For nearly 30 years, Black Thought and Questlove have been performing together, as The Roots. In that time, they have released 16 albums and EPs, performed at tens of thousands of shows, and entertained millions nightly, as the band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The expanse and quality of their body of work has put them in the conversation with The Rolling Stones, U2, Earth, Wind & Fire, Parliament/Funkadelic and other all-time great bands.
In 2008, The Roots saw an opportunity to create a music festival that reflected the diversity of their brand and the musical tastes of their band members. The 1st annual Roots Picnic was held in their hometown of Philadelphia and featured DJ Jazzy Jeff, Diplo, Gnarls Barkley, Esperanza Spalding, among others. Since then the yearly event has grown in popularity, without ever sacrificing the diversity or quality of music being offered.
Ambrosia For Heads recently spoke with Black Thought about the upcoming 9th Annual Roots Picnic, which will take place on June 4 in Philadelphia (click here for tickets), and The Legendary Roots Crew MC was open and reflective on the mission of event, The Rootsā place in history, current artists he enjoys, his wish list of artists with whom heād like to perform, his current projects and much more.
Ambrosia For Heads (AFH): The first Roots Picnic back in 2008 featured Diplo, Esperanza Spalding, DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Cool Kids, Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and J Davey. The same diversity in the lineup you had back then remains strong now. Was that part of the mission when you started the Picnic?
Black Thought: Absolutely. Thatās part of the mission and it has remained [the mission]. Thatās kind of what sets the Roots Picnic apart from other festivals. There are very many festivals that happen on an annual basis now. How does one distinguish themselves from the pack? The answer, in our minds, is by remaining ahead of the curve and keeping an ear to the street. Itās like the āsomething old, something new, something borrowedā kind of philosophy. The Roots Picnic is where legends and upstarts meet. So yeah, itās a way to introduce artists to different audiences. Itās a way to introduce a legendary artist whoās been around for a longer period of time to some younger people who may not have been up on itāand vice versa. Yeah, thatās what makes the Roots Picnic super unique, and why the brand continues to expand. The Roots Picnic is basically something thatās taken on a life of its own. Itās a brand that weāre very proud of.
AFH: This year, you have everyone from Future and Usher to Lil dikky and Tish Hyman performing. How do you go about selecting the artists who participate? Do you actively scout talent?
Black Thought: Yeah, weāre scouting talent. Weāre part of quite a few networks of artists and DJs and booking agents and management, so weāre able to tap into our own in-house resources, so to speak, and see who everyone is checking for, and what artists are everyoneās kind of āfirst choices.ā Then we kind of narrow it down based on availability and whatās gonna keep the bill as diverse as necessary. We donāt want to put two artists who represent the same sensibility at the same time on the festival. We want to maintain that variation and bring dope DJs, producers, vocalists, MCs together. Thatās kind of the formula thatās been working for us.
Thereās never gonna be a Roots Picnic where everyone that I suggested is gonna be booked, or Questlove [choices], or [any other member of The Roots]. When we all come together and are able to submit an artist or two or three apiece, we kind of do a focus group, in-house, among the people whose opinions make up what you all know as The Roots. It makes for a festival thatās worth checking out.
AFH: There are artists like Tish, who was part of your Grammy event and show at South By Southwest. Are you using those platforms to get a sense of what the feel is with these artists and who you want to bring to the Picnic?
Black Thought: Absolutely. Well, in the case of Tish Hyman, she was already booked for the picnic at the time she did The Roots Grammy session and that first annual South By Southwest Jam. That is kind of a litmus test that we use on a far smaller scale, but itās still high-energy no less. The jam kind of represents one element of what we do as The Roots. If youāre able to hold your own at one of those jam sessions, which tend to be very intense. Artists donāt always pick what they get to perform and how to perform it; youāve got to roll with the punches. So that definitely demonstrates to us how a particular artist or musician may or may not function under pressure. Again, in the case of Tish Hyman, we already [booked her] for the Picnic. Her performances at both of those jam sessions just re-solidified [her] like, āhell yeah, sheās gonna kill the picnic.ā
AFH: On that same theme, given the extensive range of artists you play with, at the picnic, at your Grammy festivities, on The Tonight Show and more, how do you go about preparing to perform such a massive amount of material with your guests?
Black Thought: We rehearse. [Artists] donāt have carte blanche in your ability to miss the rehearsals and just show up and wing it, no matter who you are. No matter who the artist is that weāre collaborating with, be it on The Tonight Show or the Roots Picnic, or if youāre just coming out as a regular surprise guest feature during The Rootsā performance, we try to keep it really professional. We try to go over the material that weāre gonna do on stage, beforehand. We would squeeze Prince into our little, small dressing room studio at NBC the same way we would M.O.P. or The LOX. [Chuckles] We donāt discriminate. Itās not like, āOh my god, this is Usher, letās go about the process in a different way.ā Folks kind of respect the brand. They respect the product that we put out and where we set the bar, performance-wise. So people are willing to kind of roll with those punches. They understand that itās in their best interest to go over things so we can get them as tight as possible. But even that being said, the performance never goes [exactly as planned], and thatās the beauty of it. The beauty is rehearsing to get it tight enough, then you could deviate a little bit from the intended path. Because thereās a certain confidence knowing that if you deviate you wonāt get lost, if that makes any sense.
