One More Thing

Even though this is a new month, I couldn't resist posting what I discovered last night.

This is a hidden track on The Roots' first live album The Roots Come Alive. When I first heard it, my first thought almost exactly matched one of the actual comments under the video on Youtube.

Black Thought is simply scatting this stuff, and he's still more engaged than 90% of the emcees I hear!

Outstanding.

peace.

Time With Dilla

An interview with J Dilla while on tour in The Netherlands

It's in four parts, so make sure to check them all.

I've heard snippets of this interview here and there, and it's apparent that this conversation with J Dilla is of vast importance to the hip hop community. He speaks extensively about his relationship with Slum Village, his encounter and subsequent collaboration with Madlib, and the issues of intellectual and artistic ownership in hip hop.

I'm not writing much because I'm watching it myself! Check ya'll tomorrow...

peace

A Simple Tribute

"Act Too...The Love of My Life" by The Roots feat. Common



I wonder how my musical life would have been different if I was never exposed to The Roots. Perhaps I would be much more into other genres of music, like classic soul or reggae. Maybe I wouldn't have such a unrelenting desire to see or hear live music (because live Roots shows are simply the best in the world). It's possible I would have never even become an artist, rather a veterinarian or a motorcycle mechanic. Because The Roots are, quite literally, one of the most influential groups of musicians to my personal sense of artistic aesthetic. They have been at the epicenter of just about every important moment of hip hop for the last 15 years, (the exposure and mentoring of J Dilla, the formation of The Soulquarians, accompanying Jay-Z's appearance on MTV Unplugged, performance in the concert film Dave Chappelle's Block Party, the house band gig on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, etc.) and have proved to be one of the most consistent, thoughtful, versatile, and innovative groups in the history of music.

This is my favorite track from their 1999 release Things Fall Apart. They do Philly proud.

peace.