Solution Projects

Upcoming Solution Projects:

-#TheSolution6 starts on Friday, 2/8/13…Details coming soon…

Producers, beatmakers & such, it’s almost time to announce details on the follow up to 2012’s debut Solution Beat Battle, but we wanted to take a quick minute to give all y’all an early heads up so you can start getting into battle mode before next month.  Just like last year, a dozen of Denver’s top producers will face off head to head to see who has the best beats in town.  The Solution Beat Battle is taking submissions for competitors from now until Friday , February 8th.  No application fee necessary.  Please send either:

-A soundcloud link to 3+ of your beats
or
-An e-mail with 3 beats attached
or
-A streaming link to a project you produced

and

-a photo of yourself (to be posted when the competitors are announced)

and

-a short bio

to:

thesolutionbeatbattle <at> denversolution (dot) com

Submission deadline is Friday, 2/8. Participants will be announced on Tuesday, 2/12.

#TheSolution6

Solution Projects Overview:

-Everything Solution Showcase

-Everything 2012 Solution Beat Battle

-Everything #TheSolution5

-Everything Solution Boulder

-Everything Ahead Of The Class CO Tour


More Solution Events:

BK Beats talks about his Solution Beat Battle & Solution Showcase experiences…

Solution Beat Battle winner BK Beats wrote a little something about his experiences at The Solution Beat Battle and Solution Showcase (he played at #5 as part of his prize).  With The Solution Showcase #11 right around the corner, now seemed like a great time to share his experiences with everybody:

Off top, MAD love to all the folks in Denver who’ve helped make it happen for me, showed my music love, or just downright know good music and how to nurture it. Shout out to DJ Low Key for rocking with me from the start! He’s really about this music, living and breathing it, with an ear to the street at all times.

My experiences in Denver started off with the February Solution Beat Battle, Courtland Urbano and Boonie Mayfield showcase, as well as dope ass Tanya Morgan set. @Imtrumaine, a friend and fellow producer out of Chicago hit me up to let me know that Boonie Mayfield had been tweeting about the show and that I should enter. I was a bit frustrated with the music climate in Albuquerque NM or the lack thereof in my eyes so I sent in a few beats the day of the deadline as well as a little write up including some names of who I’ve produced for and such. Didn’t hear back for a week or so and started to sweat it, until Low Key hit me up and let me know I had made it into the Battle. I got a few friends together for the trip and went for it!

What was illest was that Low Key knew of most of the cats I’d produced for! Just to show his good taste and network he was more than familiar with Moe Green a bay cat, featuring a track from him on his and Sounds Supreme’s The Solution Tape #1. Add 2 was another dude Low Key was up on, great talent out of Chicago and featured performer for tonight’s party!!

The Battle was CRAZY! Everybody showed each other love, which was greatly appreciated with me being from out of town and all that, it was a lot of comradery, love for music, and overall TALENT. Met a lot of really dope folks at the battle, most of those I keep in touch with on the semi-regular. That weekend was amazing, I turned 21 the day before this show, and thus was allowed in, and all the good people definitely gave me the inspiration and encouragement to keep pushing my music… Shout out to my backup dancers as well! Winning was unreal, I’d never won ANYTHING before! I was in some serious shock when the judges made that announcement. But shouts out to Big J, Cliff Cage, Jordan, Dealz and all the other beasts I went up against. Shouts out to Boonie for the kind words, Courtland for the encouragement, and Tanya Morgan for fucking with me. That was an insane night. Left town around 2am and went straight to work off no sleep haha, waaay too excited from the show to even let that trip me out though.

As part of winning, I got to come back to do some recording at Side 3 Studios with the homie Chase and my friend Pablo who is an incredible piano and guitar player. I picked up a ton of dope/free gear from Family Affair, and ultimately got to spin a live beat set at one of the next Solution shows. Side 3 Studios was a sick experience, amazing studio and amazing folks. Really understood my vision and made the work reflect that. Chase is a really talented cat, I need to really get my $ up and go put in some more work over there! Regardless, this is where the idea for my instrumental EP with Pablo ‘Time is of the Essence” really came from. I decided to use my time at Side 3 to just record live instrumentation for this EP rather than any vocals or anything like that, and all the music came out INSANE! Pabz and Chase killed it! I can’t wait to release this stuff, it’s looking like before August, and will feature some really dope bonus cuts with a couple MC’s! Family Affair was really awesome as well! They had a lot of real clean gear from the illest in street wear brands. They’re ultimately a really well run shop! Plus they showed my music and me a lot of love just based off of the beat battle, so much love to the homies there! Had me feeling like a star, I could really get used to getting free gear haha.

