It’s now less than a month now until Christmas, a time where you grab all your rellies, whack on the Michael Bublé and enjoy a good Christmas feast. One of the blessings to come with the silly season is the ridiculous seasonal merch that musicians tend to release with glee each year. This year we’ve picked our favourite Christmas lines to share. From Beyoncé to 2 Chainz, get your credit cards at the ready!
Beyoncé
The queen herself has just announced her own Christmas collection, themed around her 2016 release Lemonade. From “Boy Bye” sweatpants, to an “I came to sleigh” jumper, this is one of the funniest collections yet. Checkout the images below and visit Beyoncé’s website for more.
Run The Jewels
Our favourite Brooklyn and Atlanta cohort, Killer Mike and El-P aka Run The Jewels is back again following up with their 2015 Christmas collection with another ‘Run The Yules’ sweater. Following the announcement of Run The Jewels 3, slated for release early next year, this is one sweater we can get behind.
Ed. note: I bought this last year and it’s still one of my most treasured possessions. Highly recommended.
Visit Run The Jewels’ Store Here
The Roots
It’s not Christmas time until the legendary Roots crew release their Christmas collection, and this year is no different. While they may be sitting in their day job as the band for Jimmy Fallon, the crew has made sure this year’s collection is unlike any other, with a “Merry Questmas” making an addition along with last year’s favourites, this is sure to turn heads.
2 Chainz
Arguably the most extensive hip-hop Christmas collection yet, 2 Chainz has released a huge collection full of dad caps, sweaters and tees galore. Building upon the ‘Dabbing Santa’ collection, there is now a whole bunch more designs, and best of all it goes directly to helping veterans, disabled children, supporting arts education and many more through the T.R.U. Foundation.
Image: Hip Hop Early
2016 is not only the year of almost every single great artist releasing a new album, it also seems to be the year of resurrection for musical legends. Whispers of a Phil Collins comeback have been circling of late, along with discussing global cuisines with esteemed rappers.
Sure enough, the musical world lost their collective shite when the legendary performer announced a run of European shows earlier this month, including a five night stint at the Royal Albert Hall.
Despite the announcement of comeback shows, the question remained; would he still retain the same swagger that first made him a superstar?
Thankfully, the music gods well and truly answered our prayer this week, with the singer giving his first performance in over a decade on The Tonight Show, and fair to say, he has well and truly still got it at 65 years young.
As the studio lights dimmed and The Roots begun playing the dark, ethereal opening chords of In The Air Tonight, the now bald and wizened performer slowly stepped up to the mic, sporting a black polo shirt no doubt bestowed upon him via a family Secret Santa, to give an absolute masterclass in singing. Watch below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjiq0DoSQD8
After ten years away from the stage, the amount of control and clarity shown by Collins was nothing short of astounding. The singer delivered each note with the tenderness and warmth, slowly allowing the emotion of the song to take hold until Questlove smashed out that fill, prompting a cheer from both the studio audience and no doubt the millions watching and singing along at home.
Image: Esquire
The BET Awards aired this week, and with it came many stunning performances, notably a string of phenomenal tributes to Prince, who died on April 21 this year. After a number of fairly contentious performances, notably the highly-criticised choice of Madonna to lead the performance at the Billboard Music wards, BET responded with a full selection of covers, essentially turning the entire night into one big tribute.
Many of the performances were not made available for full viewing outside the US, but the good news is that all full videos from the BET Awards are now here for your viewing pleasure.
First came Erykah Badu, The Roots and Bilal giving it their all with heartwrenching covers of The Ballad of Dorothy Parker and The Beautiful Ones.
Stevie Wonder and Tori Kelly then performed Take Me With You, before Jennifer Hudson wowed with a truly stunning rendition of Purple Rain. Hudson also paid tribute to Prince’s fashion choice by wearing a hooded outfit reminiscent of his outfit at the People’s Choice Awards in 2005.
Janelle Monae was next, and much like Hudson, she honoured the late star’s fashion choices as well as his music, delivering a medley of Delirious, Kiss, Pop Life, and I Would Die 4 U in assless chaps, in tribute of the famous yellow jumpsuit Prince wore back at the 1991 MTV VMAs.
