?uestlove & Ringo Starr Drum Off!

Last night Ringo Starr was the guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In a web exclusive that should have percussion fans and fans of good music in general salivating, Ringo and ?uestlove drummed together as The Roots continued to play after the closing credits. It's only a minute long, but clearly a drum-off for the ages.

Musings: Black Thought Dominates

Have you guys checked out that Roots Mixtape trey put up? I've been listening to that a bit and one thing is clear: Black Thought is a beast. He's straight up eating people alive on their own songs. I was listening to the Clipse "Grindin", feeling it because it's what played at every frat party I went to freshman year, and then it happened...Black Thought started rapping. I thought to myself "he's not on this song, what's going on here?" What was going on was he was bringing the HEAT. I think even the Clipse were kind of pumped with how much he was rippin it. Watch it again and peep their faces: they love it.

I was never that into roots until the last few years, but i'm making up for lost time. Good music.

Late Night w/ The Roots (Mixtape)

Christmas comes early and often. I’ve been wanting something like this for quite some time. A nice little collection of performance clips from Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon compiled by DJ Heat. Ludacris, Clipse, Wale, Q-Tip, 50 Cent, Raekwon, Goodie Mob, Black Star, Public Enemy and more rocking with the legendary Roots crew!

While it would be dope if The Roots released something official with the soundboard recordings (ala the Sandwiches EP); this will definitely do.

01 The Roots – How I Got Over (Live)
02 Ludacris – I Do It For Hip Hop / Last Of A Dying Breed (Live)
03 Mos Def – Casa Bey (Live)
04 Beastie Boys – So Whatcha Want (Live)
05 Black Star – History (Live)
06 Snoop Dogg – I Wanna Rock (Live)
07 Ghostface – Baby f. Raheem DeVauaghn (Live)
08 Wale – Pretty Girls (Live)
09 Raekwon – Catalina (Live)
10 50 Cent – Baby By Me / Do You Think About Me (Live)
11 Clipse – Popular Demand f. Black Thought (Live)
12 Clipse – Grindin’ f. Black Thought (Live)
13 Q-Tip – Barely In Love (Live)
14 Goodie Mob – Soul Food (Live)
15 Public Enemy – Bring the Noise (Live)

Download Late Night w/ The Roots (Mixtape)

Check out the Legendary's most recent guest, The Clipse, performing that classic GRINDIN'.



Would it be wrong to call the show "Late Night with the Roots"?

The Roots – Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Sandwhiches EP

Check this out. When The Roots enter and leave a commercial break on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, they perform small sets called “sandwiches”. And since joining the show in March, the crew have composed 1,000 of ‘em. This past weekend, drummer ?uestlove compiled 22 of them into a free EP. Can’t beat that.

Here is the tracklist.

01. Once In A Lifetime
02. Sizuuuuuuuurpin
03. Head Slicer
04. Spain (ft. Chick Corea)
05. The Juice of Chicago
06. Baatin
07. Woman
08. Choir Fire
09. Teen Town
10. Cant Keep Headphones on Head
11. Red Toe Nail Bashing
12. Blinded By The Light (No Douche Here)
13. Caveman for Dennis Quaid
14. Wan Cook Soup
15. Someone Is Late To Dentist Appointment
16. I Get Lifted
17. Werewolf Barmitzvah
18. Like This Anna Torv
19. Breezin (ft. George Benson)
20. EvenzarahlikesTHISone
21. The Suits
22. Usher In That Choir

DOWNLOAD: The Roots – Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Sandwhiches EP

Wale x The Roots "Pretty Girls" Live on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

To bring in the release of his new album, Attention Deficit, Wale was a guest on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon yesterday. Wale performs his song "Pretty Girls" with The Roots backing him up, and Black Thought handling the second verse. Attention Deficit is in stores now.

The Roots "How I Got Over"

Been waiting on this one for a while: . The album "How I Got Over" is scheduled for a November 17th, 2009 release.

You can catch the Legendary every night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Daily Throwback: The Roots feat. Common - Act too (Love of my life)

One of my favorite songs.

What?
Hip-Hop y'all, to the top y'all
Hip-Hop check it out
It's like that, and it sounds so nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life
We bout to take it to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the check it out
Yo, what? And it sounds so nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life
I'm bout to take it to the top, what?
Hip-Hop (hip-hop love)
To the top (to the top) hip-hop, check it out
It's like, word up, and it sounds so nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life (of my life)

[Black Thought]
The anticipation arose as time froze
I stared off the stage with my eyes closed and dove
into the deep cosmos
The impact pushed back, the first five rows
But before the raw live shows
I remember I'se a little snot-nosed
Rockin Gazelle, goggles and Izod clothes
Learnin the ropes of ghetto survival
Peepin out the situation I had to slide through
Had to watch my back my front plus my sides too
When it came to gettin mine I ain't tryin, to argue
Sometimes I wouldn'ta made it if it wasn't for you
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life and that's true
When I was handlin the shit I had to do
It was all for you, from the door for you
Speak through you, gettin paper on tour for you
From the start, Thought was down by law for you
Used to hit up every corner store wall for you
We ripped shit, and kept it hardcore for you
I remember late nights, steady rockin the mic
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life

So tell the people like that y'all (that y'all)
And it sounds so nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life
We bout to take it to the top..