AFH: Anderson .Paak is an artist who recently has brought live instrumentation back to Soul and Hip-Hop. As the keepers of that tradition, how important do you think what artists like him, The Internet, Kendrick Lamar, and others are doing to keep musicianship alive?
Black Thought: I think that what theyāre doing with live instrumentation itās super important. I think even, whatās more importantā¦any rapper, any vocalist could kind of jump on stage with a bunch of hired guns, right? And they use the musicians that are poppinā that they feel are gonna be able to most closely approximate whatever sound theyāre trying to recreate. Thereās something to be said about an artist who brings all those musicians into the studio when the music is still in the formative stage. Thereās a certain homage that I feel is being paid to what [The Roots] represent. But there are artists who may be into Anderson [.Paak], who may be into Kendrick [Lamar], who may be into The Internet and all these artists who arenāt as familiar with the Robert Glasperās and the Bilalās and what have you. Itās give and take, but Iām very happy that the artists who kind of are representing that back-to-live-instrumentation or who are representing that live music movement, Iām happy that theyāre doing it the right way.
AFH: Given that A&R-like session that you have with The Roots brain trust in considering artists, what are some songs that youāre really checking for, and artists over the last five years?
Black Thought: You know what, man? Record-wise, I donāt really listen to too many records. I donāt listen to too much new music. I kind of get my new music through checking out performances, through The Tonight Show, and through word of mouth. I just really trust the opinion of people in that brain trust. When Iām working on my own stuff, when Iām working on Roots stuffāwhich has been the case over the past year or so, or Iām working on Hamilton stuff, I donāt want to be too heavily influenced by whatās poppinā right now. I just donāt listen. People put out a record, I might check the comments, I might check out the reviews, but I donāt want it to rub off. Iāve been in a really good creative space since last summer or so. Iām about to sound old as shyt, but the last musicānew music that I was really checking for was Kendrick Lamarās [To Pimp A Butterfly]. I was definitely checking for the last Future album [DS2]. One of my favorites was the most recent A$AP Rocky album [At Long. Last. A$AP]. Really, since those records hit, Iāve been more reclusive and just trying to focus on my own stuff. Sometimes, whether you like it or not, youāre just gonna be influenced by what youāre listening to. Iād rather listen to the classic Soul, classic Rock, and Jazz and have that influence me, ācause thatās always what Iāve gone to the drawing board with. When Iām driving my car, I listen to news radio; I listen to NPR and 1010 WINS.
In 2008, The Roots saw an opportunity to create a music festival that reflected the diversity of their brand and the musical tastes of their band members. The 1st annual Roots Picnic was held in their hometown of Philadelphia and featured DJ Jazzy Jeff, Diplo, Gnarls Barkley, Esperanza Spalding, among others. Since then the yearly event has grown in popularity, without ever sacrificing the diversity or quality of music being offered.
Ambrosia For Heads recently spoke with Black Thought about the upcoming 9th Annual Roots Picnic, which will take place on June 4 in Philadelphia (click here for tickets), and The Legendary Roots Crew MC was open and reflective on the mission of event, The Rootsā place in history, current artists he enjoys, his wish list of artists with whom heād like to perform, his current projects and much more.
Ambrosia For Heads (AFH): The first Roots Picnic back in 2008 featured Diplo, Esperanza Spalding, DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Cool Kids, Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and J Davey. The same diversity in the lineup you had back then remains strong now. Was that part of the mission when you started the Picnic?
Black Thought: Absolutely. Thatās part of the mission and it has remained [the mission]. Thatās kind of what sets the Roots Picnic apart from other festivals. There are very many festivals that happen on an annual basis now. How does one distinguish themselves from the pack? The answer, in our minds, is by remaining ahead of the curve and keeping an ear to the street. Itās like the āsomething old, something new, something borrowedā kind of philosophy. The Roots Picnic is where legends and upstarts meet. So yeah, itās a way to introduce artists to different audiences. Itās a way to introduce a legendary artist whoās been around for a longer period of time to some younger people who may not have been up on itāand vice versa. Yeah, thatās what makes the Roots Picnic super unique, and why the brand continues to expand. The Roots Picnic is basically something thatās taken on a life of its own. Itās a brand that weāre very proud of.
AFH: This year, you have everyone from Future and Usher to Lil dikky and Tish Hyman performing. How do you go about selecting the artists who participate? Do you actively scout talent?
Black Thought: Yeah, weāre scouting talent. Weāre part of quite a few networks of artists and DJs and booking agents and management, so weāre able to tap into our own in-house resources, so to speak, and see who everyone is checking for, and what artists are everyoneās kind of āfirst choices.ā Then we kind of narrow it down based on availability and whatās gonna keep the bill as diverse as necessary. We donāt want to put two artists who represent the same sensibility at the same time on the festival. We want to maintain that variation and bring dope DJs, producers, vocalists, MCs together. Thatās kind of the formula thatās been working for us.
