The Weeknd has been abundantly clear and forthcoming about his displeasure with the Grammy Awards and the Recording Academy after his critical and commercial hit After Hours and its popular singles somehow earned no nominations for the 2021 awards. Now it looks like anything else The Weeknd makes won’t be up for consideration at future Grammy ceremonies either, but this time, it’s his choice: The Weeknd has declared that he is boycotting the Grammys.
In a statement made to The New York Times, The Weeknd said, “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.”
In response to The Weeknd’s statement, interim Recording Academy president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. told the publication, “We’re all disappointed when anyone is upset. But I will say that we are constantly evolving. And this year, as in past years, we are going to take a hard look at how to improve our awards process, including the nomination review committees.”
In an email interview with the publication, The Weeknd’s manager, Wassim Slaiby, said he was unclear why his client didn’t earn any nominations and noted, “We were many weeks and dozens of calls in with the Grammy team around Abel’s performance right up to the day of nominations being announced. We were scratching our heads in confusion and wanted answers.”
He also said, “The Grammys should handle their legacy and clean it up to raise the bar to a level where everyone could be proud to hold up that award. This is Harvey’s chance to step up and have his legacy be the guy who got the Grammys finally right.”
When RX Peso performs his song “Up A Hill” on the latest episode of UPROXX Sessions, he makes sure to make his appearance unforgettable. While it’s not uncommon for performers to bring props — remember Dana Dentata’s elaborate, revenge-theme setup? — Peso posts up with a massive stack of cash, making it rain as he delivers his melodic rhymes.
After dropping a pair of Elevator-approved singles in 2019, Peso picked up his pace in 2021, putting out the 12-song project Drug Storm in January. For now, his operation appears to be fairly self-contained; the only feature on his most recent release is RX Hector, whom Peso shouts out fairly often on his Instagram in posts imploring the authorities to free Hector. Peso has had some high-profile co-signs, however; a pair of Playboi Carti songs leaked in 2019 suggest a connection, and early in his career, Peso was linked to fellow Atlantan Hoodrich Pablo Don.
Watch Peso’s money-hungry performance of “Up A Hill” above.
UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross,UPROXX Sessionsis a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.
Every few years, hip-hop produces a song with a beat so compelling that it becomes virtually inescapable as one rapper after another dips into the freestyle pot to deliver their own unique (or not so unique) take on the original. In 2019, that song was Blueface’s “Thotiana,” which spawned multiple remixes, including entries with Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Soulja Boy and Tyga, and YG. In 2021, it appears that Spotemgottem’s song “BeatBox” has become the ubiquitous juggernaut du jour, as both DaBaby and Deante’ Hitchcock posted freestyles in the past few weeks. Today, another artist threw her hat in the ring: Mulatto.
Incidentally, the 2020 XXL Freshman is the one best known for her freestyles, as her ability to rhyme about myriad topics was instrumental to her 2016 victory on the inaugural season of The Rap Game. That skill asserts itself here, as Mulatto acquits herself in a self-confident, boastful freestyle during a photoshoot covering her expeditious come-up in the wake of signing her record deal with RCA at the end of 2019.
Muatto’s made the most of her momentum coming into the new year, appearing on BRS Kash’s bounce record “Kash App,” Rich The Kid’s female-fronted posse cut “Nasty” with Flo Milli and Rubi Rose, and plans her impending name change.
In multiple ways, DaBaby is a 1. His two latest albums, Kirk and Blame It On Baby, both peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. His Roddy Ricch-featuring single “Rockstar” also topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He’s also a 1 in the eyes of a random grandmother who went viral after rating his appearance in a video, along with the looks of other rappers.
Snoop Dogg shared the clip on Instagram — likely because the grandma saw him and exclaimed, “15!” — and in it, a woman shares with her grandmother a photo gallery of rappers and asks her to rate them each on a scale of 1 to 10. She begins with DaBaby, who earned a simple response: “One.” DaBaby saw the clip and was a good sport about it, commenting, “Damn gma. [crying laughing emoji] Yeen got no love for baby?”