But overall the sickest part about winning and coming back to Denver was The Showcase. That was my first real show ever, so I was super blessed. I got to open for some real talents like Whygee, Brik-A-Brak, and Median of JAMLA and Justus-Fuckin-League!! I put together a playlist, and Low Key showed me how to use Serato during sound check, and I basically tried to outweigh my nervousness with the amount of brand new material I had on deck. I played about 20 minutes of new stuff, some collabs, remixes and exclusives. Seemed like people enjoyed it, so that’s all I can ask for…Plus, the Meadowlark was a groovy venue! I was even blessed enough to coincidentally have my Mom in Denver for work that weekend, so she made it out! Shouts out to the girl who bought Moms and I vodka shots hahaha! Also shouts out to everyone who came out, showed me love that night, and everyone I opened for, all great folks! Might have some work coming with a few of the names mentioned above.

All my experiences in Denver and with The Solution have really been blessings, I credit you all with the drive I’ve had these past couple months, and the overall decision to keep going full steam ahead with music! Denver has so much love for my music. It’s truly still all pretty unreal! I’m super thankful for all of the big homies that helped me get my foot in the door! And hope to work a lot with this really awesome circle of folks a lot more in the future! Another example of great folks, and great music brought to you by The Solution!  Hope to make it up to the city again soon. – BK Beats

The Solution Beat Battle Contestants…Catch The Solution Beat Battle at La Rumba on Sunday, 2/26/12 w/special guests Boonie Mayfield, Tanya Morgan & Courtland Urbano fka Xperiment…

SUNDAY, 2/26 -> After a lot of deliberation and a ton of listens to all the great submissions we got, we finally narrowed everything down to the twelve producers that we think will go hardest in the battle yesterday.  We got a ton of top notch beat submissions; some were really dope just too relaxed for a battle, some showed a lot of potential but needed a little refinement and someone had to be the tough 13th person who was super close to making it so if you submitted and didn’t get in, definitely don’t think it was because your beats were wack (although we did get a couple of wack submissions, can’t win ‘em all…LOL).  With that said, here are the 12 competitors for The Solution Beat Battle:

Jay Gunna
Dealz Makes Beats
Yonnas
DJ Matt Cassidy
Cliff Cage
One Flu Over
Big J Beats
Infamous Jones
BK Beats
Nofrendo
IQ
Intricate Dezighn

And here’s more info on The Solution Beat Battle at La Rumba (99 W. 9th Ave) in case you missed it the first time around.  At the battle, a dozen of Denver’s top producers will face off head to head to see who has the best beats in town for the title, studio time from Side 3 (Denver’s top recording facility), a huge gear package from Family Affair and a paid feature at an upcoming Solution Showcase .  Colorado production icon Boonie Mayfield & beat prodigy Courtland Urbano (fka Xperiment) will be rocking live beat showcases and “legends in the making” (according to Ali Shaheed Muhammed of A Tribe Called Quest)/new school vets Tanya Morgan will be performing to headline the event.  Last but not least, DJ Low Key, Sounds Supreme & Lazy Eyez will be on the turntables throughout the night.  21+ / $10 cover / doors at 9.

Sunday, 2/26/2012 -> The Solution Beat Battle at La Rumba w/special guests Boonie Mayfield, Tanya Morgan & Courtland Urbano fka Xperiment… – February 2012

SUNDAY, 2/26 -> We’re excited to present The Solution Beat Battle at La Rumba (99 W. 9th Ave).  A dozen of Denver’s top producers will face off head to head to see who has the best beats in town.  Colorado production icon Boonie Mayfield & beat prodigy Courtland Urbano (fka Xperiment) will be rocking live beat showcases and “legends in the making” (according to Ali Shaheed Muhammed of A Tribe Called Quest)/new school vets Tanya Morgan will be performing.  Producers, beatmakers & such, The Solution Beat Battle is taking submissions for competitors from now until Monday, February 20th.  No application fee necessary.  Please send either:

-A soundcloud link to 3+ of your beats
or
-An e-mail with 3 beats attached
or
-A streaming link to a project you produced

and

-a photo of yourself (to be posted when the competitors are announced)

and

-a short bio

to:

thesolutionbeatbattle <at> denversolution (dot) com

Submission deadline is Monday, 2/20. Participants will be announced on Thursday, 2/23.

#TheSolution5

UPDATE: Prize packages announced. The winners gets recording time at Side 3 Studios (Denver’s premier recording facility), a gear package from Family Affair (value at $200+) and will be a paid featured producer at an upcoming Solution Showcase.

