FRIDAY, 5/10 -> We’re super excited to welcome one of my favorite DJs out right now, Houston’s own Dayta, to Denver as we collab with Good Good Fridays, his very dope like-minded party to The Solution. Dayta throws Good Good Fridays with another super dope DJ, Klinch, every Friday night at The Flat, one of Houston’s most highly regarded spots amongst music lovers.  Every week, they bring a ridiculous variety of what they describe as “That Good Good Music” to one of the country’s biggest cities and back in 2011, we partnered up with them for the first ever out of state Solution event (check it out here).  We’ve been wanting to bring a taste of Good Good Fridays to Denver ever since and we’re excited to finally make it happen!  Me & Lazy Eyez will be joining Dayta on the turntables as we bring some undeniably dope Houston flavor to the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St). 21+ / 9pm / No cover til 11 / $5 after. – DJ Low Key

.:Check out more Dayta work on soundcloud:.

*drumroll*

We’re super excited to announce that Jessica, the longtime official Solution bartender, is going to be joining us every Friday at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St)!  Jess has been a big part of the party since just short of day 1 (she worked at the same venue, The Shelter, but in a different room) and we couldn’t be happier about getting her involved with our latest endeavors (no offense to the Meadowlark’s great bartending staff, but Jess is a Solution institution!).  She’ll be bartending on the back patio bar, where she’ll be serving up potent, tasty drinks and talking shit like only she can do every Friday night (and at Goodness too!).  Check out Jess’s top 3 Solution memories from a few years back to get a little more familiar with the infamous Solution bartender.

We used to joke that Jess was more popular than the DJs at the party, but it might be closer to the truth; check out this story from DJ Big Styles for some proof:

Jessica aka “The Bartender” – I know what you’re thinking: Styles, do we need to blow this chick’s head up anymore? Yes, yes we do. Aside from DJs, “The Bartender” has been the only mainstay for me at the Solution. You never forget your first time, and my first time was back in ‘07 at Low Key’s birthday party. What’s crazy for me is how directly this night mimicked the lyrics to T-Pain’s hit from the same year, ironically titled- wait for it: “Bartender.” (I know right! T-Pain is a GENIUS!) Follow the eerie parallels: 1) I had just broke up with my girl, and had gone to the club. 2) I was just looking for someone to talk to and show me some love. 3) Everybody was jocking me as soon as I stepped in the spot. 3) We can all agree that Jessica is a prettly lil’ thing, and the bar at that time was up at the top. 4) When I ordered my beer she indeed showed me some love (well she had to, the manager at Bar Standard recognized me and comped my beer! ) 4) She gave me drinks to drink 5) I drunk em. 6) I could have sworn that I thought she she thought I was cool. 7) I gave her a wink she winked back…..and that’s where the similarity ends. Yup, I ignored the live performances and instead hit on “the bartender.’ Of course I thought I was brand new, in reailty I quickly became another statistic on the “Dudes at the Solution who have hit on me” chart that I imagine the nerdier version of Jessica has on her laptop. But for a few minutes many moons ago, life absolutely imitated art. God Bless T-Pain, and God Bless the Solution.

FRIDAY, 5/3 -> Don’t miss an extra special edition of The Solution w/DJ Low Key & Lazy Eyez at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St) as we team up with TiredPirate & Family Affair for our first limited edition Art Of Records tee (!!!!!), right on time to commemorate the one year passing of rap legend MCA of the Beastie Boys.  We’re taking TiredPirate’s fantastic Ill Communication-inspired piece from The Art Of Records, flipping into a fresh t-shirt, then releasing at The Solution while we go heavy on the Beastie Boys to celebrate the life of MCA and the music of the Beastie Boys (plus a lot of the top quality hip hop we normally rock).  To make things even better, proceeds from the sale of the tee are going to a Colorado scene fixture, the Denver chapter of national nonprofit Hip Hop Congress.

On top of the tees, Hip Hop Congress will be running a raffle with a ridiculous lineup of prizes to raise money for Summer’s annual Spirit Of Hip Hop Park Jam, including great stuff from the likes of Rawh Brand, Xencs L. Wing, TiredPirate, Joseph Martinez, DJ Matt Cassidy & more, plus of course, a few of our limited Public Microphone tees.  We’ll be rocking the best in hip hop & a whole lot more on the turntables, The Cluck Truck will be parked out front with delicious food (check their menu HERE, it look like a perfect compliment to a good beer or post party wrap up meal) and all shall be right in the Denver for the night.