DaBaby actually wasn’t the worst performer of the clip, though. Some other rappers earned 1 ratings as well while others earned 0 scores from the discerning critic, like Lil Durk, Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, and Lil Wayne, the latter of whom got a harsh score of “Oh my god, minus 0!”
Check out the hilarious clip above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Ant Clemons might be a name you’re still getting acquainted with, but the New Jersey native is worthy of an immense amount of respect and attention. In just the last two years, Clemons has found himself working alongside artists like Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Ty Dolla Sign, Jeremih, Chance The Rapper, Cordae, and more. All of it came as a result of landing a writing credit and background vocals on “All Mine” from Kanye West’s eighth album, Ye. While the project may have endured lukewarm reviews, the song turned out to be one of the album’s brightest moments.
“It was a song I did with my brother, Jeremih,” Clemons said during an interview with Uproxx. “It grew legs and moved and I had no idea that it was moving as fast as it was moving.” The record opened a multitude of doors for the singer, but just before folks could box him in as a songwriter, Clemons arrived with his debut project, Happy 2 Be Here, at the beginning of 2020. The 8-track effort delivered features from Timbaland, Pharrell, and Ty Dolla Sign and granted him the opportunity to establish his name as a lead artist, one he achieved as he earned a Best R&B Album Grammy nomination for it.
While the singer is — I’m sorry, I have to — happy to be here, winning the Grammy award would make things even sweeter. “I want to win Grammys, so God willing, I win this 2021 Best R&B Album Grammy,” he declared. “If this not this year, then it’s going to be the year after that, or the year after that because I know what’s meant for me is meant for me.”
In a few days, Ant Clemons will learn whether or not he’ll take home the coveted Grammy award. However, before that, we spoke to the singer about Happy 2 Be Here, life before fame, his songwriting style, and what he hopes is next for him.
You just celebrated the one-year anniversary of Happy 2 Be Here with the new song “June 1st.” It commemorates the day Kanye dropped his 2018 album Ye, one that you had a writing credit on. I can only assume the next few days after that moment were an absolute whirlwind, but I wanna hear from you. How did things really change after June 1st, 2018?
All of it was just surreal. It had been a whirlwind of just emotions and a culmination of hard work and perseverance, like meeting at one time in real life. It’s crazy when you think about those things. It’s like okay, yeah, there’ll be a milestone moment along the journey somewhere, but I can’t wait for it. I don’t even know what that looks like to me at this point. I was just working, so in it, just trying to figure out what my big break was going to be. What was going to be my Big Sean rapping for Kanye moment or like J. Cole going to New York and giving Hov the CD that he never heard or like Drake and Jas Prince and their relationship and then getting the call to go meet Wayne. Where was my validation from the people that I thought were great? That’s what I was constantly seeking and I kind of gave that up. I was like, you know, I’m done chasing this moment, and the moment I gave up looking forward to it, it happened for me. I talked to my friends about this, and I always laugh and joke about it, but I feel like I never went home because the me that came home [after working with Kanye] was Ant Clemens the artist that is on the song with Kanye that’s on the radio right now that just went No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. I was trying to catch up to it as it was happening in real life.
Your debut album, Happy 2 Be Here sounds like a drawn-out moment of gratitude, one that you of course earned through hard work and patience. Outside of working with Kanye, what about the journey before that June 1st day are you most grateful for?
If I began this list, one, I would say God. I’m just appreciative of the Lord. Then my parents, both my mom and my dad being my support system, like really telling me and my two sisters that we can literally do anything with Christ that strengthens us. So instilling that in us early gave me the confidence to succeed at anything. I didn’t really have any fear of being inadequate of anything because I knew I could conquer anything cause I always had God with me. But in human form, every single person along the journey from my big sister, who was the first person that grabbed me up and say, “Yo, we going to Cali, let’s let’s figure this out,” to my brothers Scott, Ali, and Dre, who allowed me to stay at their house and just write one song a day instead of rent. My brother Ray Keys introduced me to my brother Bongo [ByTheWay]. Both Ray and Bongo are like my bros for life. Bongo introduced me to The Game, Jeremih, and Ty Dolla Sign and I’m meeting all these people I’ve always dreamed of working with. It was so cool having moments of like, wow, I’m really right here looking across from The Game or looking across a Ty Dolla Sign, and they actually care about what I have to say.