Wednesday, 2/22 -> Red Bull Music Academy presents The Solution’s 6th Annual J Dilla Celebration at Beta Nightclub w/DJ Spinna, Waajeed, Phat Kat, members of Big Wheel, DJ Low Key, Sounds Supreme, Lazy Eyez & more… – February 2012

(click to enlarge)

WEDNESDAY, 2/22 -> We’ve been working on this for a while now and we’re jumping up and down with excitement to announce all the details of The Solution’s 6th annual celebration of the life and music of James Yancey aka J Dilla aka Jay Dee aka one of the greatest hip hop producers of all-time (if not the greatest).  We’ve teamed up with the infamous Red Bull Music Academy and Beta Nightclub (1909 Blake St) to bring out some top notch heavy hitters to celebrate in grand fashion, check out the lineup:

New York’s DJ Spinna is legendary producer/DJ who’s worked with everyone from Eminem to Mos Def to his group The Jigmastas, was tapped to remix songs by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Mary J Blige, George Michael, De La Soul, Das EFX & MC Eiht before making himself into a force to be reckoned with on the house music scene (his Shawn Escoffery’s “Days Like This” remix is a house classic).  Listen to his J Dilla tribute above, download the ridiculous “Dillagence” version with Phonte here (which you might have heard at The Solution before) and check out The Recall, his self-made best of production mixtape, here.

Detroit’s Waajeed was a frequent Dilla collaborator, is one half of PPP/Platinum Pied Pipers and the founder of Bling47.com (if you’re a Dilla fan, you really need to check the site ASAP), a some time Slum Village DJ and producer, executive producer behind Dwele’s debut Rize, and has worked with everyone from Roy Ayers to Onra to Jazmine Sullivan.  Check out these fresh Waajeed mixtapes from the homies DJ Mensa & DJ Topspin to get a little more familiar with his work.

Phat Kat aka Ronnie Cash aka @RonnieEuro aka 1/2 of First Down (J Dilla was the other half) is a Detroit legend, having put out records with Jay Dee before Slum Village, being featured on Fantastic Volume 1 and Welcome to Detroit, having some of Dilla fans favorite joints like “Nobody Care About Us”, “Cold Steel” (w/Elzhi, the video above) & “Game Over” and being known as one of the fiercest rappers to come from the D.

Two of our favorite musicians in town, Dameion Hines & Q-Knox of Big Wheel, will be backing Phat Kat and providing their own homage to the music of Dilla.

DJ Low Key (DAF4), Sounds Supreme & Lazy Eyez aka The Solution DJs will get the night started and hold down things like we’ve done every year since our first Dilla tribute in February 2007 (our first Dilla tribute was actually the third Solution ever).

Beta’s insanely sophisticated Funktion One sound system is going to be as important to the night as anything.  We’ll be blasting Dilla’s music on one of the best sound systems in the entire world, don’t miss an unprecedented chance to hear it sounding better than ever before.

18+ /// Doors at 9 /// $10 cover with half going to music-related charities /// BetaNightclub.com for more on the club and pre-sale tickets /// #TheSolution5 /// Special shouts to Detour on the flyer design, all the heads who’ve come out to any of our Dilla celebrations, Stones Throw for help with past events, our previous Dilla celebration guests Slum Village and Tanya Morgan and Red Bull Music Academy for helping make it happen this time around (check out the video below if you’re not familiar).

*Before we get started on 2/22, producers, musicians, singers, songwriters, engineers, DJs, instrumentalists, arrangers, sound experimentalists, etc are invited to come check out the Red Bull Music Academy Lecture Series w/DJ Spinna, Waajeed & Phat Kat earlier in the evening. If you’re interested in applying to the 2012 Red Bull Music Academy in NYC (which you can do from now until 4/2), you should definitely try and come out for more information and the experience of hearing what our renowned guests have to say about music, life & Dilla. RSVP required on the FB event page or justin[at]redbullmusicacademy{dot}com for entry and details.

P.S. In case you’re not familiar with J Dilla, you’re about to be blessed by a ton of incredible music (plus you probably are familiar with some of his work and don’t realize it, if you’re into acts like Common, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Slum Village, The Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest & De La Soul).  Check out these links from StonesThrow.com for more on your favorite producer’s favorite producer, word to the likes of Questlove & Pharrell:

What was #TheSolution5? – February 2012

(click to enlarge flyer)

February 2012 marks 5 years of The Solution and before anything else can be mentioned, we have to thank everyone in Denver and beyond who’s come out to the party.  Whether it was in our earliest days at the Shelter/Milk Bar or at our longest running home, The Funky Buddha, or maybe you just learned about us via The Solution Showcase at the Meadowlark over the last month or two, it doesn’t matter; we wouldn’t be able to do anything cool without your love and support.  With that said, a lot has changed since we started the party and we want to make sure everyone knows about what we’re up to going forward.

