Down in the Underground

Unless you consider Nickelback rock ’n’ roll, you probably don’t rely on the radio to find the hottest new rock music, so why settle for FM-radio-filtered hip-hop? As with most music genres today, if you want to hear the best, you need to go underground. One of the best is Chicago rapper Qwel, who’s considered underground, though you certainly wouldn’t know it from his devoted fan base and standing-room-only shows. Since his first release with his Typical Cats crew in 2000, Qwel has steadily gained acknowledgment and respect from his peers because of his solo work as well as collaborations with artists such as Maker, Jackson Jones, Meaty Ogre, Mike Gao, Silence, and Robust.

Thu., June 26, 9 p.m., 2008