Seattle Times Part 2 - Today's Article written by some guy named Patrick MacDonald. Nerdy white literary types are hilariously predictable in their tastes for rap music.
The Roots are not only the best band in hip-hop, they're also the smartest and most conscientious.
Led by amazing drummer ?uestlove (Ahmir Thompson), whose head is so full of musical history and ideas that they seem to blossom in his enormous Afro, and powerful rapper Black Thought (Tarik Trotter), the Roots make music that moves your heart, soul, mind and feet. The music is tight and soulful, the beat gets your feet moving and the words make you think.
You won't hear the usual machismo boasting from the Roots, nor violent revenge fantasies or obscene disrespect for women. Their videos don't feature mansions, yachts, girls in bikinis at pool parties, snarling pit bulls or fancy cars.
Nightclub preview
The Roots 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Saturday, the Showbox, 1426 First Ave., Seattle; sold out (206-628-0888, or
www.ticketmaster.com; information, 206-628-3151,
www.showboxonline.com or
www.theroots.com).
But while they avoid hip-hop clichés, the Roots are steeped in the form and love it. They're more in tune, however, with the early, politically oriented, community-based style of groups like Public Enemy, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and not the bling-bling, bang-bang and bad girls that contemporary hip-hop — especially gangsta rap — seems to be all about.
The Roots' latest album, the Grammy-nominated "Game Theory," is one of the few CDs in popular music that addresses political concerns like the war in Iraq, pollution and diminishing civil liberties.
As always, Black Thought also pays tribute to the band's beloved hometown of Philadelphia.
The musical beds that the group creates are interesting, varied and powerfully rhythmic. ?uestlove is an open-minded music lover who cites rock, jazz and pop artists as influences, along with rap's pioneers. He's a big fan of such legends as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix; contemporary rockers like the White Stripes and John Mayer (with whom he has recorded); and even folkies, especially Joni Mitchell. Snippets of music inspired by them could show up in one of the Roots' extended jams.
While the Roots' recordings are great, to really appreciate the band (which also includes a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist and percussionist), you have to see it live.
A rapper and DJ aren't much fun to watch, but seeing real musicians working closely together, especially when jamming, is a thrill. And big, handsome Black Thought is a compelling frontman who commands attention.
Both of the Roots' shows Saturday night at the Showbox are listed as sold out; the late show doesn't start until 11:30 p.m. That show is probably going to be the better one, because the band will be more than warmed up, and the crowd will be well-lubricated. The place will be jumping. See you there!
