is it crazy that i’ve seen the roots in concert twice, and i still want to keep seeing them?
of course not. you know why? it’s because black thought could be my favorite MC i’ve ever seen perform live, besides lupe in atlanta and rakim/common (they tied, but are both extremely ridiculous!) at that park in brooklyn last summer. plus, each band member has a crazy vibrant personality. did you see the lead guitarist make his guitar cry last time!? and don’t forget about ?uestlove! the only drummer who has a library worth of vinyl. IN HIS HOUSE.
i got the new album, rising down, in the mail yesterday from an undisclosed source.
yes, i took a picture. everything from the album art to the concept to the actual tracks is vicious, young. DC’s most powerful mover and shaker wale is on the joint, too, which is like the cherry on top. and yes, me and quinn had him on the radio show last month. for like 2 seconds. but hey, we tried.
the two videos released definitely do some serious justice to hip hop, cuz i swear i was about to abandon the genre and have discobelle as my home page, young. check the joints out below.
the roots - rising up (feat. wale & chrisette michele)
wale kills his verse. DC heads, listen for black thought’s subtle go-go reference(s) during his verses.
i’m just sayin’ tho.
the roots - get busy (feat. dice raw, peedi crakk & dj jazzy jeff)
peedi crakk steals the show in my eyes, definitely his best flow since “fall back”. plus, i kinda like the way the video is shot. it’s like “the office” gone wrong. matter fact, i’m bout to go watch that show. but uh, roots & erykah badu will be at constitution hall on may 14th and 15th. both shows start @ 8, and i’ll be at both of the joints with my squad. see y’all there.
UPDATE: the duke came with some HEAT. busta and spliff star rhyming over the “get busy” beat.
download: busta & spliff star - “get busy” freestyle
wiz khalifa - star power. best trunk music. ever.
the native soul - an evolution. it's $ulaiman of blind i. rapping!
christian rich - the decay mixtape [think electrorock meets hip hop and dates it for a bit.]
the paxtons - members only. chi-town/dc-bred dudes. nice rhymes, crazy beats.
evidence - the layover mixtape. this joint is CRAZY.
crucial mix by PFOP's lo. love songs and such!
if coldplay and jay-z made a album, it'd sound like this.
GLC - i ain't even yet: the mixtape. kanye's G.O.O.D. music artist's latest offering.
dandiggity's eclecticuts vol. 2. assortment of eclectic cuts. obviously.
dj klever - flashback. CRUCIAL mix of 80's jams that you've probably never heard before.
g*two - one man army. newest talent out the DMV. he's nice.
The song Rise Up is sooooo dope! Black Thought definitely did his GOGO research and came with heat. The subtle references fit so nicely in his verses, I loved it! I feel like this song definitely has some different elements in it from the GOGO genre that a lot of people probably wouldn’t even realize unless they had grown up hearing Rare Essence or Back at cookouts or live performances. The drums in this song have that classic smooth and catchy GOGO beat, and the beat switches up at exactly the right time to that sort of up tempo breakdown (the DC people know what I’m talkin about). And having Chrisette Michele on the track just makes it that much better. Her voice is low and smooth like Kim Scott’s. I love everything about GOGO, so props to everyone in the song. And I agree, Wale’s verse was very nice indeed.