(JUAN.of.a.KIND)

The Roots - The OtherSide (feat. Bilal Oliver) [Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon: 2011-12-06]

A web exclusive clip showcasing a tremendous live performance of undun’s superb 6th track (and a vintage style Roots composition that belongs up there with some of the band’s greatest creations). Always a treat to peep these incredibly talented gentlemen performing live on late night network TV (and at their own nightly gig, no less). Everyone across the board kills it here: Thought performs both of his ill verses from The OtherSide and then (like the human rhyme style replicating machine that he is) executes Greg Porn’s excellently dark third verse to perfection. Then there’s Captain Kirk blacking out on electric guitar, not to mention Poyser and Kamaal totally feelin’ it on the keys (James even cracks a smile near the end). And finally, the illa-5th dynamite back-and-forth between Bilal and Kirk during the track’s extended home stretch, leading into a ?uesto-led crescendo finale (I imagine this is how The Roots will be performing this joint while on tour). Can’t wait to get the chance to peep this (and other wonderful moments from undun) live in person, hopefully sometime next year. Be sure to cop the new album (my CD copy is currently in transit, packaged together with this super sweet Roots tee). “That’s when we’ll settle up the score!”

#The Roots #Bilal #undun #Late Night #Jimmy Fallon #Live Performance

The Big Q&A: The Roots' Black Thought Talks New Album, Personal Tragedy, and Jimmy Fallon | VIBE

A rare and excellent interview with IMO the greatest MC alive (and I personally told the man exactly that when I shook his hand at a live Roots show I attended nearly 5 years ago), Tariq Trotter aka the incomparable Black Thought of The Roots. Cop undun, out in stores now as it’s getting phenomenal reviews across the critical spectrum. No doubt, the Legendary have done it yet again. 18 years in the game and sitting right on top of it with the most thought provoking album of the year.

#Black Thought #Interview #The Roots #undun

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lightningcollective:

THE ROOTS | The Other Side (feat Bilal & P.O.R.N.)

The Roots, also known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy winning hip hop group based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. Inspired by the “hip-hop band” concept pioneered by Stetsasonic, the Roots themselves have garnered critical acclaim and influenced later hip-hop and R&B acts.

While everyone is shitting their pants about The Black Keys - El Camino, I’ve been eye’ing up on my home city band/hip hop group from Philly, The Roots. Their recent album, ‘How I Got Over’ was a good one and for sure it was some good vibes almost anytime of the day. The first time I listened to that album was traveling on the “el” on the Red Line to downtown Chicago and when I heard this was coming out, my ears were wide open curious to know/hear what they had going on this time around. I’m going to say one word…damn. This is one more fabulous album adding on to their flawless discography.

Though the group had multiple members going in and out, this group doesn’t disappoint. I chose this song due to the fact of how raw of the hip-hop/soul vibes are clashed together. Dynamic drums, deep vocals, organ synths/pianos, and moving chorus drops all create a ‘feel good’ sound. If you aren’t into The Roots, this sound, or whatever it is, they’re a group to get into if you want to expand your mind a little. To end this off a bit, what threw me off a little bit was in the end of the album there was movements (Possibility, Will To Power, and Finality). It’s literally them playing instrumentals that are really nice to hear, fucking around banging on shit, or well, both. Regardless this album has some unique features on it.

The Roots, stay relevant and keep it real. Love your shit.

The Roots - Kool On (feat P.O.R.N. & Truck North) [LC recommends]

4 full front-to-back listens deep in yet another excellent studio recording (and one hell of a reverse narrative concept) from the most consistent band in music and my favourite group/musicians of all-time. And this beautiful joint is an early contender for the best track from undun. From Tariq’s unmatched storytelling abilities on the first 2 verses to P.O.R.N nicely holding his own on the third verse to Bilal’s pitch perfect handling of the dramatic hook, this track (featuring ?uesto’s laced-out drums and Poyser’s heavenly keys) just gets everything right on and IMO is one of the best compositions The Roots have ever created (coming from a loyal admirer of 2-1-5’s finest for 16 years and counting). Copping the CD on the 6th of December to show support for the hardest working band in hip-hop.

#The Roots #undun #2011 #Black Thought #P.O.R.N #Bilal

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The Roots - Make My (feat. Big K.R.I.T.)

From Nah Right:

undun is an existential re-telling of the short life of one Redford Stephens (1974-1999). Through the use of emotives and Redford’s internal dialogues the album seeks to illustrate the intersection of free will and prescribed destiny as it plays out ‘on the corner’. Utilizing a reverse narrative arc, the album begins as the listener finds Redford disoriented–postmortem–and attempting to make sense of his former life. As he moves through its pivotal moments he begins to deconstruct all that has led to his (and our own) coming undun.

