Everybody likes a music deal, so the Fox Theatre arranged to bring a full night of hip-hop stars to Boulder.

On Wednesday, Chali 2Na, Blackalicious' Gift of Gab, Mr. Lif and Lyrics Born are joining forces for a mid-semester rap fest at the University Hill club.

IF YOU GO

Who: Chali 2Na and The Gift of Gab, with Mr. Lif and Lyrics Born

When: 9 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder

Cost: $20

foxtheatre.com

Gift of Gab (Timothy Parker) has been working on his solo project, and the MC is anxious to show off material from his new CD, Escape 2 Mars.

"We're all getting ready to play Boulder," Parker said. "Everybody who's coming to town has got history together and we're all friends. We all wanted to do this package tour together.

"Boulder is quantum country for hip-hop and we get mass love playing there."

Parker's taking a break from Blackalicious to do this tour, but the MC said the group will be back soon.

"We're taking a rest until next year," Parker said. "We're working on a new record that should be out at the end of 2010, but Xcel and I have been working on our solo projects.

"My new CD's called Escape 2 Mars. The material is cosmic funk, but it has a lot of electronic feel and real hip-hop at the same time. This is very different and it's another chapter

The Gift of Gab has been to Mars.
in my body of work."

Parker said he'll be showing off his new rhymes at the Fox.

"Expect to be entertained," Parker said. "We're all doing separate sets, but who knows -- there might be a freestyle jam.

"I'm just getting ready for 2010. I'm going to be doing lots of touring and staying creative."

New Year's gigs

It was looking like a countrified New Year's in Colorado, but the Fox broke the mold by booking pop-rock-reggae act Pepper for Dec. 30 and 31.

This should be one rocking party on the Hill. CU will be on break, so it will be interesting to see what kind of crowd Pepper attracts.

Denver's Mercury Café also is a latecomer to the New Year's party list.

In a very surprising move, DeVotchKa decided to play three shows on Dec. 30 and 31 at the downtown Denver club.

DeVotchKa just packed its Halloween dates in Boulder and the band could've had its pick of venues. That's what makes the group's choice of the intimate Mercury Café so intriguing and appealing.

The local band now will be playing afternoon and evening shows on Dec. 30, plus its traditional New Year's Eve bash on Dec. 31. Gregory Alan Isakov is set to open the evening concerts.

New Year's Eve just got a lot more interesting.