I feel like the phrase, “Happy 2 Be Here,” also lives in your songwriting world. We’ve seen you in rooms with the likes on SZA, Ty Dolla Sign, Justin Timberlake, Wale, and more. What is your favorite aspect of writing with other artists?
Being able to walk in a room and see someone that you’ve only seen on television is an experience that I just don’t think I’ll ever just get over. I keep that in me because I choose to be happy to be here because we do have some form of a choice as to which emotion we’ll give light to and I want to choose happiness every day. For me, being happy to be here, just looking around, taking a moment, actually breathing, and thanking God just for right now, helps me to remember that I could be somewhere else. I could be doing something completely different than what I’m doing right now and this might not be where I want to be, but I got to be happy to be here to get to where I want to go. So not in the space of I’m fearful of the blessings going away, but I want to make sure my heart posture is correct at all times. Walking in a room with someone that I’ve always wanted to work with is a great feeling when you’re songwriting. Working with brand new people that you’ve never met before, that you just have the common love of music is a fun thing. I like creating and if I can catch a vibe with you in the studio because you also like to create it, we gon’ make it happen.
What’s the process of songwriting like for you? Are you introverted or extroverted? Do you knock it out quickly or is it a drawn-out process? How’s it work for you?
I like to think I draw it out quickly, the process is pretty fast now. It’s kind of repetition like shooting a jump shot, the mechanics of making sure you have your elbow tucked in, the follow-through. Once you do it a certain amount of times, no matter what course you go to, you’re able to get into your groove. I used to be a little introverted because I was just shy. I didn’t want people to know what I did, but my personality is extroverted, if you will. So I like people to be included in my deepest thoughts. It’s like, well, how does this make you feel? How does this sound? Is this coming out the way I want it to sound? I like feeding ideas off of people. For me, the writing process used to be writing in my phone and to a beat. Now I hate listening to beats, I don’t want to hear no beats, don’t you send me no beats! For me, when I hear the music for the first time, I want to be able to react to it and if I can’t record it and I heard it on the phone, it’s like I’ll be trying to recreate my very first reaction to it. It might be because I’m just so ADD when it comes to creating that it’s so freestyle-based, I get to whatever it is I want to get to and then it’s on to the next one.
And speaking of that Grammy, where were you when you found out you got nominated? How’d you celebrate the news?
I’ve been still trying to figure out if it’s real, to be honest. I woke up to a whole bunch of messages and stuff, and my friends were blowing me up. I went on Twitter and I saw Gayle King say, Best R&B Album, the nominations are and then say Ant Clemons and I was like she knows my name?? It really didn’t hit me until I was listening to the Joe Budden Podcast and I heard Joe say “Ant Clemons,” I was like, “wow, this is a thing.” I celebrated by being in the studio, but I’m in the studio all the time. I went right back to work, just super excited and I’m still in a space of shock that this is even a thing. I loved Happy 2 Be Here, I loved working on those records, but I had no clue that people felt the same way. To be nominated and to be accepted by your peers is such a cool thing.
I saw that you recently made a virtual visit to your alma mater, Burlington County Institute of Technology, to speak to students. Why did you feel it was important to head back there.