Complimentary photo booth / Beautiful patio / $5 Red Bull & Svedka / 21+ / No cover until 11 / Only $5 after / “Our town’s longest running & most revered hip hop night…A testament to quality” – Westword / More info on the party on Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr

P.S. We have a second colorway to unveil too, gotta love that!!!

FRIDAY, 4/26 -> It’s late notice, but catch Solution co-founders DJ Low Key DJ Sounds Supreme & extra special guest, DMC World Champion/Master Of The Mix/DJ legend Chris Karns (don’t call him Vajra!) for what promises to be a great night at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St), ’nuff said.  9pm/21+/No cover til 11/$5 after.

P.S. Low, Sounds & Chris are switched hats in this picture, that’s why Low looks like he has no eyes, Sounds looks like a conehead & Chris’s hat looks too small…LOL…Good be a fun one!!!

Every FRIDAY at 9pm -> The Solution w/DJ Low Key, Lazy Eyez & friends at the Meadowlark.

The best in hip hop & a whole lot more.

Complimentary photo booth.

Food by Year Of The Snake.

Beautiful patio.

No cover until 11 / Only $5 after.

Facebook. Twitter. Tumblr.

21+ / 2701 Larimer St.

$5 Red Bull & Svedka / $3 Red Bull / $3.50 Svedka Vodka.

“Our town’s longest running & most revered hip hop night…A testament to quality” – Westword.

Back in February, DJ Spyda T.E.K. came into the 2013 Solution Beat Battle with an insane collection of beats and left the winner, beating out a group of ridiculously talented producers from Denver and beyond.  DJ Low Key recently talked to Spyda T.E.K. and learned more about the Colorado Springs producer/DJ who trekked up to Denver to claim this year’s title and a spot as this month’s featured producer at The Solution Showcase #14.

You won The 2013 Solution Beat Battle earlier this year; but you do a lot more, what all does Spyda T.E.K. get into?

Man, I’m a full time DJ, producer, dad, n seeker of all things relating to music. Just on a mission to let ppl know what I do is not some fly by night thing. This is all Ive been into since I could reach a turntable and a tape player (remember that! Haha)

There are quite a few different lanes you do venture into, you’re definitely not a one-genre dude…What types of music are you into making these days?

Yea I like a lot of different styles. I make some boom bap stuff, edm influenced trap, moombahton, electro…club influenced beats, n a little bit of r&b. I mean, anything I feel inspired by & dig, ill go into it. My heart lies with straight hip hop & EDM. Soundscapes I grew up with.

Sounds like it was a natural transition to DJing and producing…Which one of those came first and when was that?

I became a DJ officially when I was 10yrs old. Before that I was mixing maxi singles on two boomboxes. Hahaha. I didn’t start producing till about 2003.  I only started producing because I was without my setup for a while. I originally had an mpc 2000 XL then went to FL Studio because the process for chopping samples n stacking drums was a lot faster.

How does the mixing on two boomboxes work?

Uhhh…Haha. straight ghetto rigging the door of the deck so I can slow down the pitch. I haven’t done that in such a long time. I don’t know how I discovered that at 8yrs old. Crazy.

Do you still use FL (Fruity Loops) Studio?

Yea, FL Studio is all I use still to this day but im trying to feel out other DAWS to see what else I can do.

What do you prefer about FL Studio over other software/hardware options?

Well I haven’t used anything else since I first started other than the mpc 2000

What’s your beatmaking process normally like? What do you start with?

I just like the fast pace of producing in FL. If I have an idea I can just lay down the basics n go from there. I don’t know. Anything can start it. A sample, a drum, a melody…I try different things out n see how it works.

Was this year’s Solution Beat Battle your first time battling, at least as a producer?

This is my 2nd battle since being here in Colorado but that was a different type of battle. They were looking for more waka flocka trap style of beats.  Not the lane I typically like going into.

What was your approach to picking beats and preparing for the battle?

Preparing for the Solution battle was fun because I was familiar with what type of beats that fit within the concept. My goal wasn’t to win, just have my material exposed to the right audience. I just wanted my music to be heard n maybe someone would like em. The bad part was battling people I developed relationships with like Black Jordan Cliff Cage & Big J beats. It wasn’t easy doing that because I respect their work n the beats they bring to the whole element.

If winning wasn’t your focus, what did it feel like when you were announced as the winner?

