?uestlove explaining The Paris Lockdown at Thursday’s press conference. [photo by JEFF FUSCO] BY JONATHAN VALANIA Back in 2010, ?uestlove was commissioned by PIFA to assemble a collaborative performance piece with the French musicians of his choice that honored the festival’s somewhat amorphous and esoteric premise, i.e. channeling the modernist cultural vibe of Paris circa 1910 to 1920 and connecting it somehow to the modern day cultural fabric of Philadelphia, the Roots drummer said during a hastily called press conference/sneak preview on Thursday. He said he then went down the wish list of present day French musos, including Air and […]
HEAR YE: The Roots Rising Down
Now playing on Phawker Radio! Why, because we love you! Ya big dummy! URBAN MUSIC: On April 29, the Roots will unveil Rising Down — the latest step in the six-member Philadelphia hip-hop band’s 15-year evolution on record. The darkly funky, politically charged project is now almost done after more than a year of recording, though it is currently missing contributions from planned guest artists Common, Lupe Fiasco, and Q-Tip.Earlier this week, EW stopped by the Manhattan studio where rapper Tariq ”Black Thought” Trotter, 35, and drummer/producer Ahmir ”?uestlove” Thompson, 37, are working on some final touches, and scored an […]