Man, I can’t tell you how cool it is to have your high school or someone from your high school even know what you do outside of there. But to think that those amazingly talented students at BCIT wanted me to even speak to them was surreal. Dr. Ashanti Holly, I love her to death, she was like one of my superintendents when I was in middle school, so to see that she’s a part of the BCIT high school experience is so cool. A couple of my teachers shared some really cool comments and it was the best man like that’s what all it is is about. If it’s not for everyone, then it’s not for me. I learned a long time ago that my life, not that it’s meaningless, but it wasn’t about me. I started living my best life when I really realized that it had nothing to do with me. It was really about what I could do for others and how I could help. So anytime somebody has a question, it’s my responsibility to answer because I would want somebody to turn around and give me answers just to help me get from point A to point B. If I’m not doing that and I’m not being an example, then what are we doing?
In a second life, what would Ant Clemens be doing if it wasn’t being an artist? Where’s your second passion lie?
It would be in the art in some form. I draw like so it would be graphic design, I’d probably be an animator at Disney somewhere. I’d probably be in church somewhere, not saying that that’s not what I’m doing right now. I’m not sure, my mom always told me that my grandma said I would be a pastor when I was a kid. That was something in the back of my head that was really scary to think of cause I was like that’s a big responsibility, I don’t want to be in charge of anybody getting into heaven or not. I don’t think that’s what a pastor is, but as a kid I didn’t want to be the guy that says yes or no in heaven, that’s a lot of responsibilities. But nah, in another life I’d probably be expressing myself in some form or fashion. If it wasn’t through song and dance, it’d be through some type of visual art. I got to express myself.
You’ve worked with some of the industry’s best, you’re Grammy-nominated, you’ve got a growing resume, and you’ve only put out one album. So what’s next for you on the bucket list?
It’s so many things. I’m very, very happy, but I guess I’m never content. So I’m constantly setting goals and I want to work with Drake. I’ve been saying it everywhere, I would love to work with Drake. I want to work with Frank Ocean. There’s a few people — Kendrick, I would love to do some stuff with Kendrick — and be able to at least get in the room with some of my favorites before they venture off and do other things outside of music. But outside of just music goals, I’m really excited to just live and be able to experience everything that God has for me. I’ll be 30 this year, I’ve never even thought about what my life would look like at 30. I thought I’d be like getting ready to get married or something. So, whatever the Lord has for me this year and this time, I’m excited for it.
Happy 2 Be Here (Anniversary Edition) is out now via legion/Human Re Sources. Get it here.
Last Friday, Compton rapper YG released the first-ever group project from his label, 4Hunnid Records. The 4Hunnid Records crew, which consists of YG, fellow Compton rapper Day Sulan, and Watts rapper D3szn, connect on Gang Affiliated, a seven-song compilation that runs the gamut from certified G-funk to drill to Latin-inspired party rap. It’s a fitting introduction to the crew, which contains a pair of rappers who are getting their first shot at the limelight courtesy of the EP and the big-name co-sign from one of the LA area’s most recognizable rap personalities.
Day Sulan has had the most experience with the trappings of fame, as she got her start rapping alongside the 4Hunnid head honcho on his 2019 album 4Real 4Real on the song “Her Story.” From there, she even secured her own breakout hit thanks to the sexy video for her and Rubi Rose’s collaboration, “Big.” During interviews, she bubbly and quick-witted, and you can tell she’s getting comfortable. Her counterpart, D3szn, hails from Watts, California, Compton’s northerly neighbor and home to LA’s most densely-packed collection of government housing projects, including Imperial Courts, Jordan Downs, and Nickerson Gardens. He’s released a steady stream of singles since 2019, including appearing on “Blood Walk” from YG’s My Life 4Hunnid but Gang Affiliated will be his first chance to show the world at large what he can do over the course of a project.
Over the phone, Day and D3 explain the impact that YG’s co-sign has had on their respective careers and lives, what to expect from the Gang Affiliated compilation, and what they really think about their boss’s wild sartorial choices.
How did you guys get on 4Hunnid? Tell me your stories individually, how YG brought you onto the label, and what it means to you as a rapper to have YG reach out?
D3: I was doing little freestyles on Instagram and his homey CTE hopped up on my DM like, “You saw him, whoop whoop,” and then like a week later I ended up linking up with YG and then from there it was like… he seen my work ethic and believed in me. So I’ll say about 11 to 12 months later I signed to 4Hunnid Epic.