Like I was straight up dreaming haha

Click here to view the embedded video.

Also, do you feel like you exposed your music how you has hoped to? Have you notched any effects of that so far?

Definitely. Lots of these artists n producers I’ve known beforehand really only knew me as djing either Latin clubs or raves…Its not exactly screamin “hip hop” you know. I felt like they actually paid attention n respected what they heard afterwards.

That’s great to hear. What are you working on next?

I’m working on a project with Dj Dozen, another joint with Cliff Cage & HoTT, n a few cuts with L.A. Latin hip hop artist Solares, & a few joints on the EDM tip.

And what previous projects do you have that people can check from you online?

Honestly. projects I’ve worked on are all over the place but I try to keep some of my past projects n current ones up on my soundcloud.  Actually one project I can think of…I did a mixtape “DarkSide West” with this dude named Bad Guy Fly out in L.A. I produced the majority of it. It’s out there on the internet. I also did a joint with Planet Asia 2 years ago. Never released, but he played it for me over the phone one night. Lol. I’m still waiting to hear the final cut.

Catch Spyda T.E.K. rocking with legendary DJ RHETTMATIC of the World Famous Beat Junkies, Denver supergroup Fly4Wird, Solution co-founders DJ Low Key & Sounds Supreme and Welcome to the D.O.P.E. Game’s DJ Dozen for The Solution Showcase #14 on Wednesday 4/24 at Beauty Bar Denver (608 E. 13th St).  Check out more info on the showcase here.

The Solution Showcase #14 rolls around Wednesday April 24th, and this time we’ll be graced by sounds from the legendary DJ Rhettmatic, of Beat Junkies and Visionaries fame. We caught up with him to talk about how the DJ game has changed, what that means for his generation and ours, and how he’s stayed relevant throughout it all. Check out everything he has in the works, including how we can expect to get down at Beauty Bar tonight.

HipHopRollCall (Rachel Chesbrough): You’ve been a prominent name on the DJ scene since the 90s; how did you maintain that kind of longevity in the fast-moving hip hop/nightlife business?

A lot of it has to do with sticking to your guns, but at the same time you have to reinvent yourself. You gotta be on top of things. A guy from my generation, you have to learn how to have balance in terms of remaining true to yourself, but at the same time you have to learn how to adapt to what’s goin’ on out there. Figure out what you really wanna do, ‘cause at the end of the day, this is your job. This is my passion but this is also my job. I do it for the love of course, I always tell people that if you’re gonna do this, do it ‘cause you love to do it. ‘Cause this is not no walk in the park. You really gotta love what you’re doin’. As you get older, you know, you’re not the same person as you are when you start off. I’m still a hip-hop head, I try to listen to who’s hot out there…there might be stuff I don’t like but I’m not gonna bash it. But at the same time you gotta be on top of that. I still buy records but then I also use technology to my advantage. It’s up to you as an individual what you wanna do. So, you gotta keep working, you can’t just stop and come back thinkin’ it’s gonna be ok. No. Especially now, things change in the blink of an eye. I guess to put it in the simplest terms, you gotta just stick to your guns and reinvent yourself at the same time, stay on top of your game. That’s it. [Question courtesy of DJ Low Key]

Turntablism is alive and well, but like everything it’s shifted over time, much of it away from hip-hop. Are you comfortable with the direction DJing is headed?

I might have my personal opinions, but everything has its time and place. I do wish there was more hip hop in the basis of it, but in my humble opinion (not everyone might agree with me on this) technology is a gift and a curse. READ WHY & THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW AT HIPHOPROLLCALL.COM…

While you might not be familiar with the group Fly4Wird (set to perform at The Solution Showcase #14), if you’ve been in the front range over the last few years (or decade really), you should already have heard of Babah Fly, Fast4Ward & Mike Wird aka the three members of the group.  MC/producer Babah Fly linked with MC/B-boy Mike Wird a few years back for their BabahWird project and more recently brought genius DJ/producer/one man band DJ Fast4Ward into the fold.  Since then, the three of them have been make left of center tracks that have gotten lots of attention here in Denver and beyond.  Take a quick look at their latest videos and learn more about all three members of Fly4Wird below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mike Wird (from his bio)

Mike Wird is the artist’s artist. A Hiphop Renaissance Man, he is well versed in all creative expressions/elements of the globally recognized Universal Hiphop Kulture, as a producer/emcee, in 2001 the independent underground release of Universal Devices was of his first contributions to a Hiphop musical work of art w/ Denver based crew, Bugaboo a staple conglomerate rockin shows in the local scenes and buzzing overseas in Europe(Amsterdam) through out the 90’s and early 2000’s.

