It would be a serious disservice to categorize the “legendary Roots crew” as just another hip-hop band. That much was evident as the Grammy Award-winning group hit the stage for their seventh annual Roots Jam Session, which took place at Hollywood’s intimate Music Box Theatre. Every year, the “talented cats from Philly” host a marathon jam session where some of the greatest names in music, both past and present, take the stage to rock with the Roots.
But Saturday night was much more than just a jam session. It was a referendum on everything that’s right with music. “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon quickly got the ball rolling with a hilarious acoustic version of Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair.” From there, Black Thought grabbed the mic, and the marathon was on.
For nearly four hours, the Roots played … and played … and then played some more. Their mission was simple: take the crowd to incredibly high heights, only then to take them even higher with each passing act. Mission accomplished.
The show featured an eclectic mix of old and new, as legends like Chaka Khan, Betty Wright and go-go master Chuck Brown got their well-earned moment in the spotlight. Eventually though, they would give way to contemporaries like Ne-Yo, Melanie Fiona, Marsha Ambrosius, Raheem DeVaughn and Ryan Leslie as they all seemed to genuinely relish the opportunity to rock with the Roots.
Even though the Roots would spend a majority of the night backing up the A-list talent, there was no doubt who was in control of the show. The Roots effortlessly transitioned between front man and sidekick as they would periodically reminded the audience that there’s a reason why they’re up for six Grammy Awards this year.
Perhaps the greatest highlight of the night was the final one as Doug E. Fresh closed out the show with a dizzying display of why he’s earned the moniker “world’s greatest entertainer.” Fresh’s set was so amazing that Black Eyed Peas’ front man Will.i.am felt compelled to jump on the keyboard to back up Fresh.
When it was all said and done, the audience was spent, and the Roots had somehow managed to add to their legendary status. Oh, what a night. –djr