Day Sulan: For me, to make a long story short, I started off as a dancer. I found music while I was dancing and my old manager at the time, Max Gousse, challenged me to do music. And I challenged myself and I made my first little freestyle video and I sent it to my manager, but I also sent it to YG just because we was cool. And I wanted feedback from somebody I knew was going to give me the real and his response was like, you should me f*ck with me at 4Hunnid.
What’s the biggest impact or what’s the difference that being on the label has had for your life?
D3: That’s a different question for sure. Me and my family come from living in a small house. So, by me able to sign, get them up out the way in like a good environment and stuff that changed. That was probably one of the biggest impacts that could probably come with this, is getting my family out the hood.
Day Sulan: I really wasn’t close to my family like that. And when I started dancing, I was homeless before that. So from being homeless, dancing, and doing something I really didn’t want to do — because it was kind of installed in my head young that that’s what I was going to do — it kind of broke me down. So being signed and getting that first little bag, it really got me back on my feet. I also reconnected with my family now that I’m in a better place. I am signed. I can move a little bit more freely but also have that extra push. It motivates you more when you have a big ass label really behind you and really rooting for you.
What’s your favorite part of recording with YG and recording this project? What’s the least favorite part of recording a project?
D3: I feel like it’s all completed. We done punched in on songs. Like, I go in for four bars, she go in for four bars. It’s motivation. It ain’t no competition. It makes me want to go harder. The thing I hate the most is, we’ll pick songs and sh*t will change the next week or two days or whatever.
You fall in love with a song and then it’s like, “Oh, that one’s not good enough.”
D3: We got everything locked in. We’d be about to shoot this video or do this to this song, then it’ll be like, “No, I think you should do this one,” after we already had it all mapped out and stuff.
Day Sulan: I mean, I love making music in general. I actually don’t have a problem with it. The only thing I don’t like is when I’m not recording. I low-key start losing my mind when I’m not in a studio. It’s weird. I like projects. I like making music. I like the process of eventually perfecting my craft. And I know I’m still new to this, so I still want to just keep making more.
Compton and Watts both have incredible lyricists, rappers who are just legacy, obviously Watts has Jay Rock, guys like that. Day, we got Kendrick, we got Quik. Who are some of the people that inspired you and what kind of an impact or legacy are you hoping to leave behind for your city specifically?
D3: My man Jay Rock got the key to the city. So, that’s somebody I really look up to on some music sh*t. Bro set a standard. You feel me? It don’t get no better than that, to me.
Day Sulan: Honestly, the originals, like NWA, just everybody who came from the city really. I took from a little bit of everybody. I really took the things I liked about this person, took things I like about this person, I kind of meshed it into one. I just f*ck with how everyone has that drive to be legendary that come from out the city. It makes you move a different way when you know these is the n****s that’s on top of you.
If you weren’t rapping, where would you be? Or what would be your ideal career if you weren’t a rapper?
D3: I was playing football, but then after high school, I was really outside, in the hood type sh*t. And then the music came into play. I figured that was something I liked to do. But if it wasn’t for music, I really don’t know where I would be right now. I was on some just regular sh*t, like playing hoops, sh*t like that. Basically, whatever would have popped up in my mind that I wanted to do I would have been doing it. I probably would have still been playing football or something.
Day Sulan: So if I was not rapping or making music, which would be f*cking odd because it’s like my number one love, I’d probably be doing something in fashion. Fashion design and clothes, probably have a few businesses or some sh*t like that. Or I might’ve been a painter honestly. I actually love painting. Painting is like my second love next to fashion.
For the last question, I’m going to ask something fun, but you guys got to understand, I’m not trying to get you in trouble. I just want to know. I know you’ve seen people clowning on YG’s shoes. He wears white socks with church shoes. What do you really think?
