanding leading up to the big day next week. Kidding. That's sarcasm, in case you missed it. We're as sick of all that crap as you are, Ms. Abigael Evans of Fort Collins. But eve ... More >>

Gotta Vote: Ryan Adams playing free acoustic set tonight at Boulder Theater for Obama/Biden

While Mitt Romney may have Kid Rock, Rodney Atkins and, uh, Meat Loaf (!) in his corner, El Presidente has Ryan Adams in his, and, well, musically, that's pretty much a trump card if ever there was one. Adams is throwing his muscle behind the Obama/Biden campaign this evening by playing a free acous ... More >>

Raekwon Rocks the Vote at Auraria, 10/25/12

RAEKWON @ ROCK THE VOTE ROAD TRIP / AURARIA | 10/25/12 "Whether there's twenty people or 2,000," said Raekwon, painfully aware of which side of that spectrum this small gathering was on, "I'm always gonna give it 200 percent." And he did, with grace. He spoke directly to the front row, despite the ... More >>

Reader weighs in on the irony of the venue choice for Tuesday's Romney/Ryan Victory Rally

So as many people were stoked for the Romney/Ryan Victory Rally last night at Red Rocks (more than ten thousand folks reportedly showed up and thousands were turned away), not everybody was jazzed for the event, including a group of commenters. "Interesting that a dude who got his start in rap music ... More >>

Fresh local hip-hop from Foodchain, Spoke In Wordz with Myke Charles, Sid Fly and more

This week, we've got enough rap to make your head spin and then some. Check for hot new music from the Foodchain, Myke Charles and Spoke In Wordz murdering a dope boom-bap hip-hop beat, Myrical Child and the latest smoker's anthem to keep in heavy rotation, a peek at the latest video from Pries cele ... More >>

Weekend's best live bets: Lucero, Flipper, the Ting Tings, Say Anything, Jewel and more

Ah, yes, welcome to the weekend! Don't you just love living in the Mile High City? Besides the glorious weather we're enjoying right now, we have yet another weekend filled with a ridiculous number of enticing options: Lucero kicks off its two-night stand at the Bluebird, in addition to an in-store ... More >>

Weekend's best party bets: Paul Wall, DJ Khalib, Concept One CD release and more

Spring fever!! This is the best time of the year to step outside, get some fresh air, and party your face off. Catch Paul Wall tonight at Casselman's, or you can saddle up to the Electric Pony tonight at Appaloosa Grill with DJ Khalib and friends. Tomorrow night, meanwhile, Concept One is dropping h ... More >>

Suzi Q. Smith: Watch our cover poet perform with Lady Wu-Tang, Denver's raw and rowdy female tribute

Image via​When we wrote on this week's cover that local slammer Suzi Q. Smith is "poetry in motion," we weren't kidding. In addition to owning one of the boldest voices in Denver's prolific poetry scene, Smith and her poet peers have also breached the world of music. In local tribute band Lady ... More >>

Travelogue: Snowdown, Brother Ali and Raekwon

With SIA happening in Denver all this week, there's been no shortage of shows this week. As you know, the Backbeat crew goes hard in the streets. Last night, we caught bits of Dilated Peoples, Twista, DJ Vajra and the Foodchain at Snowdown 2012, Brother Ali at the Ogden with the ReMINDers and a surp ... More >>

Raekwon at Casselman's tomorrow night

Holy hip-hop nirvana! Why can't it be SIA week all year around? This week is straight bananas. So get this, as if there weren't already too many crazy good shows to choose from, here's one more: Tomorrow night at Casselman's, we're hearing that the one and only Raekwon is set to throwdown. Es-Nine o ... More >>

Ten best hip hop shows of 2011 in Denver

Eric GruneisenTyler, the Creator at the Ogden Theatre this past October​There were so many hip-hop shows and concerts this year, it was hard to keep count. The shows of note, though, were bangers and crowd pleasers and showcased dynamic artistry. With so many epic moments (?uestLove and Jazzy ... More >>

Q&A with Raekwon on the passing of ODB and Wu-Tang's influence on the world

As one of the nine original members of Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon (due tonight at Summit Music Hall with BLKHRTS and Remo) helped make the renowned New York City hip-hop collective a permanent part of rap history. After branching out on his own in 1995, the Chef continues to spit out solo efforts left an ... More >>

Is Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan a beer nerd?

