Turner Jackson

Turner Jackson

ABC
D.O.P.E. Game

The Pit, a new hip-hop open-mic night, debuts this Thursday at the Funky Buddha

This Thursday night at the Funky Buddha, Turner Jackson is set to kick off a new monthly hip-hop open mike night called the Pit, with DJ Dozen. The Pit, which is open to any and every rap artist who want a chance to rock the mic, will give ten performers the chance to showcase their skills in six-mi ... More >>

3 things to do for free in Denver this week, April 8-11

You won't need magic to conjure up some bargain entertainment in Denver this week. Denver -- everything from free screenings of films at the Sie FilmCenter (including a presentation of the first Harry Potter flick) to a hip-hop open mic to a local author talking about his struggle with prescription ... More >>

Tatanka

Cloudless Thunder
Self-released

While there's been a hundred Jay-Z mash-ups, American Gangster by Big J Beats stands out

Contrary to trends among many rising hip-hop artists these days, Big J Beats doesn't flood the internet with a new song or mixtape every other week. Despite the shortage of releases, he's definitely prolific, and it turns out his hard drive is a goldmine of unreleased gems, including American Gangst ... More >>

Moovers and Shakers 2012: Backbeat writers praise the year's best local albums

See also: Backbeat writers sound off on the year's best national albums

Fresh local hip-hop from Pries, SP Double, Myke Charles, Molina Speaks, AG Flux and more

Another week, another batch of fresh hip-hop from the Mile High City. Pries draws all eyes to him with The Lonely Kid Show, the tireless SP double shows his proficiency on "The Mission Statement," Myke Charles, FL and the ReMINDers take on some G.O.O.D. music in "The Mourning," Black Mask member AGF ... More >>

Fresh local hip-hop: A Broncos anthem, plus new cuts from Billy Lipz, Young Doe and more

We've got another fresh batch of local hip-hop for you this week, including a new cut from Innerstate Ike, Esi Juey and Nyke Nitti that pays homage to the beloved boys of winter in the orange and blue. If you have't heard it yet on KS-107.5, which has been showing the track love since premiering it ... More >>

Action Bronson at Cervantes, 11/29/12

ACTION BRONSON @ CERVANTES' | 11/29/12 The building wasn't full, but it certainly wasn't empty either when Action Bronson stepped onto stage. The crowd was a little cold. Clouds of ganja smoke floated across the room. Everyone was a little subdued. When Bronsolino started rhyming, there was that re ... More >>

Fresh local hip-hop from SP Double, Mr. Midas, SF1, Turner Jackson and Kid Hum and more

There's a ton of fresh music from the scene, including Colorado Crates Vol. 1, a free compilation hosted and mixed by SP Double and featuring a bunch of local favorites, including SP, Mr Midas, Innerstate Ike, Foodchain, Cola Diva, Spoke In Words and more. Speaking of Spoke In Words, he's also dropp ... More >>

Hopsin at Cervantes', 10/18/12

HOPSIN @ CERVANTES' MASTERPIECE BALLROOM | 10/18/12 If there was a reoccurring theme last night at Cervantes', it was a pronounced disdain for the recording industry. Spitting in the eye of the industry with bravado, with each artist on the Funk Volume Tour boasting about their independent status, ... More >>

#WMS 2012 recap: City Hall Street Level

Every year, for the Westword Music Showcase, we enlist our army of Backbeat wordsmiths to host various stages, and in addition to their emcee obligations, we ask them to pull double duty (or triple-duty in some cases) and also write up the acts that appear on their individual stages. Noah Hubbell ho ... More >>

That's a Rap: Westword Music Showcase edition

Happy Westword Music Showcase weekend, friends, Romans, hip-hop heads! This weekend promises to highlight all the reasons why the music scene in Denver houses some of the best talent in the country. With the hip-hop scene, in particular, the styles and profiles of the MCs, DJs and singers have been ... More >>

GirlGrabbers

Chicks Only
Self-released

2012 Westword Music Showcase local lineup!

We're just over a month out from this year's Westword Music Showcase, and we've already let you know who we have headlining the mainstage this year -- but keep it locked on Backbeat for another big announcement this coming Monday. Now it's time for us to give up the goods on the local lineup. As you ... More >>

Win tix to see Cee Know the Doodlebug of Digable and Fatlip of the Pharcyde at Herman's

This Wednesday night, a pair of fierce MCs, Cee Knowledge (aka Doodlebug of Digable Planets) and Fatlip of the Pharcyde, will be throwing down at Herman's Hideaway, alongside a stacked bill of local cats, including Quiz, Turner Jackson and Made Fresh Daily. We've got tickets for this gig, which will ... More >>

Turner Jackson

Star Destroyer
Self-released

The Solution celebrates five years with #TheSolution5, which kicks off tonight at Beta

If you're a hip-hop head in Denver, there is simply no place else to be tonight than Beta for #TheSolution5's kickoff event, the Solution's 6th Annual J.Dilla Celebration, which of course is a celebration centered on the life and music of the late J. Dilla. Actually, if hip-hop's your thing, if you ... More >>

Turner Jackson talks Star Destroyer and self-destruction

Sometimes an artist has to go deep into himself in order to produce a product built from pain, tragedy, triumph, motivation and creativity. Whenever this watershed moment happens for the greats who make and love music, the explosion is ground-shattering and usually changes the artists' repertoire fo ... More >>

New Year's Eve in Denver: hip-hop events

Ah! It's the most wonderful time of the year! When we indulge in too much champagne and cheap party favors, whilst singing songs of old. "Auld Lang Syne" anyone? Well if you're like us, you know it's been a festive 2011 and most are ready to shuffle in the next 365 days with glee and gusto. We've go ... More >>

