Every February the Local 303 honors Black History Month by spotlighting Black musicians who are pushing boundaries and making great art right here in Colorado.
Denver's real-life royalty, Miss Black Colorado 2025, Osha Renee returns to the Local 303. Her newest single, "Gorgeous" means a lot to her because it found her during a time of grief. Recently, Maleman of The Drop called her an incredible singer, rapper, performer and all-around "black girl magic at its finest."
Another singer-songwriter is Home who reminds us that her project name isn't just a name, its a feeling. She has been making her mark in Denver over the last seven years and has a new record out this month. Former Local 303 musician Riah shares, "In an era where some would say authenticity in music is slowly slipping away from us, Home shows everyone that pure raw talent, stacked harmonies, and well-thought-out lyrics remain powerful. She continually gives us magic in a beautiful R&B package. We are lucky to have her in our local music community."
Ason Yugen is an alternative Denver rapper who’s been on our radar since his 2023 release The Wolf & The Social Club, an album that blends new-school energy with old-school hip-hop influences, particularly from New York. Even his name nods to Wu-Tang Clan. As Westword’s Cleo Mirza noted, after moving to Denver six years ago, Yugen worked “his way through the ranks of Denver’s underground hip-hop scene, honing his skills at open-mic events.” We’re spinning both his latest single and a track from his debut album all month long.
Darkwave meets punk meets rap and beyond with the duo of Jordan Burgett & Residing Elsewhere from last year's RUBY PINES SUPER DELUXE. Originally from Iowa, the Colorado collaborators spent ten days in Elsewhere's studio in Nederland recording their latest! We're also featuring Blaire, who moved to Colorado Springs from New Orleans and after the great reception when we debuted her "Girl Next Door" single last summer, she will be on the radio all month long. She also just released a new album.
Rounding out the list is E.M.E., a young Afrofusion rapper who has already charted in the Top 10 in his birth country of Nigeria. He moved to Denver’s Montbello neighborhood at age seven with his mother and sister, arriving without speaking English after his family was forced to flee genocide. His music makes you feel happy, want to dance, and reflects both global roots and the lived experience of growing up in Colorado.
Reflecting on the creative talent for Black History Month here in Colorado isn't just these 28 days and as author Willie Greene of We The Urban notes, "it stands as a vital reminder to continue uplifting Black voices, advocating for equality, and decolonizing our perspectives, today and always."
Greene adds, "This month marks a century of recognition for a history that has always shaped the world and this country; its culture, its language, its laws, and its sense of who belongs. This month is not only about remembering what came before. It’s about paying attention to what is happening right now, and deciding what kind of future is being built in front of us. What we choose to recognize, protect, and stand for in this moment becomes the history someone else will learn from tomorrow."
We invite you to come and meet the Local 303 for this month and next! As usual, the meetup takes a hiatus for February due to the timing of our annual 303 Day concert on March 3rd. It will return on March 30th at Skylark Lounge from 6:30-9pm and will honor both this month and next months featured acts with two live performances, door prizes, ticket giveaways and more. The event is always free and is sponsored by Cambio Tequila.
Tune in all month long as we celebrate this month's artists and also stay connected with community events! Denver's digital news site Denverite will be sharing Black History Month happenings in the city all month long and CPR News will host stories from across the state.
Are you a Colorado musician who wants to be featured in the Local 303? Send us your music!
Meet February's picks:
Ason Yugen
Colorado Home: Denver
Formed: Releasing music as a solo artist since 2023
Latest Release: "imaginary mass" (single released Nov. 5 2025)
About: Ason Yugen is an alternative hip-hop artist blending classic boom bap sound, anime-influenced aesthetics, and introspective lyricism into his own sonic realms. His music lives between ethereal melodies, atmospheric trap, and experimental hip-hop—creating a signature style, where emotion, mysticism, and sci-fi energy collide. Originally rooted in Denver, Ason brings a cinematic edge to every release. With influences ranging from Wu-Tang Clan, Joey BadA$$, and The Fugees; he aims to become a household name. His visuals pull from anime, abstract futurism, and immersive storytelling, building a universe that expands with each song. Driven by themes of transformation, liberation, inner power, and cosmic perspective, his sound feels both intimate and otherworldly. With a rising catalog and a growing community drawn to his unique approach to music, Ason Yugen is carving out a lane for listeners who want hip-hop that feels visionary, atmospheric, and deeply personal.
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: I am in the lab working on the next project, expect single releases early second quarter.