“At this point in our career we’d like for our work to have a unifying theme, and an experiential quality,” says Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, 40. “We’ve been intentionally making our albums shorter in length so that they can be experienced as a continuous work. The music is band-oriented with an eye on the moody cinematic. As a DJ, I am the King of playlists, but I don’t want our albums to feel like a playlist or a mixtape for that matter. We want to tell stories that work within the album format and we want the stories to be nuanced and useful to people. undun is the story of this kid who becomes criminal, but he wasn’t born criminal. He’s not the nouveau exotic primitive bug-eyed gunrunner like Tupac’s character Bishop in “Juice”… he’s actually thoughtful and is neither victim nor hero. Just some kid who begins to order his world in a way that makes the most sense to him at a given moment… At the end of the day… isn’t that what we all do?”

Can’t believe that The Legendary are already putting out a brand new LP (and a concept album at that). I’m all for shorter (read: 40 min) studio recordings if it means more frequent releases from the hardest working band in ~~hip hop~~ music. Plus, you gotta love that extended breakdown at the end.

Official tracklist:

Sleep
Make My feat. Big K.R.I.T.
One Time
Kool On
The Jump
Stomp
Lighthouse
I Remember
Tip The Scale
Redford

undun hits your favourite music retail outlet on December 6th (instant coppage on day one). Should be the perfect way to end what has turned out to be a fine year for hip hop.

(Source: okayplayer.com)

#The Roots #Big K.R.I.T.#Make My #undun #2011

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The Roots - Distortion To Static (Freestyle Mix)

It’s been 11 years (almost to the day) since I last peeped my all-time favourite band/group/musicians live in my hometown. See you legendary gentlemen later this evening at the Ottawa Bluesfest.

#The Roots #Black Thought #Malik B #Dice Raw #Distortion To Static #Freestyle Mix #1995 #Ottawa Bluesfest

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The Roots - Respond/React (Illadelph Halflife, 1996)

All the way live…from 2-1-5!

#The Roots #Illadelph Halflife #Hip-Hop #1996

On July 14, 2000, I was front row centre for the Fresh Fest at Lebreton Flats in downtown Ottawa to see The Roots perform live (back then, Black Thought was still sporting his dreads and Hub and Scratch were still part of the crew). This summer, my favourite band ever is making a long-awaited return to my home town at the 2K11 Ottawa Bluesfest. Copped my tix online a couple hours ago and, for the first time in 11 years, I don’t have to make my way to Montreal (a city which I thoroughly enjoy nonetheless) to peep The Legendary in person. Although they will be in Montreal on July 2 for the excellent Jazz Festival at the Métropolis (a venue I’ve seen The Roots perform at 3 times in the past 5 years). Regardless, rain or shine, I will no doubt be at the Claridge Homes Stage in LeBreton Flats on July 6 at 8PM and Respond/React to some Illa-5th Square Roots Dynamite! Capital Region stylee (essaywhuman?!!!??!).

#The Roots #Ottawa Bluesfest #2K11 #Order Confirmation

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The Roots - Quills (Live on BBC Radio One’s Worldwide Show with Gilles Peterson)

We get dramatic / there you have it / my batting average / a vault full of classics / assault is all classic / Thought, put ass backwards rappers in a small package / yo, experience is all that is cuz I’m well established / me and the mic in matrimony like a marriage / the technique in your reach / if only you can grab it / for me, it’s automatic / it’s natural, we that thorough / poet for hire, pack metal

-Supreme lyricist, Black Thought, flipping the LP lyrics to the Phrenology joint Quills on the fly ever so slightly, as The Roots crew all contribute their precisely tempered sounds to this live radio performance from 2002.

#The Roots #Phrenology #Live Performance #BBC #Gilles Peterson #2002

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TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2010:

2. The Roots - How I Got Over

Choice cut: Right On (feat. Joanna Newsom & STS)

#The Roots #How I Got Over #2010 Top 10 #Music

The Roots - The Christmas Song (Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon: 2010-12-21)

If I had to choose only ONE aspect of the holidays that I absolutely must experience every year to make this festive time truly complete, it would have to be listening to Nat King Cole’s legendary rendition of the Mel Torme composed Christmas classic, simply and aptly titled The Christmas Song. Not the snow, presents nor the decorations. Mainly because that song magically conjures up crystal clear images of each and every one of those staples and more, all by itself (wherever you may be).

No words can describe how the opening high pitched notes puts a smile on my face or the timeless sound of the King (and the G.O.A.T. singing voice) doing his classy thing like no one else has done before or since. And if you’re a fan as well, then I’m sure you know that song off by heart and note for note with much love and admiration. Not even a snifter of Carlos I Imperial brandy consumed while chilling by the fireplace makes me feel as warm inside as that song does.