As you might have noticed, the party has grown beyond just a club night.  Last year, we embarked on a statewide tour with Tanya Morgan, TiRon, Whygee, King F.O.E. & Boonie Mayfield, threw our first BBQ (with our good friends Family Affair) and started a monthly spinoff based around showcasing new talent, called The Solution Showcase, at the Meadowlark.  This year we’ve already launched The Solution Boulder at ‘Round Midnight, we’re about to take the party outside of our great state for some collabs with like-minded parties in other cities and this month, we’re going to celebrate our 5 years with 5 events that we call The Solution 5 aka #TheSolution5.

With that in mind, what hasn’t changed about The Solution is that we’re still dedicated to making sure every event we throw is something we’d wanna go to, something fun and, hopefully, something a little more unique than your average party.  With that in mind, let us tell you about what we’ve got in store for #TheSolution5.

Wednesday, February 22nd we’re teaming up with world renowned Red Bull Music Academy for what’s shaping up to be a one of a kind celebration of the man who was quite possibly the greatest hip hop producer ever, J Dilla.  We’re throwing the party at Beta Nightclub (1909 Blake St) and it’s an unprecedented event to hear Dilla’s music on one of the best sound systems in the world.  As if that wasn’t enough, we’re bringing out the legendary DJ Spinna (New York) and frequent Dilla collaborators and Detroit icons Waajeed & Phat Kat out to celebrate with us.  Phat Kat will be rocking with Dameion Hines and Q-Knox of Big Wheel, who’ll also be performing a tribute to Jay Dee of their own.  The Solution DJs aka DJ Low Key, Sounds Supreme and Lazy Eyez will be on the turntables to kick things off and with Dilla’s catalogue, you’re gonna miss some incredible music if you show up late.

Thursday, February 23rd is The Solution Showcase #3 at the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer St) and the lineup is ridiculous.  We’ve got Trackademicks (of A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold Records) and DJ Tap 10 coming out from the Bay, bringing a trademark slap that’s one of our favorite sounds out.  Black Actors (Quiz fka Sunkenstate and .anansi) is our Denver feature and the one and only Kid Hum will be making his live production debut, plus DJ Low Key & Lazy Eyez will get the party started.

Saturday, February 25th is the opening of The Art Of Records at Family Affair downtown (2048 Larimer St) from 6-9pm.  It’s an art show based around classic hip hop album artwork being interpreted by top Colorado-based artists including the likes of Dunn The Signtologist, Path One, Thomas Evans, Tristan Minton & more, curated by Dunn himself and DJ Low Key.  We’ll be displaying the actual 12″ album covers next to the artwork and DJ Low Key will be spinning the records on display throughout the evening to bring things full circle.

Sunday, February 26th we’re excited to present The Solution Beat Battle at La Rumba (99 W. 9th Ave).  A dozen of Denver’s top producers will face off head to head to see who has the best beats in town.  Producer extraordinaire Boonie Mayfield will be rocking a live beat showcase, “legends in the making” (according to Ali Shaheed Muhammed of A Tribe Called Quest) and new school vets Tanya Morgan will be performing and we still have more on the bill to be announced shortly.  If you’re a producer or beatmaker looking to enter, check out this post for more info.

Every Thursday night in Boulder, don’t miss our fifth event of the #TheSolution5, The Solution Boulder, at ‘Round Midnight (1005 Pearl St).   In the coming weeks, we’ll be throwing our infamous chicken & waffles party up there, featuring a performance from Tanya Morgan, hosting a women’s shoe and fashion show with Installation (an easy contender for best shoe store in the whole state) and a whole lot more.

So thanks again for everything Colorado, you’re the best. Here’s to the next 5 years and beyond.

Every Thursday -> The Solution Boulder w/DJ Low Key, Sounds Supreme & friends at ‘Round Midnight…We’ve got Tanya Morgan, Turner Jackson, Dunn The Signtologist, chicken & waffles and a fashion show to get things started… – February 2012

EVERY THURSDAY -> The Solution Boulder has officially hit ‘Round Midnight (1005 Pearl St).  Every Thursday night you can catch DJ Low Key, Sounds Supreme and some of #COHipHop’s top DJs spinning the best in hip hop and more.  We’re teaming up with Installation (easily one of the best shoe stores in the state, if not country), Red Bull and some other friends of our to get things off to a proper start.  Check out what we’ve got lined up for the next few weeks at The Solution Boulder:

2/23 -> Special guests Tanya Morgan (Brooklyn) + Turner Jackson Star Destroyer Listening Party from 9:30-10:30pm.