Maxwell performed his own new song, Lake By The Ocean, as well as Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U:
Finally, Sheila E led a huge medley, featuring many of Prince’s collaborators, including members of his last band the New Power Generation, backup singers Shelby Johnson, Liv Warield, Lynn Mabry and Elisa Fiorello, Prince’s ex-wife, dancer Mayte Garcia, Jerome Benton and more. Speaking to Billboard about the emotional performance, Sheila noted, “I knew it was going to be very emotional on the first day of rehearsal. We were sound checking all of the instruments, which takes about two-three hours for setup. By the time we all got together, I said a prayer and then I knew we were going to sit there and cry. It took about 45 minutes to an hour for us to pull it together.
“It was the first time we’d been together as a family since all this happened. Everyone is still in disbelief; there’s been no closure yet. Saying goodbye to him just hasn’t happened yet. It’s hard.”
The BET Awards took place today, and one of the main events throughout the proceedings has been its continuous Prince tribute; yes, instead of one powerhouse performance, the ceremony is delivering a full series of tributes from a wide array of artists including The Roots, Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Janelle Monae, Jennifer Hudson and more. Much like they did when Michael Jackson passed away (he died just days before the award’s 2009 airing), honouring the late legend continues through the entire night.
Dave Chappelle spoke about Prince just half an hour into the event. “On April 21, we got that news, and literally our hearts were broken,” he said. “I was 11 years old when Purple Rain came out, and by the time I was 20, Prince had changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol… We miss him dearly. And tonight we celebrate the rich legacy of this remarkable genius, who we are all so proud of.”
The musical tributes then began with Erykah Badu and Bilal, who performed equally beautiful versions of The Ballad of Dorothy Parker and The Beautiful Ones respectively, backed by The Roots. Next, Tori Kelly joined Stevie Wonder on stage for Take Me With You, and Jennifer Hudson sent shivers down everyone’s spine with her take on Purple Rain. Maxwell sang Nothing Compares 2 U as well as his own recent single Lake By The Ocean, updated the first line of NC2u lyrics from, “It’s been seven hours and fifteen days” to sixty-six days, the time since Prince’s passing. Meanwhile Janelle Monae took the her medley of Kiss, Pop Life and I Would Die 4 U even further, honouring Prince’s infamous 1991 VMAs outfit with assless pants of her own. Hudson similarly honouring Prince’s outfits by donning a white hooded suit for Purple Rain. Finally, Prince’s long time collaborator, drummer Sheila E led a final ten-minute medley (which was reportedly set to have been led by D’Angelo, who didn’t end up performing) through Housequake, Erotic City (the first song she and Prince recorded together), Let’s Work, U Got the Look and many more.
Unfortunately BET has not yet made the full performances available for international viewers. For now, you can watch short snippets of the performances here. We’ll post full versions when made officially available:
Image: Kevin Winter/Getty
https://twitter.com/RebLRocR/status/747244875570020352
https://twitter.com/juiceyki/status/747261116775014400
Im not your woman. Im not your man. Im something you will never understand! @JanelleMonae honors @prince #BetAwards pic.twitter.com/1C4arwhKC7
— BIKO (@ChernoBiko) June 27, 2016
Image: Kevin Winter/Getty/BET
If hip-hop had playoffs who would you want to see in the finals? Me? I’d want to see veterans The Roots take on A$AP Mob. But since my dreams aren’t realities ESPN has given me a consolidation prize and recruited Philly’s finest, The Roots, to produce this year’s NBA Finals theme song Champion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86g7YD1AiQ8
Black Thought, Questlove, and the rest of the crew recorded a song to featured in the new 2016 NBA Finals spot Show Me You’re A Champion. The song outlines the blood, sweat and tears required to climb to the top of the NBA, and its video showcases the moments where all that sacrifice finally pays off. The clip features Black Thought rhyming over vintage footage cut to look as though some of NBA’s biggest names were back on the outdoor courts where their passion first began, and features: Magic Johnson‘s hook shot in the ’87 Finals; Michael Jordan‘s crossover jumper over Byron Russell; Larry Bird‘s celebratory towel wave; Kobe and Shaq‘s embrace following their first title. Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, and Paul Pierce also celebrate NBA championships in the spot.