Thereās never gonna be a Roots Picnic where everyone that I suggested is gonna be booked, or Questlove [choices], or [any other member of The Roots]. When we all come together and are able to submit an artist or two or three apiece, we kind of do a focus group, in-house, among the people whose opinions make up what you all know as The Roots. It makes for a festival thatās worth checking out.
AFH: There are artists like Tish, who was part of your Grammy event and show at South By Southwest. Are you using those platforms to get a sense of what the feel is with these artists and who you want to bring to the Picnic?
Black Thought: Absolutely. Well, in the case of Tish Hyman, she was already booked for the picnic at the time she did The Roots Grammy session and that first annual South By Southwest Jam. That is kind of a litmus test that we use on a far smaller scale, but itās still high-energy no less. The jam kind of represents one element of what we do as The Roots. If youāre able to hold your own at one of those jam sessions, which tend to be very intense. Artists donāt always pick what they get to perform and how to perform it; youāve got to roll with the punches. So that definitely demonstrates to us how a particular artist or musician may or may not function under pressure. Again, in the case of Tish Hyman, we already [booked her] for the Picnic. Her performances at both of those jam sessions just re-solidified [her] like, āhell yeah, sheās gonna kill the picnic.ā
AFH: On that same theme, given the extensive range of artists you play with, at the picnic, at your Grammy festivities, on The Tonight Show and more, how do you go about preparing to perform such a massive amount of material with your guests?
Black Thought: We rehearse. [Artists] donāt have carte blanche in your ability to miss the rehearsals and just show up and wing it, no matter who you are. No matter who the artist is that weāre collaborating with, be it on The Tonight Show or the Roots Picnic, or if youāre just coming out as a regular surprise guest feature during The Rootsā performance, we try to keep it really professional. We try to go over the material that weāre gonna do on stage, beforehand. We would squeeze Prince into our little, small dressing room studio at NBC the same way we would M.O.P. or The LOX. [Chuckles] We donāt discriminate. Itās not like, āOh my god, this is Usher, letās go about the process in a different way.ā Folks kind of respect the brand. They respect the product that we put out and where we set the bar, performance-wise. So people are willing to kind of roll with those punches. They understand that itās in their best interest to go over things so we can get them as tight as possible. But even that being said, the performance never goes [exactly as planned], and thatās the beauty of it. The beauty is rehearsing to get it tight enough, then you could deviate a little bit from the intended path. Because thereās a certain confidence knowing that if you deviate you wonāt get lost, if that makes any sense.
AFH: Anderson .Paak is an artist who recently has brought live instrumentation back to Soul and Hip-Hop. As the keepers of that tradition, how important do you think what artists like him, The Internet, Kendrick Lamar, and others are doing to keep musicianship alive?
Black Thought: I think that what theyāre doing with live instrumentation itās super important. I think even, whatās more importantā¦any rapper, any vocalist could kind of jump on stage with a bunch of hired guns, right? And they use the musicians that are poppinā that they feel are gonna be able to most closely approximate whatever sound theyāre trying to recreate. Thereās something to be said about an artist who brings all those musicians into the studio when the music is still in the formative stage. Thereās a certain homage that I feel is being paid to what [The Roots] represent. But there are artists who may be into Anderson [.Paak], who may be into Kendrick [Lamar], who may be into The Internet and all these artists who arenāt as familiar with the Robert Glasperās and the Bilalās and what have you. Itās give and take, but Iām very happy that the artists who kind of are representing that back-to-live-instrumentation or who are representing that live music movement, Iām happy that theyāre doing it the right way.
AFH: Given that A&R-like session that you have with The Roots brain trust in considering artists, what are some songs that youāre really checking for, and artists over the last five years?
Black Thought: You know what, man? Record-wise, I donāt really listen to too many records. I donāt listen to too much new music. I kind of get my new music through checking out performances, through The Tonight Show, and through word of mouth. I just really trust the opinion of people in that brain trust. When Iām working on my own stuff, when Iām working on Roots stuffāwhich has been the case over the past year or so, or Iām working on Hamilton stuff, I donāt want to be too heavily influenced by whatās poppinā right now. I just donāt listen. People put out a record, I might check the comments, I might check out the reviews, but I donāt want it to rub off. Iāve been in a really good creative space since last summer or so. Iām about to sound old as shyt, but the last musicānew music that I was really checking for was Kendrick Lamarās [To Pimp A Butterfly]. I was definitely checking for the last Future album [DS2]. One of my favorites was the most recent A$AP Rocky album [At Long. Last. A$AP]. Really, since those records hit, Iāve been more reclusive and just trying to focus on my own stuff. Sometimes, whether you like it or not, youāre just gonna be influenced by what youāre listening to. Iād rather listen to the classic Soul, classic Rock, and Jazz and have that influence me, ācause thatās always what Iāve gone to the drawing board with. When Iām driving my car, I listen to news radio; I listen to NPR and 1010 WINS.
also he confirmed that Em is gonna be on the full version of "Rap On Steroids". I wonder if it's for Royce's next solo project after "Layers" (which is supposedly almost ready too) or something Royce & Black Thought plan on releasing together 