[Common]
Yo, yo I was speakin, to my guy 'Riq and
How she was desperately seekin to Organize in a Konfusion
Usin, no protection, told H.E.R. on _Resurrection_
Caught in the Hype Williams, and lost H.E.R. direction
Gettin eight/ate in sections where I wouldn't eat H.E.R.
An under the counter love, so _Silent_-ly I _Treat_ H.E.R.
Her Daddy'll beat H.E.R., eyes all Puff-ed
In the mix on tape, niggaz had her in the buff
When we touch, it was more than just a fuck
The Police, in her I found peace (like who?)
Like Malcolm in the East
Seen H.E.R. on the streets of New York, trickin off
Tried to make a hit with H.E.R. but my dick went soft
Movin weight, losin weight, not picky - with who she choose to date
To confuse the hate, with her struggle I relate
Close to thirty, most of the niggaz she know is dirty
Havin more babies than Lauryn, she started showin early
As of late I realized, that this is H.E.R. fate
Or destiny that brings the best of me
It's like God is testin me
In _Retrospect_ I see she brought _Life_ and death to me
Peace to us collectively, live and direct when we perform
It's just coffee shop chicks and white dudes
Over H.E.R. I got into it with that nigga Ice Cube
Now the fight moved to in life, makin the right moves
Besides God and family, you my life's jewel
Like that y'all
Hip-Hop.. [echoes]

[whispered]
Take it to the top, what? Hip-Hop (hip-hip)
To the top, hip-hop (hip-hop) check it out

[Black Thought - louder]
It's like, word up, and it sounds nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life, what?
Bout to take you to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the, yo
Fifth Dynamite, and it sounds so nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life
I'm bout to take you to the top love
Hip-Hop, word up, to the top (to the top)
Hip-Hop, check it out
It's like that, what? And it sounds alright
Hey, cause you the love of my life
I'm bout to take you to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the, check it out
What? Yeah, and it sounds so nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life
Bout to take you to the top love
Hip-Hop (hip-hop) to the top (to the top) hip-hop (hip-hop)
Fifth Dynamite, and it sounds alright
Hey, cause you the love of my life
I'm bout to take you to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the, check it out, yo
Ye-yeh-yo, yo, and it sounds so nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life
We bout to take you to the top love, hip-hop (hip-hop)
To the top (to the top) hip-hop (hip-hop)
Check it out, it's like, yeah, and it's sounds alright
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life
We bout, take it to the to the to the

Wale on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Having the Roots at your back can't hurt. I'm WALE!

New Roots!

Here is a preview of what's to come on The Roots' new album, How I Got Over. On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, The Roots performed the title track/lead single off of the album, "How I Got Over."

The Roots Slow Jamming the News with Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon is a funny enough guy, but the only reason the the Late Night Show is worth watching if you are a frequent insomniac like me, is the genius infusion of the Legendary Roots Crew. It's basically variety show MCed by Black Thought and ?uestlove where Jimmy Fallon is the featured guest every night.

Check out their pure musical and comedic genius in a running sketch: Slow Jam the News.

Black Thought can belt a damn good tune, and I want his tailor.


Topic: Nancy Pelosi getting pissed at governors rejecting stimulus money.

Key line: "She added an amendment!"


Topic: The AIG bailout.

Key line: "I want my whistle blow-w-w-wn!"


Topic: North Korea expelling nuclear inspectors.


Topic: Obama's supreme court pick.

DAILY THROWBACK: The Roots "Proceed"

After a great deal of introspection and random surveying, I'm changing the "Old School Video of the Day" to "Daily Throwbacks."

Today: The Roots "Proceed" off of "Do You Want More?!!!??!" circa 1995.

Check out the early genius of the Legendary Roots Crew.

The Roots and The Lonely Island on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

One of the advantages of insomnia is being able to watch the Roots every night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Here they are being the house-band for Lonely Planet. These cats are funny, but just peaked playing a live show with the Roots.


Final thoughts:
-Blackthought is much better than T-Pain at T-Pain's own songs.
-I have been on boats nearly every weekend since this song came out, and for some reason it has never popped in my head. I think at the one minute gun at the start of the Annapolis to Newport race, I'm gonna run a speaker up the mast and blast this song on repeat down the bay.

The Roots Ft Chrisette Michele & Wale - Rising Up

Choice line: Good rapper's ain't eating, they're Olsen twinning.

Respect to the Roots, especially for bringing on a new star, Wale.