Thursday, October 24, 1996
MUSIC:
Tour hopes to bring deserved acclaim to fresh hip-hop groupBy
Nelson Saldua
Daily Bruin Contributor
The music industry offers undeniable proof of the age-old adage
 "life isn’t fair." A lot of garbage continues to go
platinum, while many truly talented artists toil in relative
commercial obscurity.
Hip-hop band the Roots fall into the second category, but
hopefully their current tour, which stops at the House of Blues on
Thursday, will change that. A genuine live band who actually play
all their own instruments, the Roots are an anomaly in the hip-hop
world.
The sextet consists of Black Thought and Malik B on vocals,
?uestlove on drums, Hub on bass, Kamal on keyboards and Rahzel the
Godfather of Noyze on the human beat-box. Rahzel is one of the best
at the hip-hop art form of beat-boxing, the action of creating
amazing beats using nothing more than his mouth. They are a
multi-talented rap group who are working to elevate their record
sales up to the lofty level of the critical acclaim they have
received.
The complements are impressive, especially considering their
sources. At one of their incredible live performances, the group
received a standing ovation from Stevie Wonder and brought rap
pioneer Grandmaster Flash to the brink of tears. And Source
magazine hailed the Roots’ "illadelph halflife" as the
highest-rated rap album released in ’96. The band are equally as
happy with their work.
"I think people should buy the Roots’ album because it has a
longer life value than a regular rap album," Rahzel says. "The
music that we translate is more classic. Like you can listen to an
Eric B. & Rakim album forever, that’s how I feel our music is
… We’re bringing original, authentic music that you’re not going
to hear someone else do," he says.
Yet all of this critical acclaim has not directly translated to
platinum albums, heavy radio rotation or a high profile on MTV. In
the words of rapper Chuck D: "For now the Roots remain an enigma,
even to themselves. They have achieved the level of their dreams
 a major record deal and some international notoriety. But
for all that, their concept has not yet blown up. And it is
possible that it won’t." So these road veterans have taken to
almost nonstop touring to promote themselves.
This seemingly never-ending tour stopped Friday night at Aron’s
Records. The group showed up in a huge tour bus, complete with a
small kitchen, bathroom and 12 cramped beds  a testament to
their life on the road. Over 500 people attended the show, by far
the largest crowd ever assembled for a show at the L.A. record
store.
Once onstage, the Roots moved the crowd with their trademark
stirring live show, performing songs from "illadelph halflife" and
their previous album "Do You Want More ?!!!??!" Rapper Dice Raw,
who has made guest appearances on the last two Roots’ albums,
joined them onstage for a short freestyle session over a beat that
sounded like it was from the soundtrack of "Scarface." It’s too bad
the group didn’t perform what they have titled "Hip-Hop 101," a
medley of hip-hop jams that includes back-in-the-day classics as
well as current favorites.
These guys know how to work the crowd, and their solid stage
presence is no doubt a result of their nonstop touring. The Roots
have gained experience with live performances since the group’s
inception, playing at assorted talent shows and downtown street
corners in Philadelphia.
After the show, pandemonium ensued as eager fans rushed to get
posters, albums and compact discs autographed.
As the sated autograph-seekers began to filter out of the record
store, Rahzel commented, "We’ve been on the road for the past 2 1/2
years, except for a four or five month vacation to do the album.
We’re still on the road."
But Rahzel says the experienced group is not jaded over their
constant touring.
"It’s a part of the job, something you gotta do to promote
yourself, to let people know you’re out there," he says. "The
masses that are buying records, I feel that they don’t know that
the Roots are out there."
The Roots’ drummer ?uestlove echoes Rahzel’s statements
regarding life on the road by remarking that they spend nine to 10
months of the year in tour buses and hotels.
"I can’t believe I’m saying this," ?uestlove says incredulously.
"You just get used to life on the road." Out of their countless
concerts, ?uestlove singled out their performance at a tribute show
for Grandmaster Flash as one of his favorite moments. He cited this
particular performance because he couldn’t really see the crowd,
save for the standing silhouette of Stevie Wonder rhythmically
swaying to the music.
The energy of the Roots’ live show does not get lost when
translated to recording, though their albums and onstage shows are
"two different animals," as ?uestlove says. Still, both continue to
expand hip-hop’s boundaries.
"The people who live and breathe hip-hop and enjoy and
appreciate lyrics and music … need no convincing to buy the
album," ?uestlove says. "In my estimation, we make shit that we
would want to hear. So we’re definitely making it from a rap fan’s
perspective. I like the Roots and I still listen to the album even
though I’ve heard it a skillion times."
"If you’re all about this designer clothes shit, this shit ain’t
for you. But if you’re for the uplifting of hip-hop culture, then
this album is for you," says ?uestlove, a self-trained musician who
has played the drums since he was 2 years old.
The entire group consists of talented musicians and performers,
some of whom attended the High School for Creating and Performing
Arts. Kamal, the introverted keyboard player, mentioned his father
as an early influence in his musical career.
"My father was basically a heavy listener to all types of all
music, a collector of records," Kamal explained. "I was coming up,
learning to play instruments. For a minute I was into it, but then
I didn’t want to do that shit. He just made me do it and stuck by
me." The Roots have shattered the myth that rappers are not really
musicians; the music they create takes real musical talent.
Black Thought, the lead vocalist, had one simple message to
relay both to the general public and to the crowd at Aron’s
Records. "Go buy the record," he implored, "and go to the show on
Thursday." Simple advice to those searching for a nontraditional
hip-hop show.
So anyone interested in seeing how dynamic a live hip-hop show
can be should attend the Roots’ concert at the House of Blues. It
will not be yet another stagnant rap show where the only on-stage
action involves a rapper pacing back and forth. It will not be a
mere rehash of album material as the rapper recites lyrics over a
digital audio tape track. It will, however, be a talented group
pushing the envelope and going beyond the limitations usually
associated with rap music.
CONCERT: The Roots play the House of Blues tonight at 11 p.m.
Tickets are $20. 21 and over only. For more info, call (213)
848-5100.
Geffen Records
The Roots, who play tonight at the House of Blues, have won
kudos from critics as well as old-school heroes Chuck D and Stevie
Wonder.