D3: Bro is a genius for that type of sh*t. I’mma shoot on you if it’s some wicked sh*t but I feel like that’s part of fashion. He started some sh*t. I think people know the fashion sh*t more than they know about him. Everybody just like to talk. I feel like he a genius with that because every time you see a picture, always a talk. That sh*t hard… That OG gangster sh*t.
Day Sulan: I mean, hey it’s his style, you know… I’m going to mind my business. He like what he like, I like what I like. If that’s his swag, that’s his swag. I can’t judge fashion because, in fashion, we look at strange sometimes, but then you got people like [ASAP] Rocky or Kanye West wear something, and now it’s like it’s the holy grail of fashion.
Any last thoughts you want to leave people off with about the album or about you as a person, about you as a rapper, go for it.
D3: Go get it! Soon as it drops, go get it. Listen to it. Listen to every song. Don’t skip a song. Cause well, you ain’t going to be able to.
Day Sulan: It ain’t that long. It’s only seven songs. [Laughs] So it ain’t no reason to skip. They all bangers on that bitch. Honestly. But you know, we coming and we about to be legendary. Look at us how you want to, but you know, we about to come. We’re coming up on y’all.
Gang Affiliated is out now on Epic Records. Get it here.
A few weeks ago, Swizz Beats and Timbaland confirmed that rap legends and Wu-Tang bandmates Ghostface Killah and Raekwon The Chef would participate in an upcoming episode of the popular streaming concert series Verzuz, and today, they revealed the specifics of the upcoming kung-fu duel. Raekwon Vs. Ghostface has been set for Saturday, March 20 at 5 pm PT / 8 pm ET. Fans will have a new viewing option, as well; in the wake of Swizz and Tim’s partnership with Triller, the next battle will stream on the app rather than Apple Music, where it has previously streamed.
While Ghostface and Rae have spent much of the last year laying — typical of the Wu-Tang brotherhood as a whole when they’re not promoting a new album (or squabbling over it) — Ghost did reveal in 2019 he’s working on a horror thriller with RZA and in 2017, he was early on the cryptocurrency bandwagon, so don’t be surprised if he flogs an NFT or two during the show. Meanwhile, Raekwon celebrated the 25th anniversary of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx with a deluxe vinyl reissue, teasing work on a second sequel to turn the Cuban Linx brand into a trilogy. The Wu-Tang as a whole has an elaborately-produced photobook coming out but getting ahold of it sounds like the luck of the draw.
Check out the upcoming Verzuz on 3/20 on the Verzuz Instagram and Triller app.
Each year around Grammy Week, The Roots hold an annual Jam Session inviting special guests from their endless list of collaborators and connections for a one-of-a-kind live show experience. Unfortunately, with most venues still shut down due to COVID-19 safety precautions, there won’t be a live show this year, but the fact that it’s streaming via Tidal means there’s no capacity limit, and fans from outside of Los Angeles get to “attend” as well. Also, this year, the band partnered with Oculus, granting virtual reality access so it can still feel like you’re front row.
The band revealed this year’s lineup in a press release sharing the details of the new partnerships. Special guests for this year’s event include R&B singers Ant Clemons, Ari Lennox, and Emily King, as well as rapper-producer Tobe Nwigwe and pianist-singer Jon Batiste. Burgeoning country star Brittney Spencer and soul icon Kathy Sledge of the legendary Sledge Sisters will also appear. Clemons is nominated for Best R&B Album for his 2020 debut Happy 2 Be Here, while Batiste has two nominations at this year’s awards.
Ahead of the Jam Session, The Roots have updated their Essentials Playlist on Tidal. You can check that out now, and watch the Roots Jam Session Saturday, March 13 at 6 pm PT / 9 pm ET in-app or via the embed below.
