There’s been a lot of talk about Rhianna’s controversial new video for the song “Man Down.” If you haven’t seen it, Rihanna shoots a man who is shown to be her rapist with a gun she calls “Peggy Sue.” The scene opens in a crowded area with a shot of…
This week in rap, the beat makers are holding it down. We’ve got Nofrendo, with his KMD drum-and-bass remixed track featuring a Gil Scott Heron sample that’s most appropriate with the poet laureate’s passing. Mass Prod from Food Chain shows a bit of his Donald Byrd/Roy Ayers influence with his…
R&Beast, the latest mixtape release from Wil Guice, finds the R&B crooner essentially taking rap songs and touching them up with his rhythm-and-blues charm. He takes on “H.A.M.,” Kanye West and Jay-Z’s monstrous joint, and, over a stock beat, sings it like nobody’s business with close to perfect pitch, which…
May the faint of heart stay at home when the Academy-Award-winning, multi-platinum legends in Three 6 Mafia take over Casselman’s this Friday. The crew — now consisting of original members Juicy J and DJ Paul — is known for crass Dirty South bounce rap and inflammatory lyrics. Originally hailing from…
ADELE at THE OGDEN THEATRE | 05/28/11Adele swooped into Denver last night with her powerhouse vocals, killer band and sassy attitude and played for a sold-out crowd at the Ogden Theatre. Opening the show with “Hometown Glory,” she got right down to business. Once the curtain dropped, her band started…
This week in rap, we offer several different mediums as viable outlets of rap expression. First up, we’ve got a new video from D’Girl, the Gang Green International affiliate who thrives on spitting hard core rhymes with a pretty face. Naeem Oba, meanwhile, comes out swinging on track whose provocative…
Jane Doed is the “pierced, badass bitch” alter ego of Della frontwoman Amanda Hawkins, who makes her presence known — and then some — on her solo debut. Straight away, the disc’s most captivating feature is Hawkins’s voice. Her vocals nearly sear with pitch perfection, and when it comes to…
Still riding high off the success of his full-length album, Son of the Crack Era, Mr. Midas is gearing up for a Memorial Day release of his latest project, a mixtape titled Flight Risk. Conceptually, he says, the mixtape is an extension of his debut, while others open doors to…
With Copy, Paste, No Glue, Pries has churned out a mixtape that could just as easily pass for a debut album — it’s that good. Not only has he crafted songs with melodies anyone can sing along to, but the delivery of his raps is accessible and clear. Lyrically, Pries…
Who Is Jane Doed? is the name of the debut album from Amanda Hawkins, frontwoman for the band Della. It also refers to the name of Hawkins’s alter ego, the most fierce and strong side of herself. “Jane Doed is not the girl next door,” her bio clarifies. “Unless, by…
Hip-hop lyrics often get lost amongst the bass, snare and 808-drenched beats and production of a song. That’s why, when a rap artist — like Jay-Z, for example — decides to take on MTV’s famous Unplugged series, the outcome can be amazing, as was the case with Jigga, and hopefully…
The singing/rapping phenom known as Pries just released Copy, Paste, No Glue , a mixtape that is an apparent throw to those who imitate, but never duplicate, the young MCs style. As expected, he’s churned out an effort that is perfect for the college-aged demographic who can relate to his…
On his latest mixtape, 24, Julox stars as Black Bauer, an obvious throw to the Fox television show of the same name. Chronicled like a long day filled with violence, drugs, getting random pussy and throwing up middle fingers to the law, 24 finds Julox spitting lyrics with convincing realism…
BLKHRTS, the zealous trio of Yonnas, FOE and Karma, are back with a brand-new track, “SX,DRGS,VLNC, MNY, DTH,” about, well, sex, drugs, violence, money and death. We gave a few listens to the Nathan Reid- and Yonnas-produced cut, which just dropped this morning, and let’s just say the threesome completely…
WAKA FLOCKA FLAME 05.05.11 | Club Arriba Waka Flocka Flame blazed through Denver last night in a whirlwind of dread locks, expensive jewelry, marijuana smoke and gang banger salutations of “Suwoop!” After more than a few terrible openers, he took the stage at a very late 1:20 a.m. By 1:40,…
Denver Broncos Running Back Lance Ball held court (field?) at St. Elizabeth’s School yesterday for a charity event that happened to coincide with Teacher’s Appreciation Day. The children slithered all over him in that adorable, no-boundary-having way that kids do, and he absolutely loved it…
Facebook is starting to make me itch, what with its infestation of high heels and sneaker spam, not to mention the scantily clad women advertising scattered-ass to and fro across the home page. Rather than your favorite social media hangout, it’s turning into the easiest place to catch a digitally…
The Roadside Profits have crafted an work of more-than-good production, slightly off-kilter rapping — in the pleasing sense — and a ubiquitous undertone of rap nostalgia with Roadside Saves. The album weighs in at a hefty fourteen tracks, with more than a few of those slowing down the record’s progress…
Waka Flocka Flame is an artist known just as much for his antics on stage as off. The rapper (born Juaquin Malphurs) hit the scene in 2009 with a monster single, “O Let’s Do It,” which not only spawned a new era of down-south bounce rap, but also ushered a…
DMC DENVER World DJ Championship 4.30.11 | Casselman’s Bar & Venue The DMC’s went down last night at Casselman’s, and DJ Vajra won after enduring massive attacks from underling DJs with lesser talents and a gripping face-off with Cysko Rokwel. The two titans clashed with eloquence, but in the end,…
Rob Swift is not only a turntabling legend, he’s a part of a legendary crew. The X-ecutioners not only ushered in a new era, but they opened the door for many who rock the decks behind some of the most popular artists. Saturday, Swift will be in Denver, performing at…
Cavem Moetavation is one of the hardest hustlers in the hip-hop scene. Not only is he more than proficient on the microphone, he has perfected the balance between art and activism. It’s his mission to teach folks how to eat and engage the community, and this year’s Brown Suga Festival…
