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Best New Hip-Hop Event

Hip-Hop Summit

The inaugural Hip-Hop Summit just took place at the end of March, and we already can't wait for next year's show. Presented by Colorado Street Art and Moods R&B, the event was created by Jarred De Palo, BJ Quarles and Adam Clark and held at ABC Imaging on Kalamath Street. The place was abuzz with energy, with graffiti artists live-painting on the outside and beats and breakdancing on the inside while people perused an exhibit of graffiti photography from New York and Colorado and a pop-up shop of streetwear by Culture Street. A mini-skatepark for fingerboards hosted by Th!s Project and an open-mic cypher rounded out the festivities. It was like a renegade block party the founders remembered from hip-hop's '90s heyday — but as this event proved, it's all still happening in the present.

Best Hip-Hop Album

The Wolf & The Social Club
Ason Yugen

Last June was the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop, and we can't think of an album that better reflects the culture's roots than Denver-based Ason Yugen's The Wolf & The Social Club. Each of the eighteen tracks encourages repeat listens, with pristine beats and Yugen's buttery, emotive flow. Inspired by the way social media has impacted society, it's a concept album that looks at social media as an alternate universe; from opening track "Login" to "The Portal," listeners are placed in the real world, until the track "Algorithm" launches them into an otherworldly journey. A philosophical reflection on tech coupled with classic, sometimes jazzy beats? More, please.

apple.com
open.spotify.com

Best Flow

She Who Won't Be Named

She Who Won't Be Named is the MC of the Beats Bodega hip-hop event at River Bar. And it's impossible to forget her after you hear her quick and witty flow. While it's always a wild time at Beats Bodega, the artist gets reflective on her 2023 EP, Time to Change (released on Bandcamp). We hear her look back on her Southern roots in "Flower Child From Memphis" and witness her charismatic drive in "Light Shines ft J.Seuss"; she's intimate and encouraging on "Sweetly," sharing how creativity and a positive, open attitude can take you far. A lot of rappers have a tight flow, but when it's paired with lyrical talent, that takes it to the next level. She Who Won't Be Named has that and more.

shewhowontbenamed,bandcamp.com

Best Hip-Hop Collab Music Video

"PLZ"
DNA Picasso and Malcolm Whyz3

As if the song "PLZ," a collaboration between rappers DNA Picasso and Malcolm Whyz3, didn't already pop off enough, the accompanying music video, with its high quality and visual variety, takes this creative collaboration even further. Malcolm Whyz3 entered the Denver hip-hop scene in 2019 with an emotional song about his grandmother's passing, making Westword's list of ten rappers to watch in 2023. DNA Picasso is also a mainstay in the city's rap scene, and we're hoping for more collaborations in the future between these two innovative musicians.

Best R&B Singles

Danae Simone

There's nothing like kicking back and putting on some R&B — and next time you do, be sure to add Danae Simone to your playlist. The singer-songwriter puts on a captivating live performance that includes both originals and covers, with vocals that will have you feeling like you're floating in the clouds. The romantic lyrics on her 2023 singles "Is This Love" and "Got Me" are completely relatable, and the songs wrap around listeners like a warm embrace. They're also both total earworms that will be playing in your head for days, begging you to press "play" once again.

danaesimonemusic.com

Best R&B Album

a fools tale.
Spinks

Spinks is a longstanding artist in the Mile High music scene, and her album a fools tale. has been a go-to listen since it dropped last April. Evocative of such artists as Lauryn Hill, Spinks's vocals make listeners melt with a steady vibe that enlightens and intoxicates. Standouts from the album include "last call" and "lights on," which both indicate that this is the perfect album for...we'll say "making love." Aside from the R&B, Spinks is a badass rapper, too: "This That New Flava in Ya Ear," from Above Average, is one of our favorites. Spinks will be dropping singles consistently this year, so save her on your streaming platforms ASAP.

@spinksmusic

Best Hip-Hop Label

Authentic 100 Entertainment

Authentic 100 Entertainment does it all, from recording, producing, mixing and mastering to promotion, merch and videography. A100 stands out for its roster of hip-hop releases as well as its BoxedIn TV series on YouTube, which interviews such artists as local rapper ReSrface, along with the concerts it produces around town at such venues as the Black Buzzard and the Rickhouse. The studio has another incentive: It just partnered with Native Roots, a move that should take your session to new heights.

@a100_recordingstudios

Best Hard Rock Label

Sailor Records

Oscar Russ founded Sailor Records in 2011 to release the debut album of his band Lords of Fuzz, but as his studio began to help out other bands, he realized he was on to something (as well as a tax write-off). Now the label lists fifteen bands that it represents, and locals know it's a big deal to be signed. With the tagline "Music We Believe In and Live By," Sailor Records focuses on quality over quantity, only signing bands that put in serious effort. For proof, take a listen to the release from local band Ipecac that the label put out last year.

sailorrecords.com

Best New Label

Mean World Records

An example of how the city's tight-knit music scene only begets more creativity, Mean World Records launched in September 2023 after Hunter Bates moved to Denver and joined the band Magnolia Grove, where he met his fellow label co-founders, Jason Kaplan and Jake DeMarco. The three created the label in 2023, and it now represents Shady Oaks, the Losers Club, In Plain Air, the Study Abroad, Death Rali, Tarantula Bill and more. Mean World Records is committed to serving the DIY community, and we see that community growing with its help.

meanworldrecords.com

Best Punk Label

Convulse Records

Convulse Records has grown a lot in just a little over five years. Founder Adam Croft began the label in 2018 when he was living in Laramie, Wyoming, as a way to help fellow musicians and friends there. After he moved to Denver the next year, the music community readily welcomed him into the fold, and Convulse now has 26 bands on its roster from Denver and beyond. Convulse makes vinyls, cassettes and T-shirts, too, reflecting the DIY culture it helps to foster.

convulserecords.com

Best Of Denver®

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