It appeared yesterday that a cryptic video Paul McCartney shared was teasing upcoming collaborations with Anderson .Paak, Phoebe Bridgers, Idris Elba, EOB (Ed O’Brien), Dominic Fike, St. Vincent, Damon Albarn, Beck, Khruangbin, Josh Homme, 3D RDN (of Massive Attack), and Blood Orange. Today, he has confirmed that to be the case: He is releasing a reworked version of his 2020 album, McCartney III, titled McCartney III Imagined, which features contributions from the aforementioned artists.
Tracks from the original album have been covered and/or otherwise reimagined by the guest artists and McCartney kicked things off today by sharing Fike’s rendition of “The Kiss Of Venus,” which he transformed from an acoustic ballad to an R&B jam.
During a Reddit AMA from December, McCartney cited Fike and other artists involved in McCartney III Imagined as modern performers he listens to, writing, “I’m lucky, I have a friend who sends me new music which helps me keep in touch with the modern scene. So I listen to people like Dominic Fike, Beck, St Vincent and Khruangbin. I also listen to a lot of classic oldies coming through, from rock n’ roll to 60’s to soul to R’n’B, with a sprinkling of classical music now and then.”
Listen to Fike’s “The Kiss Of Venus” cover above and check out the McCartney III Imagined art and tracklist below.
Capitol Records
1. “Find My Way (feat. Beck)”
2. “The Kiss Of Venus (Dominic Fike)”
3. “Pretty Boys (feat. Khruangbin)”
4. “Women And Wives (St. Vincent Remix)”
5. “Deep Down (Blood Orange Remix)”
6. “Seize The Day (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)”
7. “Slidin’ (EOB Remix)”
8. “Long Tailed Winter Bird (Damon Albarn Remix)”
9. “Lavatory Lil (Josh Homme)”
10. “When Winter Comes (Anderson .Paak Remix)”
11. “Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix)”
12. “Long Tailed Winter Bird (Idris Elba Remix)”*
* physical release exclusive track
McCartney III Imagined is out 4/16 via Capitol Records. Pre-order it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In late 2008, when word broke that The Roots, the hip-hop group led by longtime friends Amir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, were hired as the house band for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, the news was met with bewilderment and bemusement. The reactions online tended to be some variation of, “Wow, that is huge for Fallon,” or, as one Gawker writer put it at the time, “The Illadelph generals opening up for that stuttering mop-headed ball of suck, Jimmy Fallon? It’s kind of tragic.”
There was definite logic to the hiring. The Roots remain one of the most versatile ensembles in all of music, comfortable and talented enough to both cover U2 classics at an NAACP event honoring Bono and serve as Jay-Z’s backing band for his legendary MTV Unplugged appearance. And they helped add a whiff of cool to Fallon as he brought his wide-eyed, constantly stoked brand of comedy to late-night TV.
But even the most ardent fan of The Roots had to wonder how this was going to work in reality. The band was coming to NBC after releasing the two darkest and most politically-minded albums of their career — 2006’s Game Theory and 2008’s Rising Down — that raged against school shootings, poverty, and institutional racism. The group was also a consistent concert draw, known for marathon-length performances and welcoming guests from every corner and era of the music world.
Underlying all of this was simple curiosity. How could one of the best hip-hop groups in the game translate their attitude and their sound for network TV, and appeal to middle-of-the-road viewers tuning in for toothless political humor, fawning celebrity interviews, and viral video-ready stunts?
The answer: by The Roots proving just how versatile they could be. For the past 13 years, even as they moved with Fallon from 12:30 am to 11:30 pm after the host was hired to replace Jay Leno as the host of The Tonight Show, the band has been game for anything.
They’ve taken part in various sketches that sometimes require them to dress in drag or act foolishly. They’ve been the backbone for beloved recurring segments like “Freestylin’ With The Roots,” “Slow Jam The News,” and Fallon and Justin Timberlake’s “History of Hip-Hop” bits. And they’ve proven to be welcome comedic foils, with Questlove and Black Thought bantering with Fallon in the manner of David Letterman and Paul Shaffer.
