It’s no secret that Radio 1190’s Basementalism on Saturday afternoons showcases the state’s freshest DJ’s and hottest hip-hop, but it’s always a treat when DJ Vajra makes a guest appearance. Arguably one of the best turntablists in the nation, a small five or ten-minute live set from Vajra is a…

This year 800 the Jewell’s record label, Jewell Tyme Music, was named the Best Hip-Hop Label in Denver and in 2009, he’s hoping to retain the title. To get fans amped for the upcoming year, 800, who hasn’t released a new album in two years, sent us a sneak peek…

Last week on Mile High Fidelity, my new show on 101.5 FM, I marveled at how we’d seamlessly segued from the station’s regular programming to our all-local music mix. In the not-too-distant past, listeners might have made unconscious concessions for the homegrown work, assuming that the production and songwriting would…

This was a pretty good year for hip-hop dance crew BreakEFX. They not only won the Colorado’s Best Dance Crew competition earlier this year, but they’ve been booked solid for quite a few events. Some of the standout events include Mighty 4 Colorado, Rockers Rumble 2008, and the recent Boyz…

Nowadays, alternative rock station 93.3 KTCL is showing more and more love to hip-hop music on the air. First it was the Flobots being added to daily rotation last year, then it was the addition of Judgemental (of Basementalism) to Ralphie’s First Trax show on Saturday mornings (6 a.m.-10 a.m.)…

The Ground Zero Movement pretty much went on hiatus a few years ago and with the direction that the members were going it kind of looked like the group basically disbanded. But a new track has been leaked from Sid Fly, Dow Jones, Aseone, D.O. the Fabulous Drifter and DJ…

There’s always an interest when like-minded solo artists come together to collaborate on a project. So when Colorado emcees Whygee and Sunken State announced they were releasing a seven-song EP called Suicide Watch, those who follow the local scene were excited to hear the results. To add to the excitement,…

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard any new music from Ground Zero Movement alum D.O. And that’s okay, because he’s been trying to get his radio thing going. But now that there’s a bit of a break from the college radio scene, D.O. is back in the booth putting…

There is so much talent in the Colorado hip-hop scene that when the community unites, it becomes that much stronger. A new super crew, The Food Chain, is emerging and they’re looking to make a big splash in the local scene. The crew consists of producers Mass Prod, MoHeat, Mic…

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…

In speaking with Westword’s Rap-Up recently, On Point’s Flawless announced the formation of a new crew called the Fresh Breath Committee. The crew consists of former Boostwell group On Point and solo artists Catch Lungs, Purpose, Kontrast, singer Crystal, and DJ Skip Ripken. They’ve done some shows together but we’re…

For a lot of hip-hop fans in Denver, DJ Chonz is only known as the afternoon and weekend DJ on the city’s “hip-hop” radio station, KS107.5. They don’t know he cut his teeth hustling mixtapes at Cinco De Mayo, competing in Regional DMC Championships, and opening up for national artists…

The Pirate Signal are finishing up their nationwide tour with 3OH!3, along with own shows, and will be heading home in a week or two. In the meantime, the group has made their new mixtape, “Of Gods and Gangsters” available for download on Datpiff.com.All you have to do is register…

A few months ago, Distrakt debuted his video for “Fire Escape,” a quirky, sci-fi-inspired tale with the “special effects” to go with it. The song is one of the standout tracks from his 2006 album, Distraktions, but the imagery from the clip makes it that much better. The video has been featured on…

The Procussions originally started out with a handful of members; eventually, the crew was pared to a trio, then a duo. The group called it quits earlier this year — but over the summer, the Procussions announced that they were going to do at least one more album together. Or…

It’s no secret that DJ Vajra is one of, if not the best turntablists out of Colorado. He recently took a trip to San Francisco and connected with one of the best DJ’s on Earth: DJ Q-Bert. Vajra visited Q-Bert at his house and had a scratch session on Q-Bert’s…

Earlier this year, rapper Spoke In Wordz was named Best MC in Westword’s annual Best of Denver issue. Since then, he’s joined local hip-hop group Infinite Mindz with KS107.5’s DJ Chonz as the group’s DJ. But even though the rapper is now part of group, it looks like it’s not…

If the Flobots are bummed with the recent bad show review they got, maybe the news from Music Choice will excite them. The band’s video, “Handlebars,” was nominated in two categories in the channel’s Most Demanded: Music Choice Video On-Demand Awards ’08. The first was “Alternative Video of the Year”…

Because he spent a good portion of his life between Texas and Louisiana, you’d expect Julox to adopt the Southern-fried hip-hop funk of Cash Money Records or the Screwed Up Click in Houston. He certainly has the voice and persona to fit in that circle. But he’s forged his own…

With every re-lease, Joe Thunder and Selector Sam move further away from simple mixtapes and closer to creating compilation albums featuring original rhymes and beats from homegrown rappers and producers. For their latest project, the two headed to east Denver to connect with F.O.E. and B Blacc and showcase the…

In the past year and a half, Flawless and Fo Chief — the rapping and production duo known collectively as On Point — have made a big push in Denver’s hip-hop scene, and their latest effort, D-Town Extravaganza, is a culmination of that hustle. The twosome’s rhymes and production on…