Southern Rap

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 >>

Ten best hip-hop shows in Denver this month

February is already off to a good start for hip-hop with a pair of great shows this past weekend, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks and Brother Ali with Prof, Danny Brown and Evidence at Cervantes'. Even excluding those shows, the rest of the month looks to be just as enti ... More >>

T.I. at 1STBANK Center, 12/15/12

T.I. / KS-107.5 JINGLE JAM @ 1STBANK CENTER | 12/15/12 After a bit of a wait, the lights dimmed. Screams of delight filled the 1STBANK Center, fighting for preeminence in a veritable bass-made earthquake. A booming, overpowering voice delivered a fiery sermon as the man of the evening finally took ... More >>

Win tickets to see T.I. at 1STBANK on Saturday

Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head, T.I.'s brand new album doesn't hit until Tuesday, but there's a solid chance you'll get to hear at least part of the record, including "Hello," the new cut featuring Cee Lo that just dropped, at 1STBANK Center when T.I. headlines KS 107.5's Jingle Jam with Lupe Fiasco ... More >>

Waka Flocka at Ogden Theatre, 10/25/12

WAKA FLOCKA @ OGDEN THEATRE | 10/25/12 In order for Waka Flocka and his crew to keep pace with his past appearance in the Mile High City, all they would have had to do at this is walk out on stage and perform a few hit singles. Instead, the Brick Squad Monopoly (SQUAD!) spit a rowdy, if somewhat un ... More >>

The five best concerts this week: October 22-26

New week, whole new batch of shows. We start off the week with an absolute bang -- Sleigh Bells tonight at the Boulder Theater -- and end it with lauded locals Big Head Todd and the Monsters playing a super intimate show at the Soiled Dove Underground to raise money to give emergency aid to those ba ... 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 >>

Win tix to see Big Boi at Cervantes' this Saturday

This Saturday night, Big Boi (whom you might also know as Sir Lucious Left Foot, Daddy Fat Sacks, Antwan Patton or "that same mothafucka that took them knuckles to your eye") is coming back to Denver, this time with a backing band. We've got a pair of tickets to the show up for grabs. Continue on fo ... More >>

Enjoy these five dance-move GIFs from Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco

The following is a dispatch from Outside Lands Festival, from our sister paper, SF Weekly. One thing crowds at San Francisco's Outside Lands festival do pretty well is get down. Despite the relentless wind, heavy fog, and numbing temperatures, we saw plenty of good moves last weekend -- and some r ... More >>

Big K.R.I.T. at the Bluebird, 7/18/19

BIG K.R.I.T. @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 7.18.19 See Also: - Big K.R.I.T. at the Marquis, 10/21/10 - Mr. Midas and Big K.R.I.T. collab on "Back On" Big K.R.I.T. calls himself the King Remembered In Time, an appropriate name, because he truly is timeless. When the big king stepped on stage, all stern-face ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Rollin' In My '64: Ten famed (and great) rap songs about a Chevy

Donk.​The Chevrolet car company was founded 100 years ago today to compete with the Ford Model-T. But who cares about 100 years ago? The golden age of Chevrolet was from 1960 to 1976, from the Impala to the second-generation Caprice. This writer learned to drive on a '64 Impala in various stat ... More >>

Game soundtracks like Bastion and Sword & Sworcery continue to peak on Bandcamp

​Long before Lil Wayne allegedly sampled a track from Sword & Sworcery, independent video-game soundtracks have consistently been topping the sales charts on Bandcamp. It's gotten to the point that when a reasonably hyped game releases a soundtrack, it's almost inevitable that it will end up i ... More >>

8Ball & MJG at Casselmans Labor Day weekend

​Mark your calendar: On Labor Day weekend, 8Ball & MJG, the legendary Tennessee 'hood rap aficionados, are set rock Casselmans on Sunday, September 4, with cast of locals that includes Fresh Breath Committee, Young Doe, Rockie, Hynpautic, King Teff and Johnny Rocket.

Review: Katy Perry at 1STBANK Center, 7/26/11

Katy Perry last night at 1STBANK Center with Skeet Skeet and Robyn​KATY PERRY at 1STBANK CENTER | 07/26/11The crowd at Katy Perry last night was exactly as expected -- armies of sprayed and glittered bodies evoked every variation of Perry's persona over the last half-decade: girls from prescho ... More >>

Young Jeezy set to rock the Ogden on August 23

​Word on the street is Atlanta's cocaine rap king Young Jeezy is making his way to the Mile High City on August 23 at the Ogden Theatre. The TM103 tour is a continuation of Jeezy's "Thug Motivation" series of albums and will no doubt feature a wide array of tracks from his four studio albums a ... More >>

Review: Disco Biscuits at Red Rocks, 5/28/11

Disco Biscuits lived up to their headliner status at Red Rocks for their third annual Bisco Inferno​DISCO BISCUITS at RED ROCKS, 5/28/11"Comparing Red Rocks to the Ogden shows is like comparing a Mack Truck to a Tonka. Either the Biscuits were holding out, teasing everyone for the first two ni ... 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 >>

Janelle MonÁe

Sunday, May 29, 1STBANK Center, 303-830-8497.

Waka Flocka Flame

Thursday, May 5, Club Arriba, 303-232-7874.