Since, Mr.Wird has partnered with several talented, culturally minded artist with works credited to BabahFlyJedi’s 2009 release Electro Sufi, a contributing member of Denver based internationally recognized Moetavation Crew and a Mixtape/cd hosted by DJSD called Wird is Bond, with planned 2010 releases including the compilation series Mike Wird presents Afronaut Funk (vol.1), and his first full length solo work to be released soon! It’s only the beginning……..

WEDNESDAY, 4/24 -> With The Solution w/DJ Low Key & Lazy Eyez back to weekly status every Friday night and winning awards for it, we realized that Fridays should stay focused on the straight up party vibe at the Meadowlark and decided to move The Solution Showcase and it’s concert/party/beat showcase/etc mixed vibe over to Beauty Bar Denver (608 E. 13th St) so we could have more flexibility and a bigger stage to play with.

Click here to view the embedded video.

UPDATE: Blu, TiRon & Ayomari are canceling /postponing their tour and we’re disappointed to say that because of that they will not be performing at The Solution Showcase #14.  With that said, we’re excited to announce THE LEGENDARY DJ RHETTMATIC of the WORLD FAMOUS BEAT JUNKIES will be taking their place as our out of town special guest instead.  Rhettmatic is a legend in the LA scene, having been a fixture of their nightlife circuit, working with artists like Cypress Hill, The Visionaries & Buff1 while winning quite a few DJ battle titles as well.  Expect him to smash the turntables like only a legend can.

This month’s featured Denver act is recently formed CO supergroup Fly4Wird (aka Babah Fly, DJ Fast 4Ward & Mike Wird) and our featured producer is 2013 Solution Beat Battle winner Spyda T.E.K., who blew a lot of Denver heads away en route to winning the 2013 title.  Solution co-founders DJ Low Key & Sounds Supreme as well as Welcome to the D.O.P.E. Game’s DJ Dozen will be holding down the turntables as well and our friends at Red Bull are hooking up the first 50 people through the door with complimentary new Red Bull Editions.  $8 pre-sales at the weekly Solution via DJ Low Key or Lazy Eyez or at any Family Affair / $10 at the door / 21+.

.:Order pre-sale tickets to The Solution Showcase #14 online for $8:.

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://www.denversolution.com/2013/04/22/wednesday-424-the-solution-showcase-14-wblu-tiron-ayomari-fly4wird-spyda-t-e-k-dj-low-key-dj-dozen-at-beauty-bar-denver-the-solution-showcase-has-a-new-monthly-home-but-you-can-stil/feed/ 2 http://www.denversolution.com/2013/04/16/friday-419-special-guests-dj-slopfunkdust-phoenix-dj-dielekt-las-vegas-at-the-solution-wdj-low-key-lazy-eyez-at-the-meadowlark/ http://www.denversolution.com/2013/04/16/friday-419-special-guests-dj-slopfunkdust-phoenix-dj-dielekt-las-vegas-at-the-solution-wdj-low-key-lazy-eyez-at-the-meadowlark/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:29:42 +0000 djlowkey http://www.denversolution.com/?p=478

FRIDAY, 4/19 -> We’re back at it for another round of the best in hip hop and everything else great at The Solution w/DJ Low Key & Lazy Eyez and this week we’re welcoming two special out of town guests, DJs Dielekt (Las Vegas) & Slopfunkdust (Phoenix) to join in on the fun at the Meadowlark.  Slopfunkdust is founder of the high regarded Beat Fanatic crew, which originally featured the likes of Nicolay, !llmind & Rhettmatic and who’s Beat Society events have been some of the country’s best producer-oriented events over the last decade or so.  A respected producer and DJ himself, you can catch Slop on the turntables in Phoenix and traveling around the country spinning a ton of fantastic music.  Kool DJ Dielekt holds things down in Vegas at Sunday Skoolin’ and various spots around the city, working to bring some balance to the music scene in The City Of Sin.  Catch them both rocking on the turntables with The Solution’s own DJ Low Key & Lazy Eyez for what should be another fantastic night.  Delicious food by Year Of The Snake/21+/9pm/No cover until 11/Only $5 after/2701 Larimer St.