Website: linktree
Get Social: Instagram, Spotify
Blaire
Band Lineup: Mandalyn Blair (she/her) – Lead Vocals
Colorado Home: Manitou Springs
Formed: 2022
Latest Release: Light Child (Visual Album – Part I), January 30th 2026, Self-Released
Upcoming Shows: Currently booking select 2026 performances and college showcases
About: Mandalyn Blair is a Colorado Springs–based singer, songwriter, and visual artist whose work blends alternative R&B, pop, and soul with cinematic storytelling. Her project Light Child explores identity, healing, and the human experience through a space-inspired lens, pairing immersive visuals with emotionally honest songwriting. Mandalyn’s work is rooted in vulnerability, connection, and creating art that invites listeners to feel seen.
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: I’m currently completing the second half of the Light Child project while preparing live performances and expanding the visual universe surrounding the album.
Website:
https://mandalynblair.square.site/
https://www.mukonii.com/mandalynblair
Get Social: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
E.M.E.
Band Lineup: E.M.E (pronounced "EMMY")
Colorado Home: Denver
Formed: 2022
Latest Release:
Freshmen Album Titled, Foreigner, released on all platforms on May 29th, 2025. Including the single "Kolo."
Latest Single Release, "Cover Me," out on all platforms on November 20, 2025.
Upcoming Shows: SXSW in Austin, TX 2026 (multiple showcases between March 12th - 18th.
About: According to his mother, when E.M.E. (born Emmanuel Nwaneto) was baptized, the presiding reverend declared that the child would be a star. Two decades later, he's now fulfilling the reverend's prophecy as an up-and-coming Afrofusion artist based in Denver, Colorado. With over 1.5 million views on his videos and 2 million streams on Spotify and Apple Music, E.M.E is rapidly rising to meet his goal of bringing Afrobeats from Nigeria, to Colorado, and now to the world.
Born in Kano, Nigeria, E.M.E. had his world turned upside down at the tender age of seven, when he, his mom, and his sister fled the ongoing genocide in his home country and relocated to Denver's Montbello neighborhood. His mother had won a Visa lottery, allowing them to come live with family in Colorado, but they arrived with nothing and spoke no English. With few other Nigerians around outside of his family, E.M.E grappled with the dual identity of being an African immigrant in America. He was introduced to American hip-hop via East Coast heavy-hitters like Dave East, Nas, and Nicki Minaj, and began freestyling in middle school as a way to connect with his peers. Though he had dreams of being a rapper, E.M.E put music on the back burner in high school to focus on football, earning himself a football scholarship to Colorado State University. However, when COVID-19 hit, he was no longer able to play football and lost his scholarship.
With his future plans derailed, E.M.E returned to music, recording and releasing a few hip-hop tracks. But it wasn't until he linked up with producers Mic Coats and F.L., of the legendary Denver-based label Hitsville. The trio immediately connected and got to work churning out music, ending up with a vault of over sixty songs in just a year. Several were dropped as experimental singles, like "Drago," "Yey Yey,""Love Me Again", "One Day", and "Kolo", as a way to test the waters and dial in E.M.E's sound. "Got Me," his collaboration with Denver R&B royalty Danae Simone, was one of KS107.5's most played songs of 2024. His singles also started charting in Nigeria, climbing to Number 10 on the country's charts for all music genres.
In the summer of 2024, E.M.E returned to Nigeria for the first time in fifteen years. Coming back as an adult, he was able to perform at some of the biggest clubs there, but he also was heartbroken to witness how much the country and its people were still suffering. On his final day, he poured all of the emotion and trauma of the trip into a song called "War," which became the impetus for his debut longform project, Foreigner. A year later, E.M.E graduated with CSU's class of 2025, but not before leaving them with a new "CSU Anthem," now played in arenas and stadiums during CSU athletic events. At the peak of his album rollout, E.M.E caught the attention of independent rap trailblazer LaRussell, who contributed a verse to the remix of E.M.E's track "Yey Yey." On the heels of his college graduation, he dropped his first album, Foreigner, an autobiographical journey spanning all 22 years of his life thus far.
In 2024 alone, E.M.E performed for over 40,000 people, including at Denver's Juneteenth Festival with Bow Wow, opening for Common at The Drop's annual Block Party, a tour of college campuses across the country, and at major venues in his native Nigeria. As one of the state's only Afrobeats artists, he's brought his unprecedented sound and charismatic performance style to iconic Colorado venues like The Aggie Theater, The Summit (for a sold out show with Soulja Boy), Levitt Pavilion, The Gothic Theatre, and The Marquis Theater (where h e had his first SOLD OUT headlining show in June 2025 with Live Nation), as well as festivals like Underground Music Showcase and FoCoMX.
