The Roots and Jimmy Fallon Break My Heart

"The principles of true hip hop have been forsaken, its all contractual and about money making" - Black Thought


Before I begin let me start by saying that by no means am I throwing darts at The Roots! That's damn near blasphemous. However, seeing them as a late night TV house band, for a dude that has barely made me smirk in the last 8 years, pains me more than words can express. It's like watching Jordan play for the Wizards. Sure he can still hoop, but the uniform? the city? It just don't feel right. The Roots aren't just hip-hop. They are soul, they are funk, they are rock and roll, they are music. Listening to any Roots album, I don't care which one, is a mind altering experience; and as for seeing them live...well that's witnessing artistry and showmanship in their purest forms. So how did these icons wind up as a house band for a late night talk show?

Ladies and gentlemen it's simple...Money, and before you call them sell outs, you better recognize the grind they have been on for a decade plus. I've seen a lot of dope acts in concert, but I must say the roots are right up there at the top. Instead of the live instrumentation bleeding over the witty, thought provoking, verbal daggers wielded by the front man, they blend together harmoniously. Giving life to such immaculate tapestries such as "The Tipping Point", "Illadelph Halflife", and "Do You Want More" to name a few. Despite what I consider to be one of the most impressive catalogs in music history (not just hip-hop), the sales just weren't there. Constantly touring, coupled with lack of respect grows old. That grind begins to takes it's toll both mentally and physically. With all do respect, how is it that Wayne sells more than The Roots? put Black Thought in a cypher with Wayne, and it will be like watching a juiced up Barry Bonds, taking his turn at the plate at your nephew's tee ball game. Some might attribute it to "swag", I attribute it to marketing.

The music business exemplifies just what the name explicitly states, its a business, and a dirty one at that. With no real push, no real concerted effort, how can you expect even the most talented acts to do any significant numbers? Then came the deal with Def Jam, the deal that made not only the group, but their adoring, loyal fans rejoice. Finally they were going to get those oh so needed marketing dollars behind them, finally we were going to see them get the respect they deserve, bigger and brighter things we on the horizon. Unfortunately, Mr. Carter was running things, which meant unless you were singing about umbrellas, you got no love. So who can blame them for going to Jimmy Fallon's show? They get to shoot during the day, be close to home, and reportedly make more per episode than they did for a whole week of touring.

As I have stated before (unless speaking about Kanye) I will NEVER knock another man's hustle. Nevertheless, I wish things could have been different. Earlier I said I felt their catalog was complete, however as I write this I realize I am wrong. Part of what makes groups like The Roots, De La Soul, And Tribe (when they were around) so influential, is that they are timeless. People never grow old of them because they keep evolving, while simultaneously never forgetting what they are about. The Roots could make music for the next 70 years and I would never grow tired of it, and each album would present something different I had never heard from them before. While I am happy for them, I must admit I am heart broken as well. Soulja Boy said hip-hop died because Nas said so. I would argue that hip-hop isn't dead, but changed forever, when the art took a backseat to the persona. When the rhyme took a back seat to the number of diamonds in a chain. When substance took a back seat to "swag". The question is not whether or not Hip-Hop will live forever, the question is what state will it be in? As long as we the fans, don't demand that real music is made, as long as we the fans choose not to demarcate a space for acts like The Roots to not only exist, but to thrive, we will be stuck where we are now. Watching our most talented icons, working as the back drop on late night television. I don't know how that sits with you, but I simply can't stand it.