The Roots’ quick evolution into foils for late-night comedy was, in retrospect, inevitable. In an oft-told anecdote, Questlove remembers that, in 2008 when the band and Late Night’s producers were sizing one another up, he invited Fallon to come see them play at UCLA’s Spring Fling not expecting he’d actually show. But the lanky comedian did and quickly won The Roots over.
“I was doing an interview in a trailer,” Questlove told Brooklyn magazine in 2017, “and when I walked out… the eight of them — Fallon and the seven Roots — were making a human pyramid. He was able to disarm us in seconds… And I’m looking at my manager and we just stared there shaking our heads. I was just like, we’re stuck with this guy, aren’t we? And he just looked like, I’m afraid so.” A baker’s dozen years later and they’re still stuck with each other.
By all accounts, the members of The Roots were ready for something approximating a day job. The rigors of touring were starting to weigh on them as it meant leaving behind families and relationships for long stretches of time. As Questlove commented on Okayplayer.com around the time the news broke of their Late Night deal, “I don’t know if I want to be 40 on the road and single no more… I can’t even start to go on that path ‘til a woman takes me seriously. And ain’t no one taking a man serious who is in his home for only three months out the year.”
They were also students of music history, knowing that, although they were in a good spot financially after two decades of being together, they were potentially looking at a slow slide into obscurity. It was to the point that the group was tempted to sign a deal for a residency at The Borgata in Atlantic City.
The twist is, of course, that their nightly platform on NBC has made The Roots more popular than ever before, and, as a result, they’ve become even busier than ever. When he’s not DJing at various events around the world, Questlove has written a handful of books, directed the Sundance-anointed documentary Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), and hosts the popular Questlove Supreme podcast. Black Thought keeps popping up on mixtapes and albums by other artists and last year released his debut solo full-length that includes contributions from Killer Mike and Portugal. The Man. Both men are also likely the only hip-hop artists your grandmother would be able to easily namecheck.
What’s perhaps the most impressive part of The Roots’ move into late-night TV is how true they’ve stayed to themselves and the hip-hop culture they grew out of. As proven by the six albums they’ve released since joining up with Fallon, they’ve not lost an ounce of their fury and power. Or for a more concentrated dose, dial up the blistering 10-minute freestyle that Black Thought performed on Funkmaster Flex’s HOT 97 show back in 2017 and went viral shortly thereafter. It’s a testament to both the vaunted realms of celebrity that he and The Roots have reached and his skills as an MC that the performance was analyzed by writers at NPR and The New Yorker — and earned him a spot on the couch at The Tonight Show to talk about it.
That adherence to their personal politics did come at a cost back in 2011 when the band played on Tonight Show guest, and then-Presidential hopeful, Michelle Bachmann with a portion of Fishbone’s “Lyin’ A** B****.” The blowback was considerable and almost cost The Roots their cushy new job in network TV. But after agreeing to clear all walk-on music choices with the NBC brass ahead of time, the band was allowed to keep their spots.
Probably the most concrete example of how The Roots have moved easily into this strange land of TV celebrity while not losing an ounce of their credibility can be found in another video from the Late Night era. In it, the band is doing the job of helping get the crowd warmed up for taping an episode — playing some upbeat music to hype folks up. But for this moment, they’re joined by one of that night’s guests, rapper and actor Ice Cube, and with him, launch into a version of N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton.” It’s a blast. The Roots drill down to the core of Dr. Dre and DJ Yella’s dense production and the rappers do their best to blur out the coarse language of the original song.
The key moment, though, comes when The Roots’ guitarist Captain Kirk Douglas puts down his axe and takes a turn on the mic, rapping Eazy E’s verse. Though they knew it was coming, the whole band seems to explode at that moment, watching their buddy step outside his usual role and play the part of a smack-talking, girl-chasing gangsta MC. Even the person holding the smartphone that’s filming the clip seems to shake with excitement at what is going down. But no one is more delighted than Questlove and Black Thought. As Roberts keeps spitting, they look over at each other with wide grins and sparkling eyes, giddy at what they’re witnessing and what they’re getting away with.
