In this week's paper, Darryl Smyers previews the

show coming to the Granada Theater tomorrow night, recalling the man born Devin Copeland's hazy, smoke-filled 20-year career and lauding him for taking pedestrian topics like marijuana and the state of hip-hop and keeping their discussions fresh and interesting.

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What still sets Copeland apart from many in the genre is his self-deprecating wit. Devin's unafraid of mocking himself--even coming across as almost humble on the sexually explicit ballad "I Can't Handle It." Mix that humility in with the clever beats and cheerful demeanor of the lyrics and you have rap that doesn't aim to assault, and only occasionally to insult. Continue reading...

Suffice to say then that we're quite looking forward to tomorrow night's show--and not just for the inevitable contact high we'll receive upon arrival.

And, thanks to our friends over at the Granada Theater, we've got a couple pairs of free tickets to tomorrow's show hand out to a few lucky DC9 readers. Want one of them? OK. Just be among the first two people to email me right now with the words "The Dude Abides" and you're in. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners.