hip-hop elevated: an afternoon at sorry gorgeous
two and a half hours before a rain storm was forecasted to arrive, lovers of hip-hop began filling in a rooftop bar in denver’s river north art district. tucked on the fifth floor of novel rino, a luxury apartment building, sorry gorgeous offers a carefully curated menu of alcoholic and na cocktails featuring a view of downtown denver’s skyline.
guests mingled amongst their groups with whom they arrived while solo goers found seats next to fellow unaccompanied attendees. i was excited to see the event emcee’d by tyra, who had hosted the last show i shot for sofar sounds. her bright, boisterous personality energized the crowd and electrified the room.
for those unfamiliar, sofar sounds curates 3-act shows at unique spaces in over 400 cities around the world. denver, in particular, has been noted as being an especially vibrant chapter. this is not surprising, as the denver local music scene has long been a force in the greater national conversation of music. sofar sounds denver has capitalized on this rich musical landscape while simultaneously injecting new energy into the ecosystem.
with the sun still high in the sky, the show was kicked off by conscious rapper RO$$A¥, accompanied by the smooth sounds of a semi-hollow electric guitar. inspiration from early kanye west was evident from the graduation patch on his vest along with his confident lyrical flow. RO$$A¥ invited listeners to respond to his refrain of "i make the money” with “the money don’t make him”, sending the message that his brand of hip-hop is uncorrupted by materialism. RO$$A¥ is an artist’s artist, true to his craft.
as storm clouds began rolling in behind him, wes watkins was second to take the stage equipped with his silver-finished trumpet, a library of backing tracks, and his characteristic voice. appearing like he was pulled straight from a tv sitcom, watkins’s buzzing compositions flow along lyrics packed with heavy themes such as race and homelessness. his delivery is heartfelt and optimistic, even when the songs are in honor of those who have passed on. charismatic, inspiring, and insanely talented.
the rain storm loomed inevitable as the sun became whited out in a sea of overcast. still, iies. (pronounced “eyes”) began their performance with their drummer exposed to the elements on the patio. with the additional support of bass and electric guitar, iies.’s experimental jazz-rap was a force that consumed all the air in the room. frontman craig threw power and emotion behind his voice, masterfully controlling the attention every individual in the room. the group’s unique combination of jazz rhythms and poetic rap vocals vibrated deep within the bones of all present.
