Wu-Tang Clan

10 things to do for $10 in Denver this weekend (6 free!), May 24-27

A three-day weekend means an extra day of sleeping in, an extra day of fun -- but also a lot of opportunities to spend too much money. Still, this holiday weekend is also filled with lots of bargain events and entertainments, everything from outdoor festivals to an Arrested Development brunch to a c ... 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 >>

Action Bronson

Wednesday, November 28, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303-443-3399; Thursday, November 29, Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, 303-297-1772.

Action Bronson on how he and Alchemist wrote Rare Chandeliers underwater while scuba diving

Before he gained notoriety as an MC with his 2011 studio debut Dr. Lecter, he was well respected as a New York chef (his lyrics are still garnished with references to foods of all sorts). But while he shares a profession with Raekown, another well known New York Chef, the Wu-Tang member he most freq ... 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 >>

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 >>

Killer Mike

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

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 >>

Forest Service spends 20% of its time answering snarky questions from special interest groups

Denver blog posts are fruitful and multiply. Colorado Independent's David O. Williams shares a hilarious exchange between a critic and a U.S. Forest Service rep. WhoSaidYouSaid: Scales tip to Dems on new state legislative districts. Denver Egotist: Denver has a Wu-Tang Clan cover band -- and they ... More >>

Top five Yo! MTV Raps videos and moments

​As you know, MTV turned thirty this week, and man, oh man, what a three decades it's been. No matter who you are, or what side of the music spectrum you represent, the influence of Music Television on popular culture cannot be denied. This is true especially in the development of the hip-hop ... More >>

Clutch gets a beer named after it courtesy of New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins

Clutch could use a cold one.​Colorado brewers love their music, whether they are talking about it, naming beers after it or rocking it in the brewhouse at volumes loud enough to malt barley on its own. Boulder Beer recently worked with String Cheese Incident keyboardist and song writer Kyle Ho ... 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 >>

Ladies’ Night

The Anthology of Rap: The hip-hop soundtrack to go along with this week's cover story

​This week's cover story, "Word," tells the extraordinary tale behind The Anthology of Rap, released last year to high praise and a bit of heated debate. The Westword story focuses on Anthology co-editor and CU-Boulder professor Adam Bradley, a hip-hop academic whose own narrative is as compel ... More >>

Slim Cessna, A. Tom Collins, Serious Moonlight and DJ MU$A top our weekly 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?" 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 >>

SXSW Travelogue: The Photo Atlas checks in

Brian Frederick​ Thursday, March 17 And it begins ... 4 a.m. we arrive in Austin, Texas, at Casa de Epilogues greeted by hugs and cases of Upslope, after an amazing day of riding rollercoasters and playing three sets at Six Flags-Dallas and an awesome run of shows with the Epilogues, which i ... More >>

Ill discount or Illest discount? Free breakfast for the Wu-Tang members at Cafe Europa

I'll take my coffee with CREAM! (dolla dolla bill y'all). Cafe Europa employees: Serious Wu-Tang fans.​Cafe Europa's general manager, Adam Azeris, is bringing a little piece of Brooklyn right here into Denver. The coffee shop at Penn and Bayaud has been respectfully dubbed "Wu-Ropa," in honor ... More >>

How to ruin Valentine's Day

​Welcome to In the Weeds. Kyle will be right with you -- most likely to complain about something. Usually he is pleasant, but this is his place to blow off some steam. Don't take it personally; he just needs to vent because he's been doing this for about thirteen years. Enjoy your meal. Most ... 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

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

The Anthology of Rap co-editor Adam Bradley on his background and compiling the book

​Making connections between Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Wonder Mike isn't such a stretch for Adam Bradley. As one of the editors of The Anthology of Rap, a newly released collection from Yale University Press, as well as the author of 2009's Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip-Hop, Bradley has ... More >>

Ghostface at Summit Music Hall, 11/06/10

Aaron ThackerayGhostface​ GHOSTFACE With Sheek Louch • Frank Dukes • Black Pegasus • Liquid Assassin 11.06.10 | Summit Music Hall Ghostface swooped through Denver over the weekend for a performance at Summit Music Hall with Sheek Louch, Black Pegasus and Liquid Assassin. The venue, wit ... More >>

American Tomahawk, Chromeo, Black Milk 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?" 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 >>

Rakim

Wednesday, August 25, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303-443-3399.

The Weekend Show Down: All Westword, all the time

​ We all know that every single weekend in Denver is like a confectionery of delicious shows: Too many choices, too little time. But if you have a hard time with that status quo, you're going to be ripping your hair out with indecision this weekend, because it's finally here, the Westword Mus ... More >>

Tech N9NE grabs top spot at Independent Records again

​Tech N9NE's latest effort, K.O.D., continues to dominate the top sellers at Independent Records and grabs the number one spot for the third week in a row. Jay-Z's Blueprint 3, meanwhile, still holds strong and claimed the second slot, while Wale's Attention Deficit, released last week on Intersco ... More >>

Q&A with Krispy Kream of the Knux

​Don't let the tight jeans and thick-rimmed glasses fool you. The brothers who make up The Knux were raised about as far away from the suburbs as you can get: New Orleans' Ninth Ward. Still, Krispy Kream and Rah Almillio (aka Kentrell and Alvin Lindsey) found their sound by listening to just a ... 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 >>

Rap-Up: Have you googled YtCracker yet?

Colorado rap star -- and yes he is a star -- YtCracker, is one of the most booked hip-hop artists out of the state. For some reason, the Nerdcore hip-hop music he does is in high demand. He's currently on a nationwide tour with other Nerdcore artists like MC Frontalot and MC Lars and, believe it or ... More >>

Friday Rap-Up: Catch Lungs, The Roots, 50 Cent

LOCALS ONLY Colorado rapper Catch Lungs started get his name buzzed about in the local scene when he started working with producers SP Double and Flawless as part of the Boostwell Crew last year. After separating from Boostwell this summer, he began working on his own mixtape, Food for the Famishe ... More >>

Friday Rap-Up: Black Hollywood, Lil Kim, Naughty By Nature, Eminem

Friday Rap-Up: Scribble Jam, Run-DMC, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z

GZA

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

What the blood clot?! Method Man among early celeb sightings

RZA

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

Critics' Picks for 2007

Backbeat scribes sound off on their favorite releases of the past year.

Friday Rap-Up

The Dead Science Pops Off

Sam Mickens and his crew have a unique view of pop music.

Nationalistic

Our music writers pick the year’s national bests.

Déjà Wu

What's up with the Wu-Tang Clan paying homage to Stapleton and Park Hill?

Ghostface

Tuesday, October 18, Fox Theatre, Boulder, 303-443-3399.

Hit Pick

The Procussions

Nas

God's Son (Columbia)

On the Records

Backbeat contributors reflect on the releases that helped them survive the year 2000.

Playlist

Ol' Dirty Bastard, Richmond Fontaine, Basement Jaxx, Barbra Streisand

Critics Choice: GZA

Playlist

The Return of Superfly

One of the best albums of the Seventies is more timely than ever.

The Closing of the American Ear

We have more musical choices than ever before. So why are so few of us taking advantage of them?