Whose year will it be this year? Will unanimous MVP Steph Curry be able to lead Golden State to a championship? Or will the Thunder take it. Perhaps LeBron can further prove he is the greatest and lead the Cavs to victory? Or will the upset of the decade happen and the Raptors win?
Hip-hop is firmly cemented into basketball culture, and now ESPN is continuing that bond. Last week we had hosts of the ESPN show Highly Questionable bring Fat Joe in to discuss Notorious Big’s I Got A Story To Tell, this week they have the Legendary Roots crew making the NBA Finals promo, and earlier in the year PRhyme, the duo of DJ Premier & Royce 5’9, were commissioned to create the theme song for ESPN’s NBA Countdown, titled Rockin’ With The Best.
Image: hitfix.com
In a new feature we shine a light on the best rappers to ever pick up a mic, running a fine toothed comb through some of their lines and verses to access what makes them stand out amongst their peers. First up is Black Thought, of The Roots.
Tariq Luqmaan Trotter aka Black Thought is the co-founder of the legendary hip-hop group The Roots. Along with his best friend Ahmir Thompson aka Questlove, the Philadelphia locals joined forces in 1987 to create a group which is still going strong nearly three decades later. Consistently cited as the most underrated rapper in the industry, Black Thought combines complex rhyme schemes with political statements like no one else. Along with his gritty delivery, constant wordplay and use of metaphors, he has become one of the most recognisable and respected rappers around.
The Roots released their first record in 1993 but it was their release three years later, which featured a social commentary from Black Thought on the city where he grew up, that showcased the band’s true potential.
“I’m livin’ life within a labyrinth of nonsense/ this is a consequence of being Philly residents/ trying to get it on/ the rhythm getting shitted on/ the exquisite I exhibit to shine.”
Still yet to achieve any real success, these lines reflected a disenfranchised outlook on the struggling streets of Philadelphia. These initial rough sketches of reflection would then later be expanded upon with amazing eye to detail as Black Thought began to find his voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhxDN1BW9PY
The later success of 1999’s Things Fall Apart, and more specifically the hit single You Got Me brought The Roots into mainstream attention. They won a Grammy, and the hype surrounding them subsequently built to fever pitch. When it eventually arrived, the much-delayed Phrenology didn’t achieve the same kind of success as its predecessor, but nonetheless featured some classic Black Thought verses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBHF7XriPFI
Key lyrics: “What a movement, the rap solution/ it thumps so hard we got ’em worldwide using them/ tracks from Black for satisfaction/ the role of captain played by Samuel L. Jackson/ ill insanity that’s cold and morbid/ but when I’m in your orbit your soul absorb it.”
The track saw Black Thought reflecting on just how far his group had come in a relatively short period of time, the last couplet in particular showcasing what was to come from the rapper, when it came to making boasts about how good his skills were.
However, his attention wasn’t solely placed on his own band and around the time of Phrenology he also began to feature on a number of tracks for other artists. Famously, he recorded a guest verse on the legendary Big Pun’s Capital Punishment album.
Key lyrics: “Stressing to emcees how they don’t really want this/ electrifying shit his excellency Thought spit/ these cats they sentimental such with a gentle touch/ dancing double Dutch and all saying nothing much/ my sound wave lifting your chin up like uppercuts.”
Rumour has it that Big Pun would only invite rappers he respected into the booth and then try to out rap them. Black Thought made this close to impossible on Super Lyrical though, as he traded verses with seeming ease. The classic boasts of his abilities here are some of the best lines he has produced in relation to his lyrical skills over his fellow MCs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pPim_ocJxk
Around the time of The Tipping Point a number of original members from The Roots had already left the band or were about to. Fellow rapper Malik B left first, then Ben Kenney left and strangely went on to join rock band Incubus. The disharmony didn’t stop Black Thought’s productivity though as he now found himself on top form.
Key lyrics: “Talk sharp like a razor blade under the tongue/ clear my path and come get your captain hung/ trying to breath like Black will collapse your lungs/ young chump you could choke off the web I spun/ I done cleared ’em out from the threat I brung.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9eKBMp6xnA
2004’s The Tipping Point was the result of numerous jam sessions over a few years which allowed the rapper to riff over an endless array of live instrumentals. However, as was now fitting with the band they didn’t stick with the same sound and moved away from the jam session feel with their follow up.
