The Roots

Festivals Hip Hop Soul 

The Roots Picnic Re-Centers Philly in Black Music

June 4, 2024June 4, 2024 Dan Weiss 0 Comments Andre 3000, Babyface, Black Thought, Erykah, Erykah Badu, Ghostface Killah, J. Period, Jill Scott, Jilly from Philly, Lil Wayne, Method Man, Nas, Pharrell Williams, Questlove, Redman, Roots Picnic 2024, The Roots

In its 15th year, the annual fest remains a bustling intersection of musical quality and rich culture

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Hip Hop 

If It’s Artificial Let It Be: The Roots’ Things Fall Apart at 25

February 24, 2024February 24, 2024 Justin Cober-Lake 0 Comments 1999, 25th Anniversary, Black Thought, Common, Erykah Badu, Hub, Malik B, Questlove, Rahzel, Scratch, The Roots, Things Fall Apart, You Got Me

Looking back on the album that put the Philly band on the mainstream map

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Alternative Rock Blues Hip Hop Rock 

G. Love & Special Sauce Reissue Classic 1994 Debut for its 30th Anniversary 

January 4, 2024January 4, 2024 Ron Hart 0 Comments Beastie Boys, Boston, Digable Planets, G. Love, G. Love & Special Sauce, Garrett “G. Love” Dutton, James “Jimi Jazz” Prescott, Jeffrey “The Houseman” Clemens, Philadelphia International Records, Soul Coughing, Special Sauce, The Roots

Remastered and expanded digital edition due out January 12th

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Alternative Rock Rock 

How Incubus’ Morning View Was an Alternate Timeline for Nü-Metal

October 24, 2023October 24, 2023 Ted Miller 1 Comment 2001, 2024, Ani DiFranco, Bjork, Brandon Boyd, Chris Kilmore, DJ Lyfe, Epic Records, Immortal Records, Incubus, Mike Einziger, Morning View, The Roots

Celebrating the shirtless vibes of the hard rock that could’ve been in the early ’00s

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Hip Hop Rap Rock 

A Loose History of the Rock and Hip-Hop Connection in Eight Moves

August 11, 2023August 11, 2023 Ron Hart 0 Comments 50th anniversary, Blondie, Eddie Martinez, Elvis Costello, Faith No More, Hip-hop, Judgment Night soundtrack, KRS One, Larry Smith, Lil Yachty, R.E.M., Riot, Run DMC, The Roots

From Blondie to Yachty, we trace back the evolution of this everloving junction

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Alternative Rock Hip Hop Rap Rock 

I Would Call It Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Roots’ Phrenology at 20

December 8, 2022December 8, 2022 Ted Miller 0 Comments 2002, Black Thought, Cody ChesnuTT, D'Angelo, Dave Matthews Band, Erykah Badu, Hub, MCA Records, Musiq, Phrenology, Questlove, Scratch, The Roots

Looking back on the Philly crew’s most experimental album

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Hip Hop Rap 

ALBUMS: The Art of Cheat Codes

August 23, 2022 Ron Hart 0 Comments A$AP Rocky, Armand Hammer, Black Thought, BMG, Cheat Codes, Chef Raekwon, Danger Mouse, Denzel Curry, Hip-hop, Joey Bada$$, MF Doom, Rap, Run The Jewels, The Roots

Danger Mouse and Black Thought come correct on collaborative debut

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Blues Festivals Funk Gospel jazz Soul World 

“Are You Ready, Black People?”: Summer Of Soul Takes Us Higher

July 6, 2021March 28, 2022 James Porter 3 Comments Chuck Jackson, David Ruffin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Harlem Cultural Festival, Questlove, Sly & the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Summer of Soul, The Chambers Brothers, The Fifth Dimension, The Roots

In his directorial debut, Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson celebrates the great lost music festival of 1969

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Alternative Rock Heavy Metal Hip Hop Rap 

The Significance of Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory

October 14, 2020October 14, 2020 Marcus K. Dowling 0 Comments 2000, Chester Bennington, Crawling, Depeche Mode. Deftones, DJ Joe Hahn, DJ Lethal, House of Pain, Hybrid Theory, In The End, John Lee Hooker, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Mike Shinoda, The Roots, The Smiths

In the end, this album really does matter 20 years later

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Hip Hop jazz Rap Remembrance 

LISTEN: Peaceful Journey, Malik B.

July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 Ron Hart 0 Comments Ahmir Thompson, Dice Raw, Hip-hop, Hub, Leonard Hubbard, Malik Abdul Basit, Malik B, Philadelphia, Questlove, RIP, Tariq Trotter, The Roots

The secret weapon of the Legendary Roots Crew has died at age 47

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Rap 

WATCH: Public Enemy Revamps “Fight The Power” For Our Modern Age

June 29, 2020January 15, 2024 Ron Hart 2 Comments 2020, BET, Black Thought, Breonna Taylor, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, George Floyd, Professor Griff, Public Enemy, Questlove, Rapsody, The Roots, YG

Chuck D, Flavor Flav and Professor Griff are joined by Rapsody, Nas, YG, Black Thought and Questlove and open up the 2020 BET Music Awards with an all-hands-on-deck update of their 1989 protest anthem

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Festivals 

The Neverending Quarantine Concert Series Vol. III

April 14, 2020April 14, 2020 Ron Hart 0 Comments Andrea Bocelli, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Curt Smith, DJ Premier, Erykah Badu, Marvin Gaye, Quarantine, Questlove, RZA, Tears For Fears, The Roots

Five more outstanding live performances from this lockdown situation

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Hip Hop jazz Roots Soul 

Has It Really Been 25 Years Since Do You Want More?!!!??!

January 31, 2020January 31, 2020 Daniel Offner 0 Comments ?uestlove, 1995, 25th Anniversary, Black Thought, Cassandra Wilson, Do You Want More?!!!??!, Geffen, Hub, Illadelph, Malik B, Philadelphia, Philly, Rahzel, Scott Storch, Scratch, The Roots, Ursula Rucker

The major label debut of the Legendary Roots Crew was a gamechanger in early 1995

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Blues Country and/or Western Folk Hip Hop Pop Rock Soul 

2020 Grammys: 5 Great Performances

January 30, 2020January 31, 2020 Ron Hart 0 Comments 2020, 2020 Grammys, Aerosmith, Angel from Montgomery, Billy Ray Cyrus, Bonnie Raitt, BTS, CBS, Demi Lovato, Demi Lovato Anyone, Gary Clark Jr., Grammy, John Prine, Lil Nas X, Lil Nas X Old Country Road, Lizzo, Lizzo Cuz I love you/Truth hurts, Nas, Run DMC/Aerosmith reunion, The 62nd Grammy Awards, The Roots

Now that CBS has finally released the performances to YouTube, behold….

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