Roots Kick More Rock Than Rap

Author: Richard Lawless

Middlebury College welcomed acclaimed hip-hop group The Roots to its cavernous Nelson Arena last Saturday. Performing for a packed crowd, the group unleashed such favorites as "The Next Movement" and "You Got Me" from their breakthrough 1999 album, "Things Fall Apart."
Highly regarded for their amazing ability to do live shows, The Roots did not dissapoint their audience, running through a solidly packed, high-energy set of nonstop grooves, never once pausing for a breather until 60 minutes into the show.
Opening for The Roots was Baba whose poetic rapping style and thought-provoking lyrics fused with infectious musical waves, setting the stage for the inspiring rhymes and rhythms of the headliners.
The Roots took the stage around 10 p.m., whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Composed of vocal turntablist Scratch, rapper Black Thought, drummer ?uestlove (a.k.a. Amhir Thompson), keyboardist Kamal, bassist Hub, rapper Malik B. and Godfather of Noyze Rahzel, who performed at Middlebury last fall, The Roots are a musical force to be reckoned with.
Throughout their set, the group went from contagious beats to mellow instrumentals to intense hardcore punk (thanks in no small part to their new guitarist), switching between these styles on the fly to create an amalgamation of sounds that was impossible not to dance to. Rahzel, ?uestlove, Hub and Scratch provided one of the tightest rhythm sections in existence, while Black Thought and Malik raced around the stage delivering their provocative lyrics to the accompaniment of Kamal's infectious keyboard melodies.
After about an hour of continuous songs, The Roots went offstage for a few minutes, with only drummer ?uestlove remaining at his post. During this interval, the drummer had a chance to show off his unparalleled skill at carrying a groove on his drum kit, performing a percussive blowout complemented by rapturous applause from the crowd. By the end of his solo stunt, no doubt remained about ?uestlove's place as the best drummer in hip-hop.
Soon ?uestlove was accompanied by a couple of his fellow bandmates on percussion, adding to the complexity of the groove until reaching a pinnacle of rhythm that drove the crowd wild. The rest of the members came out shortly after and the band launched into the second half of their set.
While the first half of The Roots' set was a nonstop jam created by fusing their songs together, the second half of the show was a musical smorgasbord of styles, solo performances and covers. The group took the opportunity to introduce its members individually, each offering up their own solo performance, which was then built upon by other members of the band, developing into freestyle jams.
Bassist Hub attacked his instrument, evoking a variety of tones expressed in an intense rhythm, while keyboardist Kamal similarly showed off his incredible skills, gliding over the keys and letting flow a cascade of notes.
Each of the members was given his chance to shine, and when their newest member was given the opportunity to show off his guitar, the band suddenly commenced on a medley of '80s and '90s hard rock/metal songs, playing snippets from such classics as Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle," AC/DC's "Back in Black," Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Black Sabbath's "Iron Man."
The group then switched styles with ease, turning to more freestyle jams and showing their incredible knack for carrying a groove and elaborating upon it. Switching gears, the Roots began a medley of recent hip-hop favorites, like Mystikal's "Bouncin' Back" and Nelly's "Hot in Herre," before going into the concert's final stretch. The Roots triumphantly finished with a massive blowout of jams, reaching an emotional climax as ?uestlove's drums thundered, the guitar crunched, the keyboards wailed and the bass thumped intensely. The group ignited the stage while the audience roared with applause and shouts, culminating a highly successful show.
The Roots formed in 1987 as a partnership between ?uestlove and Black Thought (a.k.a. Tariq Trotter) at Philadelphia's High School for Creative Performing Arts. Focusing on a live sound with real instruments, the duo used existing record samples to supplement their recordings with ?uestlove on the drums and Black Thought on vocals.
Next to join the group were Hub and Malik B., and as the group increased its size, The Roots' popularity grew in the Philidelphia and New York areas.
The group released its first album, "Organix," in 1993, signing to David Geffen's label DGC before the year was done. Two years later the Roots made its major-label debut, releasing "Do You Want More?!!!??!" and adding Rahzel and Kamal (a.k.a. Scott Storch) to their ranks.
The following year The Roots released the jazz and old-school inspired "Illadelph Halflife." Yet their artistic and commercial breakthrough came with 1999's "Things Fall Apart," which took its name from the celebrated Chinua Achebe novel about the decline of an African village from imperialism. On this album, The Roots delivered a set of solemn jazz-oriented tracks as well as the hip-hop anthem "The Next Movement."
The Roots are currently on tour to promote their new album, "Phrenology," which will hit stores this month on Nov. 26.