Maybe it’s my Philly upbringing – actually, I know it is – but The Roots have always stood for supreme cool in my book. Their stout refusal to submit to electronica has only strengthened their legend, as they remain relevant even when caught between endless waves of auto-tuned rappers more content to pose for pictures than spend a sleepless night in the lab. Not even a gig as a late-night talk show band could put a chink in the armor…in fact, playing for Fallon turned out not only to be a business-savvy move, but it’s provided us with daNk performances that would have otherwise been impossible.
“Clones” is off Illadelph Halflife, the 2001 release regarded as one of their best albums…it’s hard to pick one, but the heart-stopping snare hits and Black Thought‘s ferocious verse puts this track in the upper echelon of The Roots‘ output.
-grum
