#ThrowbackThursday: “You Got Me” by The Roots featuring Erykah Badu & Eve
The Cover Art for The Roots 1999 Album Things Fall Apartby Sean Smith
The legendary hip hop band The Roots released their 11th studio album this week …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin. It is their second concept album in recent years, the first being 2011’s Undun which was an urban first person narrative of a character named Redford Stevens on the day that he would die. The Roots frontman Black Thought described the new offering in an interview with XXL as a satirical look at some of the stereotypes perpetuated in the hip hop community and in that vein features a variety of characters instead of just one main character as was the case on Undun.
At a time when most hip hop artists seem to be putting more effort into crafting catchy singles for radio and less in developing a complete album, it’s refreshing to see The Roots go against the crowd. The new album will not have any official singles released. …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin is meant to be listened through from start to finish, and with a total album length of just over 33 minutes that goal is very much attainable to the listener. If your a hip hop fan be sure to check the album out as it is well worth your time. You can purchase it on iTunes here.
While many music fans are familiar with The Roots discography over the years, there is a number of folks who may only know of them thanks to late night funny man Jimmy Fallon. In 2009 The Roots became the house band for NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and when Fallon moved over to the Tonight Show earlier this year replacing Jay Leno, Fallon brought The Roots along with him. The Roots have played a prominent role in Fallon’s late night shows with segments like “Slow Jam the News,” “Freestyling With The Roots,” and a sketch that involves The Roots performing a hit song with Fallon and that song’s artist using classroom instruments. All of which are very entertaining.
Jimmy Fallon And The Roots Featuring Gov. Chris Christie
From Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
NBC
From Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
NBC
And so with the release of The Roots eleventh studio album …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin, this week we remember their 1999 hit “You Got Me.” Enjoy!
The Roots Featuring Erykah Badu And Eve
‘You Got Me”
From Things Fall Apart
MCA Records
