Kev Kash is a rising talent from the local scene who has songs with the likes of Innerstate Ike, Myrical and Mr. Midas. Kash says 2Pac is his biggest influence, but he says his style is comparable to Lupe or Kendrick Lamar. We recently caught up with the rapper, who has a new record coming out titled Moon Light Grind Vol. 1. Keep reading to get a sneak peek of the new album and to find out more about Kash.

See also:
- Esi Juey has a "hundred-round clip of hits"
- J.Rebelz on female MCs finding their own voice instead of playing second fiddle to men
- Albeez 4 Sheez of A-Co Recordz is still thriving after more than a decade in the game

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There are many different versions of DJ Babyshoe running around Denver, depending on who you ask and when they last saw him. On any given weekend, Babyshoe (aka Eric Talledo) is crisscrossing the city spinning forgotten hits at the Lost Lake, playing a party hosted by TheHundred or unleashing late night grooves for Dance-Pile.

While he says he enjoys the variety ("it can be whatever you want it to be," he explains), Babyshoe has been devoting more time to the beat scene lately, including curating evenings of chilled out, futuristic sounds for Fresh Produce, his bi-monthly live showcase at the Meadowlark.

See also:
- Meet Real Cosby, a local producer making dynamic, retro-futuristic, experimental house
- Black Amex sounds as opulent as its name
- Nathaniel Rateliff reinvents himself with the Night Sweats

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Forget everything you know about the man known as Nathaniel Rateliff. Whatever image that name conjures for you will be obsolete the next time you see him. The extraordinarily talented musician, whom we first came to know as the frontman of Born in the Flood and later came to love as one of this town's most expressive songwriters, is in the process of reinventing himself again. He's got these new songs he's playing, and, man, I'll tell you what, they're simply splendid. Like vintage soul? Great. You're going to love this.

See also:
- Nathaniel Rateliff is one of Denver's most lauded and admired singer-songwriters
- Best of Denver 2010: Best Singer-Songwriter - Nathaniel Rateliff
- Colorado Symphony performs Beck Song Reader with Nathaniel Rateliff, Otis Taylor

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Born Jewel Cameron II, Esi Juey was born in California, and he moved around as a child, living in places like Ohio, before eventually landing in the Mile High City. One of the most promising local rappers to emerge in recent years, he's swinging for the fences. "I'm trying to hit a homerun," the rapper declares. "There is really no other reason to do it. Right now we are going on pure talent, with no money behind us or a big label. Everything you have seen this far is pure talent."

See also:
- J.Rebelz on female MCs finding their own voice instead of playing second fiddle
- Julie Davis returns to her roots with the Seven Hats, a new act with Joseph Pope
- Black Amex sounds as opulent as its name

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Gary Isaacs

Remember Bela Karoli, the band fronted by Julie Davis? Yeah, it seems like a bazillion years since we've heard anything from that act -- and for good reason. Davis has been busy touring the globe with Nathaniel Rateliff and tending to her other groups, Fairchildren and Miss America. Now she's returned with the Seven Hats, an outfit that's much closer to the music of Bela Karoli.

See also:
- Denver's ten best side projects
- Bela Karoli Puts Poetry in Motion
- Best of Denver 2008: Best Frontwoman - Julie Davis

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J.Rebelz is steadily making a name for herself in the local hip-hop scene. Known otherwise as Jaqueline Rodriguez, J.Rebelz came to Denver from El Paso more than a decade ago and says Nas is the one who sparked her passion for rhyming. We recently caught up with the MC, who just dropped a video for her new single "Seen So Many Places" and is in the process of putting together her second album, An Underdog's Manifesto, a followup to The Rebellion.

See also:
- Black Amex sounds as opulent as its name
- Meet Cicely O'Kain, burgeoning R&B sensation
- Laskin & Robinson: Two dudes from Kinetix branch out stylistically with a new group

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The American Express Centurion Card is the ultimate status symbol. Otherwise known as the Black Card, the card is issued on an invitation-only basis -- according to Wikipedia, whose word we're going to have to take because we know precisely zero cardholders -- to the upper echelon of the upper echelon, an exclusive club that, sadly, you and I will never belong to.

See also:
- Meet Cicely O'Kain, burgeoning R&B sensation
- Meet Laskin & Robinson: Two Kinetix dudes branch out stylistically with a new group
- Big J Beats' Jay-Z mash-up, American Gangster, stands out

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Aikema Photography

Cicely O'Kain is a magnetic singer with incredible vocal chops. Her first album, Ms. Understood, which came out last October, is filled with feelings of infatuation, joy, pleasure and pain. Every note O'Kain sings is delivered with such conviction that she turns what would normally be a standard R&B jam into a remarkable gem. It's no wonder she has been tapped to open up for Johnny Gill this weekend at the Crowne Plaza. When it comes to representing R&B in the Mile High City, it really doesn't get much better than O'Kain. Continue on to get to know this rising talent.

See also:
- Saturday: Cicely O'Kain at Crowne Plaza DIA with Johnny Gill, 4/6/13
- The new faces of R&B in Denver
- After American Idol, Su Charles (now SuCh) is back to show off her Stretch Marks

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Tobin Voggesser

Adam Lufkin and Josh Fairman of Kinetix have formed a new group called Laskin & Robinson that sounds nothing like their other band. The songs the outfit has posted thus far showcase a variety of styles, and they're done pretty well, from synthy, funk-laden hip-pop on tracks like "Ass Work" and "Top Shelf," featuring Corey Henry from Galactic and DJ CheckOne, to funk and dub-filled electro on tunes like "Falling Down," to dubstep on their remix of Ellie Goulding's "Lights." Lufkin, the 'fro-rocking portion of Kinetix, is at the forefront on guitar and vocals, while Fairman handles bass duties and shares production with Lufkin. Continue on to sample some tunes from Laskin & Robinson.

See also:
- With more than 40K of touring under its belt, Kinetix keeps things moving
- Kinetix on offering up a stoner-approved rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody"
- Review: Kinetix - Talking to Faces

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Contrary to trends among rising hip-hop artists these days, Big J Beats doesn't flood the internet with a new song or mixtape every other week. But despite the shortage of releases, he's definitely prolific, and it turns out his hard drive is a gold mine of unreleased gems, including American Gangsters, a jewel of a remix album he dropped last week that combines Jay-Z a capellas with the soulful sounds of the O'Jays -- a natural combination in more ways than their shared syllable.

See also:
- Review: Jay-Z at the Pepsi Center, 3/22/10
- What are Jay-Z's 99 problems? We know a bitch ain't one
- Jay-Z's come a long way from the Marcy Projects

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