Twitter patter, so much chitter chatter: Cats could learn a thing or two from Chamillionaire

​There's a PBS special called Marketing Cool that explains how businesses and retailers tell consumers what's cool, then have them buy it. It's all about the "Cool Factor." Twitter is all about that same cool factor. But it's only effective if it's used wisely.

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

Top 5 rapper face tattoos

​Gucci Mane went straight from the psych ward to the tattoo parlor and came away with the confusing mess you see to the right. Lots of people have suggested this is a clear indication he got out a bit too soon, but does this really seem like exceptionally, uncontrollably rash behavior? He may ... More >>

Kid Cudi, Cee Lo, Belle & Sebastian top sellers at local stores

​Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, released last week on Universal Motown, debuted very strong, claiming the top slots at Albums on the Hill, Independent Records and Twist & Shout for the week ending November 14. Cee Lo Green's Lady Killer, meanwhile, issued last week on ... More >>

Aloe Blacc, Harry Nilsson, Kid Cudi 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 >>

Brian Eno, Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, Deerhunter top sellers at local stores

​Small Craft on a Milk Sea, Brian Eno's Warp debut released last week, claimed the top spot at Albums on the Hill and rounded out the top five at Twist & Shout for the week ending November 7. Lil Wayne's I Am Not a Human Being, meanwhile, continues to hold down to the top spot at Independent R ... More >>

Taylor Swift: True Lil Wayne Heir

Young Moolah, Baby​Lil Wayne sold a million copies of Tha Carter III in one week back in June of 2008. It's a nearly impossible benchmark in an era of dwindling album sales. And the day Lil Wayne was released from prison, Taylor Swift matched his feat. Actually, she surpassed it. Tha Carter ... More >>

A letter to Weezy F. Baby: Welcome back!

Lil Wayne (aka Lil Tunechi, Weezy, Bird Man Jr., Mr. Carter) -- Thank god you're finally free! It has felt like a decade has passed in the pop world since you've been at Rikers. The Black Eyed Peas/Will.I.Am reign of Billboard terror has continued, most recently enveloping one of your own. And ... More >>

Sufjan Stevens, Belle & Sebastian, Lil Wayne top sellers at local stores

​Sufjan Stevens' The Age of Adz, released last week on Asthmatic Kitty, and Belle & Sebastian's latest release on Matador, Write About Love, took the top two spots at Albums on the Hill and Twist & Shout for the week ending October 17. Lil Wayne's new album, meanwhile, I Am Not a Human Being ... More >>

Five lyrics T.I. may have spit to convince suicidal man to step back from the ledge

In a audacious move yesterday, T.I. intervened and helped convince a suicidal man from leaping off a 22-story building in Atlanta that houses radio station V103. The, rapper also known as Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr., reportedly caught wind of the situation on the radio and phoned in to offer his h ... More >>

Air Dubai, the Heyday, Bad Religion, Superchunk, Waka Flocka Flame top sellers

​On the heels of their dual CD release party a few weeks ago at the Gothic, Air Dubai and the Heyday claimed the top spots at Twist & Shout for the week ending October 10. Up at Album's On the Hill, meanwhile, Bad Religion topped the charts with its latest Dissent of Man, Superchunk's latest e ... More >>

Neil Young, Deerhunter, Blonde Redhead, Ice Cube top sellers at local stores

​Le Noise, Neil Young's collaboration with producer Daniel Lanois, released last week on Reprise, claimed the top spot at Twist & Shout, checked in at number three at Albums on the Hill and rounded out the top ten at Wax Trax for the week ending October 3. Deerhunter's Halcyon Digest, meanwhil ... More >>

Air Dubai, Lil Wayne and DJ Krush 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 >>

Beside Rick Ross and Big Boi, we're all listening to completely different stuff 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 >>

Big Boi, the Roots, Rick Ross, FOE & Whygee dominate our playlists this week

Jason StoffBig Boi, shown here at this past weekend's Pitchfork Festival, dominated our 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, ... 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 >>

Danielle Ate the Sandwich, 3OH!3 top sellers at local stores

​While national acts like the Roots, the Black Keys and the Wolf Parade continue to be strong sellers at local record stores, local acts came in on top at two stores for the week ending Sunday, July 11. Danielle At the Sandwich, who gave an in-store performance at Twist & Shout last week, debu ... More >>

Lil Wayne recording from behind bars

​ Used to be time when a stint in the big house would put a stop to an artist's recording career. Well, today we have evidence that time has passed. Jailed rapper Lil Wayne guests on the new Drake track "Light Up (Rikers RMX)" alongside Jay Z. Only, we assume Jay Z didn't phone his verse in ov ... More >>

Behold the nimble funkistry of Janelle Monae

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.

Drake at The Ogden Theatre: A list of the ten things he loves

Drake. Photos by Kiernan Maletsky​ Drake • Mike Posner • DJ Chonz05.17.10 | Ogden Theatre First was Denver's own DJ Chonz, who was assigned with warming up the rapidly-filling Ogden. He performed his task admirably [editor's note: with one turntable, no less], but as the first-act DJ, th ... More >>

Drake

Monday, May 17, Ogden Theatre, 303-830-8497.

Did Big Boi reveal the first five singles off Sir Lucious Left Foot?

Last night, Big Boi and his new label Def Jam hosted a listening party for the long-awaited Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty. The main purpose of the party was to officially release the album's first single, "Shutterbugg," which, as you can hear above, is pretty great. But in the half-ho ... More >>