So you can imagine my overwhelming excitement when I heard earlier this week that my all-time favourite band would be performing my all-time favourite Christmas Song on Late Night (?…!!!!!! —> Me). I managed to catch the west coast airing of said performance, and have now peeped the above viddy enough times to give the following breakdown of the holiday greatness on display:

Black Thought: the greatest MC alive and one of the be(a)st to ever hold a microphone (“I never use a cordless, or stand applaud-less / sippin’ chlorophyll outta ill silver goblets”). Tariq shows here (much like during the amusing “Slow Jam The News” bits) that he can also carry a smooth tune, something that MANY rap lyricists cannot do to save their lives. A subdued and classy performance by a dynamite wordsmith and an underrated crooner.
Kamal: When Mal-dog set things off with those iconic synth strings-style lead off notes, I was instantly sold on the rendition. I’ve heard Kamal recreate many classic joints over the years via his magical keyboard (namely on tour as part of the classic “hip hop 101” segments at live Roots shows). And to this day, dude never ceases to amaze me.
?uesto: Subtle sounds on the drums and cymbals is all we hear from Mr. Thompson in this live performance. Like snowflakes falling ever so slightly.
Knuckles: The yang percussionist to ?uesto’s yin drums, Frankie handles the wind chimes here, sprinkling a touch of magic over the proceedings.
Owen: On bass guitar. Very subtle notes for ambiance, coupled with the funny/chill look that’s always on Owen’s face when he’s playing.
Tuba Gooding Jr.: Adding some subtle subterranean sounds to the composition, much like he always does.
James Poyser: The melodic keys master of the Soulquarians nails the solo piano section (although I’m sure it was a piece of cake for that dude). Poyser and Kamal together are like a dynamic keys super tag team, no doubt.
Captain Kirk: The electric guitar genius (and I told Kirk as much in person when I got to shake his hand at a Roots show), freaking the solo strings section of The Christmas Song to perfection. And let’s not forget the dreamy end notes that beautifully takes the listener home again.

How many other bands do you know that can masterfully perform ANY genre of music (having now added traditional holiday music to their repertoire) on top of their own extensive critically acclaimed catalogue? The list is VERY small, no doubt. Hence, The Roots truly stand in their own realm, first in the hip hop world and now on the mainstream TV platform on which they’ve been proudly displaying their immense talents without artistic compromise. And this beautiful performance of The Christmas Song is the snowy icing on the holiday cake, no doubt.

So if you haven’t already, press play to thoroughly enjoy this Legendary rendition (one that will no doubt become a part of my annual holiday tradition) of IMO the most magical Christmas composition ever created.

“And although it’s been said, many times, many ways. Merry Christmas…to you.”

#The Roots #Late Night #Jimmy Fallon #The Christmas Song #Christmas #Live Performance

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The Roots - Table Of Contents (Part 3) [The Legendary, 1999]

I was reminded of this track while peeping Late Night w/ The Roots & Jimmy Fallon this evening/early morning (featuring the legendary Pee-Wee Herman as the main guest). Right after Fallon stated the usual “Give it up for The Roots!” segue from his monologue, the Legendary went into an abbreviated version of Table Of Contents (Part 3), in particular Black Thought’s ad-libs (“Hit the flow, ah…”) from The Legendary. Of course, there was no time for Tariq’s ill verse though (which can be heard in full if you press play).

FYI, The Legendary was an EP that was released in July of 1999 and the mini-recording posed as a bridge between the Things Fall Apart LP (which came out in February and I was still giving said joint heavy play throughout the summer) and The Roots Come Alive live album which came out in late Fall. The Legendary has been out of print for a while now but I still have my copy (which I bought on the week of release). Come to think of it, 1999 was the ONLY time that The Roots had 3 releases in the same calendar year. Man, what an epic year that 1999 (for so many reasons that I won’t get into here).

I gotta say that I also love it when Late Night runs the full end credits sequence without cutting off early (like they did tonight) so that the TV audience gets a chance to see the nightly end theme in its near full form i.e. the energetic live jam topped off by Black Thought executing the entire hook to Here I Come (“He said yeah, you betta come out with / your hands up, we got you surrounded…”), which by now everyone should realize that the main show theme is an interpolation/re-imagining of the Here I Come track from 2006’s superb Game Theory LP. BASEBALL! “It’s bout to blow, ah…”

#The Roots #The Legendary #EP #1999

The Roots & Q-Tip masterfully covering N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton (but this time not in front of a network TV studio audience and as a result gloriously uncensored) as part of the 2010 Hennessy Artistry Series event in Chi-town this past weekend. Dope job as usual by Thought and Tip (who have tremendous live chemistry). And Kirk kills Eazy’s part yet again! Damn, I really want ?uesto and crew to start covering other N.W.A hits now. And I certainly hope that The Bad Lieutenant and The Abstract took this unique opportunity to do a live performance of Ital (The Universal Side) aka their fabulous tag-team duet from Illadelph Halflife. Cheers to the Henrock!

(Source: 2dopeboyz.com)

#The Roots #Q-Tip #Hennessy #Artistry #Series #Event #2010 #Live Performance

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The Roots - Thought @ Work (Original Version)

Superior to the LP version as it contains the exceptional live sampling of The Beatles Hey Bulldog. But unfortunately the sample was never cleared by the Lennon Estate (although I bet John would have been cool with it if he were still alive). IMO, this track (which is also a tribute to Kool G Rap’s masterful verbosity on Men At Work) belongs in Black Thought’s Top 5 lyrical performances. Greatness all around.

#The Roots #Phrenology #Original Version #Hip-Hop #2002