Game Theory arrived amongst a time of political upheaval in America and that dark and foreboding atmosphere leaked not only into the music but also into Black Thought’s lyrics in the form of rich personal introspection from the rapper.
Key lyrics: “Sitting in the staircase, holding back tears/ Looking over mad years’ worth of photographs/ Pictures of some places I ain’t never going back/ Some people I used to love, why I ain’t show them that?/ The skies was overcast, when I was sober last/ My head is spinning, couldn’t tell you if it’s slow or fast/ It’s starting to get too clear, I got to go and grass/ To y’all it’s a shame but life is what we know it as/ Waiting, navigating the plot, without plans/ In the car, it’s hard to read as a clock with no hands.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ7QcYvwrnk
This was followed by 2008’s Rising Down a dark indictment on the entire world. It saw Black Thought briefly stepping away from his own inner turmoil to address the issues of climate change.
Key lyrics: “Between the greenhouse gases and earth spinnin off its axis/ got mother nature doin back flips/ the natural disasters/ It’s like 80 degrees in Alaska/ you in trouble if you not an Onassis/ It ain’t hard to tell that the conditions is drastic/ just turn on the telly check for the news flashin/ How you want it bagged, paper or plastic? / lost in translation or just lost in traffic?”
The album’s title was taken from William T. Vollmann’s book Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Violence, Freedom and Urgent Means. It showcased the rapper in a new light, where suddenly world issues were given his full focus. However, the fears of the earth’s condition only brought out greater issues within Black Thought’s own psyche.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sujzmW5EpGY
He addressed the need for change, not only in the world as a whole but also with himself on How I Got Over track Now or Never. Once again, this showed that nobody does existential struggles better than himself.
Key lyrics: “I’m sick, sick of waiting in vain, tired of playing the game/ Thinking of making a change, finally breaking the chains/ Every phase, every happening craze/ When it’s said and done, my head is right back in a haze/ I’m ready for the next chapter and page to start acting my age/ And part ways with Black Thought from back in the days.”
Within How I Got Over and its follow up Undun’s gritty depictions, he painted a world that was ravaged by problems geographically, politically and socially. There were statements on climate change and police brutality, but it was all done while he refused to take the heat off himself personally. The track exposed both a politically aware and socially responsible rapper that still grappled with perceptions of the self.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWhIayQL8YY
Fellow Philly local Freeway talked of Black Thought in glowing terms when asked who he thought was the most underrated rapper of all time.
“As far as other people, definitely Black Thought. He’s a monster. Everything that he’s put out is quality… definitely slept-on. He’s got a lot of positive messages and lyrics and flow patterns in his music.”
“Black Thought is the most underrated emcee ever in the history of music,” Royce 5’9 agreed in an interview with HipHopDX.
“Yes he’s successful, but that has nothing to do with what I’m speaking about. You go to the barbershop, people talk about their top five lyricists. Because he’s such a good technical rapper, because a lot of what he do doesn’t necessarily represent for the popular climate would be sometimes, kind of like myself, it’s almost like if you don’t rap like you’re trying to get into the night club, then you automatically get pushed to the left of certain conversations.”
Royce would know all about his skills after he featured alongside him on Statik Selektah’s The Imperial. Himself a vastly underrated and under-appreciated rapper, Black Thought’s verse was one of the greatest features by a rapper ever and blew away the competition, which also included Action Bronson. The track saw him addressing everything from exuberant T-shirt prices in New York City to where he placed in the greatest rappers list. Here’s just a collection of some of his key lines from it:
“And you say New York City/ my cheapest T-shirts cost me $450.”
“Listen my calling card ball hard like armadillos/ rappers too thin to win, like cigarillos/ Shaking their hair back and forth like Willow/ but need to save the soft ass talking for the pillows.”
“My responses, a stepping razor like I’m Father Tosh/ exotic fabrics on my blazer like the Maharaja/ Sick whips in my garage, roll with no entourage/ but I roll with heat like I’m Dwayne Wade, Lebron and Bosh.”
“Killer colloquium, kush rolled with opium/ making my associates act so inappropriate.”
“Yo who your top 5? Jay, Biggie, Pac, Nas/ I ain’t trying to hear another name if it’s not mine.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc-efkXk27w
“I don’t feel overlooked, underappreciated, or none of that because it’s a short list of artists, past and present, that I kind of have respect for,” the man himself said on the topic of being considered as one of the greatest to have ever done it.
