Four hip hop albums to decompress to

BEST LOCAL HIP HOP ARTISTS FOR THIS FALL

November is stressful. The day after Halloween rolls around, and the dreadful realization that the semester’s end looms near hits hard as students begin hastily skimming an entire semester’s worth of notes while chugging coffee. Panic attacks ensue. Young adults across the city wake up on Nov. 1 to their eyelashes crusted shut from all the mascara they fell asleep in, bellies bloated with a stewing concoction of candy and booze, and an apartment trashed with an entire craft store’s stock of Halloween decorations.

Fellow students, beware of overworking those tired brains. Take a study break here and there. Relax and loosen up to the soundtrack of four instrumental hip-hop albums created by local musicians right here in Denver.

DLZMKSBTS, pronounced like “deals makes beats,” performed at this past summer’s Underground Music Showcase. The album VINTAGE 7TEEN—put together over this past summer by the self-identified “Rasta rapper” and producer—conjures up nostalgic memories of a time not spent stressing over word counts or exam study guides with its sun-soaked beats and soulful samples.

Firewood Supply Co marks their debut to the Denver scene with their first release Dues & Dont’s. This record sounds very similar to the style of instrumental hip hop produced by artists like Blockhead or Question, with an emphasis on quick and catchy melodies. In fact, Nintendo should probably use this EP in the next Mario Kart, especially if they ever decide to make a more detailed map of Coconut Mall.

D3MAND’s D3NV3R, named after the Mile High City that serves as its birthplace, welcomes listeners to the fall and winter months with crisp percussion and kaleidoscopic glitches and pops. A record that pulses rhythmically and with vibrancy, this album will certainly help ease the passage into these next cold months.

As the name Clips implies, No-Fvce’s short clips that have sat unused by the producer, comprise this last record. Released in mid-October, the tracks mirror the cyclical pattern of strong winds with the revolution of repetitive samples. Pitched down to a funky 90 beats per minute, with blues-based keys peppered in throughout, these short instrumentals will help carry any struggling student through their studies.