Raekwon (foreground) and Ghostface Killah (background)​Last week, we wrote that Wu-Tang Clan member and solo rapper Ghostface Killah made a sort-of surprising move by okaying the use of his name on a beer made by Boulder-based Twisted Pine Brewing. Ghost just asked that Twisted Pine sent him a ... More >>

Hot geeks love Gary Busey?: Check out our Geek Bowl V photos and more weekend slideshows

​What is Gary Busey's mysterious appeal? Is it that he doesn't have any? Attempt to solve this puzzle by perusing photog Kate Levy's shots from Geek Bowl V at the Fillmore. And that's not all. Check out Raekwon at Summit Music Hall, RJD2 at the Gothic and more on our au courant slideshow page ... More >>

Colorado Beat Box Competition: Drama-free, with Raekwon on hand, and the winner is...

​ The last time we covered the beat battle thrown by the organizers from PMG, there was no clear winner because a fight ensued that shut down the event. Last night, the final round took place between B. Fields, TC Crook and Davey Boy at Twisted Olive. It was a rather subdued evening, despite ... More >>

Raekwon at Summit Music Hall, 1/29/11

Photo: Aaron ThackerayRaekwon last night at Summit Music Hall. See full slideshow.RAEKWONSummit Music Hall | 1.29.11 As with most shows put on by members of the Wu, who are largely moving about solo these days, whether it's Raekwon, or Ghostface, or the always touring Method Man, you expect them to ... More >>

Raekwon

Saturday January 29, Summit Music Hall, 1-866-468-7621.

All-female Wu-Tang Clan cover group sells out Walnut Room, 1/22/11

Stephanie Auld​ The first edition of Hip-Hop Covers, an all-female Wu-Tang tribute, was way beyond sold out. By the time the nine local MCs, poets and singers took the stage, the Walnut Room was at capacity, and there was a crowd of people waiting outside the door. It didn't matter if you wer ... More >>

Kanye West's SNL performance and a collection of everything else he's been up to

Kanye West has been busy the past couple of months making everyone else in music look lazy. Not only did he perform on Saturday Night Live over the weekend with two of the best musical performances we've seen in a while, but he's also been dropping free MP3s in a series called "G.O.O.D. Fridays." ... More >>

Freeway and Jake One

Thursday, July 22, Bluebird Theater, 303-830-8497.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2010: Interviews with Big Boi, Raekwon, Surfer Blood and more

So this is pretty cool, particularly for those of us who couldn't attend. Our sister paper in Minneapolis, City Pages, just shared this with us. Seems they teamed up with MPLS.TV and sent a film crew to this past weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival, and they came back with some pretty cool footage ... More >>

Disco Biscuits Aron Magner on making every Bisco show special

​ The Disco Biscuits aren't just about the jam scene - this year's installment of their summer music festival Camp Bisco will feature, among many others, LCD Soundsystem, Method Man, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon and Denver's own Pretty Lights. The Biscuits have actually been incorporating elect ... More >>

Tom Waits top seller at Wax Trax

​Tom Waits' Glitter and Doom Live, which includes tracks from last year's Glitter and Doom tour, grabbed the top spot at Wax Trax for the week ending November 29. The Black Keys' hip-hop project Blakroc, which features rappers like Raekwon, RZA and Mos Def, came in second with their self-titled de ... 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 >>

Avett Brothers top seller at Bart's CD Cellar

​The Avett Brothers' I and Love and You, released last week on American Recordings, grabbed the top spot at Bart's CD Cellar for the week ending October 4. Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 and Alice in Chains' Black Gives Way to Blue nabbed the second and third slots while Mariah Carey's Memoirs of an Impe ... More >>

Om top seller at Wax Trax

​Stoner rockers Om grabbed the top spot at Wax Trax for the week ending October 4 with their latest effort, God is Good, released last week on Drag City. Muse's The Resistance and Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 came in second and third while Karen O & the Kids' soundtrack to Where The Wil ... More >>

Jay-Z grabs top spot at Independent Records

​Blueprint 3, Jay-Z's highly anticipated follow-up to his two previous Blueprint albums, grabbed the top spot at Independent Records while Raekwon's latest effort, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 came in second for the week ending September 13. Insane Clown Posse's Bang! Pow! Boom!, which was the top se ... More >>

A quick look at albums due out this summer

Friday Rap-Up: DJ Vajra, Lil Wayne, Nate Dogg, 50 Cent vs. Kanye: Pt. 2?

GZA

Saturday, August 30, Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, 303-297-1772.

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

Friday Rap-Up

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

ODB

A Son Unique (Def Jam)

Hit Pick

The Procussions

Nas

God's Son (Columbia)

Still Bringing the Ruckus

Raekwon and Ghostface Killah stay tied to the Wu-Tang Clan as they invent their own legacy.

Best Hip-Hop DJ

DJ Chonz

Raekwon

Immobilarity
(Loud)

Critic's Choice

Thrills for the week