Yes it’s Fallon’s show in name, but really we should be calling this thing Late Night With The Roots And Jimmy Fallon’s Shrewdly Assembled Writing Staff. Whatever it is GE is paying Questo and Black Thought to anchor Late Night, it’s a steal. One of the major perks they can offer the Philly hip hop stalwarts, aside from an inimitable model for circumventing the record industry, was on display last night: The most valuable house band in late night doubled as Late Night‘s musical guest, performing and getting heavy promotion for the first song from their new album. It seems the Roots are taking this night-in-night-out/”hardest working band in show business” thing to heart on “How I Got Over,” a funky, horny, James Brown-indebted track that has Black Thought dipping into his dual TV role as crooner and rapper. The old knock on the Roots has always been that their drummer has more charisma than their MC, but I think their tenure with Fallon is starting to shift perceptions. Either Thought’s upped his game, or the constant camera’s just exposing what’s always been there. Either way, he sorta runs this.
The album’s called How I Got Over, too, and it’s out 10/20 via Def Jam. The “How I Got Over” single is out next week. According to okayplayer.com, there will be a “special edition 12″ featuring the title track on the A-Side, and on the B-Side, a collector’s item ‘Art Sketch.’” There will be a video for this one in early July. Keep you posted.
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Kind of disappointed by the new song. It’s not even a hip-hop song, just sort of a generic soul/funk thing. It actually sounds like something a house band on a late show would play.
i love when the roots jam this type of stuff, but i agree it does sound generic, i feel the same way about the dap kings. still enjoy it, but whenever i hear a new funk song i just think “oh this groove again”
needs more autotune. . .sike! Questo is beastly on the drums and Black Thought’s appeal lies in his delivery and wordplay. Charisma or none, The Roots are like the Grey Poupon of hip hop live acts.
Pass the Grey Poupon……SIKE. Um it’s 2009
GP is timeless, son.
“Kind of disappointed by the new song” really? REALLY? what part of that song is NOT good? Good Damn Stereogum coment haters.
Needs a cape routine.
mad props
haaahahahaha….white bass player cannot dance….hahahahahaha
I don’t know how you can be disappointed by that.
James Brown wannabe, uh uh uh Ima Soooooooul Maaaaaaaannnnnn!
Soul Man is not a James Brown song, dipshit.
The white guy side-stepping in the back is awesome. Kinda like me…er…
I’m still not sure how Jimmy Fallon landed the best house band in Late Night… I can never decide if it’s worth it to watch the show just to see what the Roots are gonna pull out.
the roots have an awesome throwback in our hands coming up in october!
Can anybody tell me what that thing on the front of the drummers bass drum is? It kinda looks like a snare..not that I think it is, but it looks a little like one. I can never see close enough to tell what it is…any ideas? I’m curious as hell… Thanks in advance!
Something tells me this was a waste of time……I hear crickets chirping here.