Denver's best music releases of 2011

The Solution returns and sets up shop at the Meadowlark for a monthly residency

​The Solution, the Best of Denver award-winning club night hosted by DJ Low Key, Sounds Supreme, and DJ Lazy Eyez, is back and will take up a monthly residency at the Meadowlark for the city's newest, hottest live music showcase. The premise of the party is to showcase a dope Denver MC, a Denv ... More >>

Fresh local hip-hop from Pries, Lokon and Spellbinder, One Eyed Kings and more

Local rappers have been hard at work this week, releasing videos and songs about everything from love and unity to the military industrial complex and drunken nights -- and we've even got a children's choir! Page down for fresh hip-hop from Pries, Lokon with Spellbinder, Turner Jackson, Cavem Moetav ... More >>

Turner Jackson

My Heart Needs Space
Self-released

Fresh new hip-hop from Myrical Child, Dyalekt, Spoke in Wordz, Innerstate Ike and more

​The summer being over has not slowed the MC's down in the slightest. Each week, we deliver the newest, freshest, and dopest tracks coming out of the hip-hop scene, and today is no different. Myrical Child capitalizes off of Floyd Mayweather's winning streak with a new joint; Turner Jackson's ... More >>

Review: BLKHRTS at Old Curtis St. Bar, 8/6/11

Eric GruneisenBLKHRTS: FOE, Karma and Yonnas Abraham​BLKHRTS at OLD CURTIS ST. BAR | 8/6/11In advance of this show, BLKHRTS spread the word that there would be a sacrificial ceremony to kick off its tour. Considering the names of the opening acts and the lyrical content of the band's music, th ... More >>

Houses, BLKHRTS, Slighty Stoopid, Phil the Fan benefit show and more on tap this weekend

Houses​Stepping into August, it looks like the summer concert season is far from slowing down. Tonight, Houses kicks off the first in a two-evening stint at the Hi-Dive to celebrate the release of Winter, the forth and final installment in its seasonally themed EP series. Over the course of th ... More >>

ILL Se7en of Isolated Generation on his first solo release and removing labels from his music

Today is ILL Se7en's School Daze mixtape release party at Red & Jerry's​Mike Acuña is a hip-hop OG. Better known on stage as ILL Se7en, he's been in the game for more than a decade. The MC got his start as one-half of the group Isolated Generations with Ben "Opt Won" Chavez back in the day, a ... More >>

The rap roundup: food metaphors, sneaker fiending and nostalgia abound this week

​This week in local hip-hop, we have a bunch of new tracks from a fresh new face, Kid Plat, as well as some others we're already familiar with, including a food-heavy cut from Turner Jackson, a nostalgia-tinged track from the Roadside Profits, and a very grown-up collaboration featuring Haven, ... More >>

Freestyles Are still free -- or freeze, as the case may be. Ask Turner Jackson and Joe Thunder

​So this little gem showed up on our doorstep this morning -- or in our parking lot last night, rather. We've been hearing about Turner Jackson's whole Freestyles Are Still Free project that he's been working on, in which he traipsed around town last summer wearing a sandwich board and rapping ... More >>

Lenny Lenn on Twitter, making bold statements and continually having to prove himself

​Lenny Lenn has an opinion, and he's not afraid to express it. He frequently makes big, bold statements about seemingly everything. One moment he's speaking in a quiet, humble tone about his technical training in post-production, for instance, and the next he's comparing himself to Andre 300 ... More >>

Meet Turner Jackson, a young MC worth keeping an eye on

​Turner Jackson is still a youngster in the game. Just shy of 22 years old, he doesn't consider himself a "rapper." You'd be hard pressed to find him spouting capricious odes of gratitude to the heart of hip-hop -- he's still a novice when it comes to the foundations of hip-hop learning. Regar ... More >>

Joe Thunder on Lazy Sundays and the idea of local hip acts grinding until they can't be denied

Anya Strauss​Joe Thunder is not a DJ. Nor is he an MC. Just the same, he's a widely recognizable figure in the local hip-hop scene, and he's equally as well regarded as those who are making the music. A tireless champion of Colorado hip-hop, Joe has been doing everything he can to help culti ... 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 >>

Mile High Madness: A celebration of hip-hop in the Mile High City

Kate LevyCheck out our slide show for more photos from the night by Kate Levy.​ The Mile High Madness DVD release party proved that Hip Hop is not only alive and well in the Mile High City, but thriving. Presented by Big Joe Thunder and Box State Music, the DVD is Thunder's tenacious effort p ... More >>

Hip-hop and it don't stop: Joe Thunder's Mile High Madness release party

​ Wanna know what's cracking in the hip-hop scene in Denver, ask us. If we don't know, ask us anyway, and we'll get with our boy Joe Thunder. If we haven't heard about it, chances are, he has. Dude's plugged in and has his ear to the streets 24-7. For real. Have you seen his Mile High Madness ... More >>

A first look at ManeRok's "Troubles" video

Finally got a look at ManeRok's "Troubles" video. As mentioned this past December, the video was directed by the Mile High's go-to-guy for hip-hop clips, Eric Heights (F.O.E., Spoke In Wordz, 3 the Hardway, Ichiban, Deca, The Pirate Signal) late last year, and finally made its way to the web earli ... More >>

Over the weekend: Put Yo Money Where Ya Mouth Is Finals

Put Yo' Money Where Ya' Mouth Is battle Finals Saturday, February 20, 2010 The Walnut Room A.V.I.U.S. from 3 the Hardway and some other cats getting their cipher on on the back patio before the finals. They came, they rapped and somebody won -- that's pretty much the gist of Saturday night's unev ... More >>