The Roots Rip Up Langerado--Then Drop New Video

Tuba Gooding Jr. at work.

So the Roots showed hip-hop crews why they always reign supreme this past Friday night at Langerado. The talented Philly-based band was tight, crazy, fun, and definitely experimental as they worked out a few songs from their upcoming album, Rising Down, which is dropping April 29 on Def Jam.
If you didn't catch their set, let me tell you, it was awesome!! Long-time bassist, Leonard Hubbard quit the band after 17+ years this past December and I was excited to see how they would replace him. Lo and behold, they eschewed conformity and filled his slot with a sousaphone player. If that's not enough, the band has nicknamed their new badass sousaphone guru Tuba Gooding Jr. Dude is ill.
Oh, and they played a mean, nasty, shit-kicking version of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" for like 20 minutes and just blew everyone else away. Definitely my favorite show of the weekend.

Anyway, if you missed em while they were here, definitely check out their latest video called "Get Busy." Different, but promising.

-- Jonathan Cunningham