“The people who I feel are the best to do it consider me one of the best as well. I’m in great company and some may say that the underexposure has added to my allure and the staying power of me as a MC and The Roots as a band… it kind of adds to the intrigue.”
Enjoy arguably Black Thought’s greatest lyrical show below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pcu6dbTb00
Image: Fly Magazine
Following the huge loss of David Bowie this year, several tribute concerts were arranged boasting amazing line-ups honouring the legend. Now, however, two New York tribute shows will now be lacking of a few artists. Due to ‘Bitchassness’, or otherwise what seems to be an issue caused by not sharing equipment, drummer Questlove announced that his band The Roots, along with Bilal and Kimbra will not be performing at the shows.
“I’ve never been so insecure or petty as to deny a fellow musician use of any of my equipment (or my bands equipment – or resources or contacts or knowledge or anything) it angers me when the same courtesy is not reciprocated,” he wrote on Instagram.
Questlove didn’t make it clear who he was mentioning during this chatter, but due to the severity of the outcome, the issue must have seemed inexcusable.
Funnily enough Quest’s company and website Okayplayer is the exclusive media partner for both of the shows, so whether they maintain the partnership, and if so, how the shows will come across, will be an interesting story.
Despite these pullouts the tribute concerts will go ahead and feature many artists such as Michael Stipe, Pixies, Cat Power, Blondie, Perry Farrell, Jakob Dylan, Ann and Nancy Wilson, just to name a few.
Read ?uestlove’s full statement below.
Image: Mixed Nation
Justin Bieber has been on Jimmy Fallon’s late night programs more than pretty much any show. The pair have bonded over the years, through drum-offs, dancing, interviews and more. He recently delivered a revealing and remarkably down-to-earth interview (following his VMAs performance which ended in tears) – it was one of the first indications of Bieber’s reinvention.
This week, Bieber returned to The Tonight Show once again, this time to perform Sorry, with a little help from The Roots. Slowing the track right back down, we get to hear it in gushing balladic form, complete with dimmed lighting, a bare stage, and a simple spotlight on the Biebs. Halfway through, the beat drops, the lights come up and the dance-floor hit emerges. The Roots back him up, and soon, four frantic backup dancers join The Biebs on stage, emulating the track’s hi-energy video clip.
In related news, Justin Bieber has announced the first leg of what’s looking like a massive world tour. For the Beliebers out here old and new, fingers are crossed for an Australian visit.
Justin Bieber’s fourth album Purpose is available now. Every single track also came with an accompanying video – check it out here.
After 28 years of relentless jamming, touring and recording, hip hop collective The Roots were been inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Hall of Fame at a ceremony earlier this week.
With a back catalog spanning ten albums, not to mention the huge legacy they’ve left as an important, culturally aware and musically brilliant group (including casually picking up the #7 slot in About.com’s top 25 Hip-Hop groups of all time), all we can say is… IT’S ABOUT TIME.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojC0mg2hJCc
The Roots have remained one of the most prominent and relevant hip-hop groups in the world since their breakthrough record Things Fall Apart in 1999, then cemented by the sprawling, political Illadelph Halflife. More recently, the group have achieved a far wider spread of recognition when they signed on as the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCo-sSnoBjI
It was therefore fitting for Fallon himself to make an appearance, trekking down from New York to induct the band.
Fallon paid tribute to the band, remarking how, “they defy genre, and they can play any kind of music.” He went on to state that, “they are such an amazing band for the show. There is no other band on TV or in the world for that matter that comes close to them, and they can do anything.”
Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson and Tarip ‘Black Thought’ Trotter also spoke, on behalf of the band. Trotter noted that “…what better place to be immortalized…than on Broad Street, Philadelphia’s main artery. Our equator. Our Mason-Dixon Line, so to speak. It’s from these streets that we came, and now back to these streets that we return.” Watch both speeches courtesy of Rolling Stone.
The band were inducted alongside Billy Holiday, The Tramps, Andrea McArdle, Harvey Holiday and Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel.
The Roots will play a one off concert in Dublin on November 7th before returning to the States for a short run of shows to close out the year.