Inspired by modern Nigerian artists like Burna Boy, Rema, Davido, Asake, and ODUMODUBLVCK, as well as American rappers like Huncho, E.M.E has pioneered his own one-of-a-kind Afrofusion lane. His music pulls from a global melting pot, blending influences from a variety of genres originating around the world, including Afrobeats, amapiano, Latin music, hip-hop, dance, drill, grime, and U.K. drum and bass. To E.M.E, it just sounds "like freedom," and embracing his own truth. E.M.E's name is an acronym for "Embrace My Essence," representing his firm belief that people must learn to appreciate and celebrate art while the creating artists are still alive and active. His impassioned lyrics reflect on family, faith, community, identity, and resilience, values that he embodies not just as an artist but as a man. Fusing the cultural legacy of his ancestors with the stark realities of his Montbello upbringing, all through the lens of his hope for a better tomorrow, E.M.E collapses his past, present, and future into a single force driving his artistry forward.
Website: Linktree
Get Social: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Spotify
Home
Band Lineup: Home - Solo Vocalist
Colorado Home: Denver
Formed: 2019
Latest Release: Releasing an EP February 12th, 2026 SELF RELEASED!
Upcoming Shows: Performing March 13th for the Bandwagon Colorado Tour information can be found on my website and Instagram.
About: Home isn't just a name, it's a feeling. Her R&B melodies, laced with neo-soul and a touch of jazz, create a sonic sanctuary where you can shed your facade and simply be.
Forget cryptic lyrics and forced metaphors. Home speaks your truth, the one whispered in the quiet moments, the emotions tucked away deep inside. Her songs paint vivid pictures of love, unspoken confessions, and feelings that dance on the edge of words. This is your safe space, your soundtrack to self-discovery, accountability, and quiet affirmation.
Home's not just a voice, she's a force. From gracing the stages at the Denver Ball Arena, The Underground Music Festival, and even in New York City, to captivating audiences on local radio stations; she's making waves. Her music has even resonated with major publications, with features in several esteemed magazines including Voyage Denver. Her passion derives from being of service to others. When she's not mesmerizing crowds, she's nurturing the next generation of singers, igniting their confidence and sharing her musical wisdom.
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: Always sharing my music journey on my socials especially on Instagram; including a few rehearsal sessions on my upcoming project!
Website: https://www.justcallmehome.org/
Get Social: Instagram
Jordan Burgett & Residing Elsewhere
Band Lineup: Jordan Burgett (he/him) - Lead Vocals, Residing Elsewhere (he/him) - Lead Guitar, Bass, Drums
Colorado Home: Jordan Burgett - Denver, Residing Elsewhere - Boulder
Formed: 2024
Latest Release: Ruby Pines Super Deluxe EP on 11/14/2025 via FCKTH3INT3RN3T LLC
Upcoming Shows: To be announced.
About: Ruby Pine s is a collaborative album by Colorado artist Jordan Burgett and producer and creative Elsewhere, both formerly based in Iowa, who began working together in early 2024. Burgett, long recognized locally for his versatility as a rapper, steps into new territory here, reshaping his voice for a rock-driven, theatrical sound. Elsewhere, an artist, producer, and engineer whose work has taken him across the world, anchors the project with bold, textured production that defines its gothic tone. Released in two parts and completed as RUBY PINES SUPER DELUXE on November 14, 2025, the seven track record moves between post punk electronica and shadowy experimentation, shaped in part by Elsewhere’s recent tour through Eastern Europe lending to the album’s gritty atmosphere.
-Bandwagon Magazine, Landon Ungerman
Any upcoming plans to share or behind the scenes work you're excited to tell us about: Monthly single releases leading up to an EP in 2026!
Website: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jordanburgettandresidingelsewhere/ruby-pines-super-deluxe?ref=release
Get Social: Jordan Burgett Instagram, Residing Elsewhere Instagram
Osha Renee
Band Lineup: Osha Renee (she/her) – Lead Vocals
Colorado Home: Denver
Latest Release: “Gorgeous” (Single), January 28, 2026, Self-Released
About: Osha Renee is a Denver artist whose music tells real stories and inspires change. Growing up in the inner city, she draws from her experiences to create authentic lyrics that break stereotypes and redefine the role of women in music.
Since 2023, Osha has performed at SXSW, opened for major artists, and continues to release new music. Beyond the stage, she’s dedicated to empowering at-risk youth through mentorship and creative expression, showing them how music can transform lives.
For Osha, music is more than just art—it’s a healer, a savior, and a light in dark places.
Get Social: Instagram, YouTube, Spotify