3/1 -> The Solution’s Chicken & Waffles (all west coast music, all night, complimentary chicken & waffles til 11 and gin & juice specials).

3/8 -> Ladies Shoe & Fashion Show with Installation.  More details coming soon.

21+ /// No Cover /// Music at 10.

#TheSolution5

http://www.denversolution.com/tag/the-ahead-of-the-class-tour/

The Ahead of the Class CO Tour w/Tanya Morgan, TiRon, Whygee, King F.O.E., DJ Low Key, Lazy Eyez & special guests… – March 2011

The Solution, Akomplice & Snowboard Mag present the Ahead of the Class CO Tour w/Tanya Morgan, TiRon, Whygee, King F.O.E., DJ Low Key, Lazy Eyez & special guests…

Wednesday, 3/9 -> Cecilia’s in Breckenridge (520 S. Main Street) – Doors at 9 /// $10 for 21+

Thursday, 3/10 -> Black Sheep in Colorado Springs (2106 E. Platte Ave) – Doors at 8 /// $10 for 21/$12 for all ages /// Plus special guests The Boombox Saints for their official album release party and the debut performance of Play Cousin (Boonie Mayfield & Jordan Craft). Buy tickets now.

Saturday, 3/12 -> The Marquis in Denver (2009 Larimer St) – Doors at 9 /// $10 for 21/$12 for all ages /// Plus an Akomplice Fashion Show and the Denver debut of Play Cousin (Boonie Mayfield & Jordan Craft). Buy tickets now /// Tickets also available at Family Affair (21st & Larimer downtown) or from DJ Low Key, Lazy Eyez or Whygee with no ticket fees.

Tuesday, 3/15 -> Round Midnight in Boulder (1005 Pearl Street) – Doors at 9 /// $5 before 11, $10 after for 21+ /// Plus an Akomplice Fashion Show and special guest, world renowned turntablist DJ Vajra.

.:Download The Ahead of the Class Tour Sampler (right click on a PC):.

Stay tuned for more videos and free MP3s as we get closer to the tour and make sure to cop your pre-sale tickets, some shows will sell out!!!  Also, you can follow everyone from the tour on twitter by checking out this list.   Last but not least, here’s some words, video & music to help get you familiar with the tour’s lineup:

“Quietly and stealthily, they’ve evolved into one of the finest groups of their generation” – The L.A. Times on Tanya Morgan

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“TiRon isn’t your average rapper, he’s something more” – XXL Magazine on TiRon

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“With all due respect to Talib and Hi-Tek, I’m actually more inclined to revisit team Tanya’s likeably loose, bordering-on-sloppy inaugural effort than said ballyhooed backpack-crowd classic.” – Chairman Mao of XXL Chairman’s Choice & Ego Trip

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“Los Angeles’ Best Rapper” – The L.A. Times on TiRon

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“Tanya Morgan are like the sons of De La Soul– soulful, stressed, effortlessly smart flows, intricate production, the whole package.” – SPIN Music Editor Charles Aaron on Tanya Morgan

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“My personal favorite” mixtape of 2009 – Shake of 2Dopeboyz.com on TiRon & DJ Low Key’s Ketchup

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“”Tanya Morgan is bolder and braver than forbearers like Black Star and Slum Village…an expansive tour de force” – Vibe.com on Tanya Morgan

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“Best emcee-based mixtape of 2009” – PopularLemonade.com on TiRon & DJ Low Key’s Ketchup

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“The trio’s savory Bridge EP demonstrates why Tanya Morgan has been a critical favorite for the last several years. Their deliveries are effortless, their beats run the gamut from smooth to boom-bappy, and their music has an inspiring vibe.” – The Source

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Free MP3 Downloads (Round 1):

.:Tanya Morgan presents Donwill & Von Pea – The Sandwich Shop:.

.:TiRon – MSTRD:.

.:Whygee & Sounds Supreme – Hype Killz Volume 1:.

Free MP3 Downloads (Round 2):

.:DJ Soul presents Tanya Morgan Is A Rap Group:.

.:TiRon – Ketchup (mixed by DJ Low Key):.

.:King F.O.E. – Fuck F.O.E. + Bonus: It Sucks To be You:.

 

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