Email AuthorNoah Hubbell
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P.O.S. on Anonymous: "Why support hackers? I can't think of any reason not to support hackers"
June 19, 2013 in Backbeat
Kelly Loverud P.O.S., due at this weekend's Westword Music Showcase, is a founding member of the eclectic and independent Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree. He's been dealing with kidney problems of late,...
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What Artistic Movements Do These Rappers Exemplify?
June 19, 2013 in Sound of the City
Rap Game Max Ernst: Riff RaffStylistically, rap has exploded, and the pieces fall everywhere from the mind-bogglingly complex to the unbelievably simple, from the brazenly dissident to the unapologetically mainstream....
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Ten more (un)likely signings for Cash Money
June 05, 2013 in Backbeat
Cash Money Records, the label founded by Bryan "Baby/Birdman" Williams in 1991, rose to prominence in the hip-hop scene with its signing of the Hot Boys, consisting of B.G., Young...
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Ten rappers and the artistic movements they exemplify
June 04, 2013 in Backbeat
Stylistically, rap has exploded, and the pieces fall everywhere from the mind-bogglingly complex to the unbelievably simple, from the brazenly dissident to the unapologetically mainstream. Rappers' influences seem to come...
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The ten best hip-hop shows in Denver in June
June 03, 2013 in Backbeat
GETO BOYS @ SUMMIT MUSIC HALL | SAT, 6/22/13 When it comes to the history of hip-hop in the Dirty South, it begins with Geto Boys and their self-titled, Rick Rubin-produced...
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Juicy J at Cervantes', 5/28/13
May 29, 2013 in Backbeat
JUICY J @ CERVANTES' MASTERPIECE BALLROOM | 5/28/13 Juicy J is like the frying pan that you don't wash. You'd never show your guests you're cooking with him, but he is...
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Listen to "They Call Us the Irish," a new track from Time's forthcoming album, Newstalgia
May 24, 2013 in Backbeat
Randy Stillwell Time (aka Chris Steele) has long been focused on enacting positive change and has rarely been shy about voicing his opinions. As a journalist, he's written on controversial subjects...
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Fresh new hip-hop from Wheelchair Sports Camp, Bullhead*ded, Molina Speaks and more
May 22, 2013 in Backbeat
This week's crop of new local hip-hop jams is particularly eclectic, ranging from boom-bap to electronic to jazzy to funk. We've got tracks from Wheelchair Sports Camp, Bullhead*ded, Molina Speaks...
3 Loco at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, 5/17/13
May 20, 2013 in Backbeat
A rundown of the rap world's favorite drugs
May 07, 2013 in Backbeat
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Fresh local hip-hop from Atak One, Planes!, Foodchain and Zome of Diamond Boiz
May 06, 2013 in Backbeat
Welcome back to another edition of That's a Rap. This week, we've got another a fresh batch of homegrown hip-hop for you. Whether you're looking for a rugged, classic sound...
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Ten best hip-hop shows in Denver this month
May 03, 2013 in Backbeat
FLOBOTS @ AGGIE THEATRE | FRI, 5/3/13 Half a decade after releasing the platinum single "Handlebars," which made rounds on radios across the country, the Flobots have grown significantly, both as...
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The ten best dis tracks of all time
April 30, 2013 in Backbeat
Aaron Thackeray Since hip-hop's genesis, beef has been as integral a driving force to the art as bravado. There've been some titanic tangles over the years, from Canibus facing off with...
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The fifty greatest rap groups of all time
April 23, 2013 in Backbeat
There's something great about a hip-hop group. From the beginning, rap was never intended to be a solo endeavor; it began in cyphers at block parties, and the first established...
Fresh local hip-hop from SP Double, Sole, Anxious and Thomas tha Franchise
April 19, 2013 in Backbeat
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The fifty greatest rap groups of all time: 50-26
April 18, 2013 in Backbeat
The mighty men of Little Brother. There's something great about a hip-hop group. From the beginning, it was never intended to be a solo endeavor; rap began in cyphers at block...
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Raekwon's thoughts on storytelling in hip-hop
April 16, 2013 in Backbeat
Antoinio Valenzuela This Friday, Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan is teaming up with DJ Premier to celebrate 4/20 at the 420 Extravaganja this Friday, April 19, at HoodLab. This show marks...
After Death By Ego, Dyalekt of the Diamond Boiz puts old moniker to rest, becomes Jay Class
April 15, 2013 in Backbeat
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The ten greatest East Coast rappers of all time
April 11, 2013 in Backbeat
Britt Chester The East Coast, particularly New York, is the mecca of hip-hop. It is it's birthplace and still the most reliable source for pure, uncut, unadulterated rap music. Chronicling the...
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The Pit, a new hip-hop open-mic night, debuts this Thursday at the Funky Buddha
April 10, 2013 in Backbeat
Chris Morgan This Thursday, April 11, 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...
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The ten greatest Midwest rappers of all time
April 05, 2013 in Backbeat
The Midwest is the bastard child of the American rap scene at large -- unsung and independent, with a massive chip on its shoulder. The most talented artists from the...
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The ten greatest West Coast rappers of all time
April 03, 2013 in Backbeat
Eric Gruneisen West Coast rap is sometimes disparaged by hip-hop purists for it's perceived lack of lyricism and substance, but what it lacks in lyrical acrobatics and "message," it more than...
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The ten most underrated rappers of all time
April 01, 2013 in Backbeat
What contributes to a rapper's underrated status? Is it the unwillingness to compromise? The inability to compromise? An early demise? Bad promotion? Possibly all of these things and more? Whatever...
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The ten best hip-hop shows in Denver this April
March 28, 2013 in Backbeat
SAGE FRANCIS @ FOX THEATRE | THU, 4/18 When evaluating an artist like Sage Francis, the question inevitably arises: Should a musician be cherished for the values they hold and their...
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The ten greatest Southern rappers of all time
March 25, 2013 in Backbeat
It took a long time for the South to be recognized as a major player in the hip-hop scene, and it still has a ways to go to be held...