The Roots Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

The Roots have announced two outdoor shows for this summer, marking their first UK dates for six years.The hip-hop duo made up of Questlove and Black Thought will be headlining South Facing Festival at London’s Crystal Palace Park Bowl on August 2. The next day, they’ll be headlining further south for a show at Dreamland Margate.De La Soul and The Pharcyde will be opening for the duo at both shows.

Questlove has defended Sexyy Red appearing on the Roots Picnic 2024 line-up, saying “I’m still shocked yall got energy for ‘”oh hell no isms’.”The line-up for the annual Philadelphia music festival was revealed yesterday (February 20) and featured the likes of Lil Wayne, Jill Scott, Nas, André 3000 and more. The event will return to The Mann in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA on June 1-2.]The announcement of Sexyy Red’s appearance at this year’s edition of Roots Picnic was met with criticism due to her support for Trump as well as comments of her being “trashy”.The Roots drummer took the time to respond to one of the hateful comments about Sexyy Red’s inclusion on the lineup, saying that he was “shocked” at the reactions.“Damn…..hell hath frozen over when I like a Mel post.

The Roots have announced the acts for this year’s edition of their annual Roots Picnic festival in Philadelphia.The two-day music festival will return to its usual home of The Mann in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA on June 1-2. Lil Wayne with The Roots, Jill Scott and Nas are set to headline the festival with André 3000 performing a special set in support of his recently released debut solo LP ‘New Blue Sun’.Other acts set to play include Gunna, Victoria Monét, Sexyy Red, Babyface, Wale, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Cam’ron, Funk Flex, and more.A post shared by The Roots (@theroots)The festival will also see various collaborations take place such as The Roots’ Black Thought performinf with Method Man and Redman, Fantasia and Muni Long teaming up with Adam Blackstone and Scarface and Amerie set to play with the Backyard Band.General ticket sale will commence on Friday, February 23 at 10am local time.

Jimmy Fallon and the Roots’ Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter have turned Travis Kelce‘s old tweets into music.Kelce’s old tweets from circa 2008-2018 have gone viral as of late following his high-profile relationship with pop star Taylor Swift. As part of a segment for the Tonight Show, Fallon and Black Thought took it upon themselves to turn the viral tweets into music.During the bit, titled ‘The Ballad of Travis Kelce’, Black Thought provided a summary of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s X/Twitter activity while Fallon narrated the tweets.“Sometimes he was really deep, the whole world he’d inspire/ The most powerful weapon on this earth is the human soul on fire / Then he’d take it down a notch and take things super light / Bout to get some Taco Bell!!! n see what’s poppin tonight.“Speaking about Kelce and Swift’s relationship that has essentially rocked the nation, public perception and PR expert Beth Booker said: “We’re seeing the romance unfold in real time, and I think that that’s why everyone is so on board with it.

Questlove has shared his thoughts on André 3000’s upcoming comeback album, describing it as “a good medicine”.Earlier this week (November 14), the former OutKast rapper shared details of his first solo album in 17 years. The 87-minute record is said to be comprised of experimental flute music, and the rapper has said that it is not a rap album, even including a label on the cover warning that it contains “no bars”.Titled ‘New Blue Sun’, the album is released on Friday (November 17).

Netflix documentary series about the life of David Beckham has now started to stream – and it comes with an extensive new soundtrack.According to an official synopsis, Beckham “tells the inside story of a global football star and cultural icon.” The four-part series explores “his humble working-class beginnings in east London, his drive and determination to win, and the battle to find balance between ambition, love and family, David’s story is one of immense ups and downs.”It continues: “The series takes you on that rollercoaster and builds a surprising, personal and definitive story of one of the most recognisable and scrutinised athletes of all time.”Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens (Palmer, And We Go Green, The Cove) along with Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer John Battsek (One Day in September, Searching for Sugar Man, Winter on Fire) have been granted “unprecedented access” to David, his wife Victoria, his family, his friends and his team-mates for the documentary.Netflix say this has resulted in “an intimate portrait of a man as well as a chronicle of late-modern sports and celebrity culture.” The film’s soundtrack features many acts from the nineties at the height of Beckham’s fame, including Blur, Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene – and of course, The Spice Girls.You can watch the film’s trailer here: Season 1: Episode 1 Songs – The Kick‘Supersonic’ – Oasis ‘Sрice Uр Your Life’ – Spice Girls‘Gangster Trippin’ – Fatboy Slim‘Here I Come’ – The RootsSeason 1: Episode 2 Songs – Seeing Red‘Sing’ – Blur‘Hundred Mile High City’ – Ocean Colour Scene‘Steal My Sunshine’ – LenSeason 1: Episode 3 Songs – Goldenballs ‘Salute Your Solution’ – The Raconteurs‘Gimme Some Lovin’ – The Spencer Davis Group’10:03′ – Doves‘Eve

Telluride Blues and Brews Festival at Telluride Town Park in Telluride, CO.This year’s headline acts include big names like Bonnie Raitt, The Roots, The Revivalists, The Robert Cray Band and The Word.They’ll be joined by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Heavy Heavy, The Teskey Brothers, Anders Osborne and Buffalo Nichols.Plus, many, many brews.Over the three-day weekend, festival-goers can expect beer tasting sessions, pairing dinners and rare beers.There’s still so much more.According to the festival’s official Instagram, they also offer “free yoga sessions, a 5k fundraiser race, top-notch food vendors, outdoor recreation, family activities and so much more.”If this sounds like the long weekend for you, it isn’t too late to scoop up tickets.At the time of publication, three-day general admission passes can be found for $242 before fees on Vivid Seats.Single-day passes begin at $71 before fees.Want to indulge in the ultimate boozy and bluesy weekend?Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Telluride Blues and Brews Festival.All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.A complete breakdown of all the best prices on single and multi-day passes for the festival can be found below.(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and include additional fees at checkout.)Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

Dave Chappelle topped himself.After a star-studded first night at Madison Square Garden, the controversial comic brought in a number of huge comics and musical guests to his second show at MSG as part of his ‘It’s a Celebration B!%?#&$! Tour’ on Wednesday, Aug. 23.Before the “Chappelle’s Show” star took the stage, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Jeff Ross, Luenell and Earthquake got the show rolling.But that’s not all.In addition to a headlining set from the self-proclaimed “GOAT,” The Roots, Nas, De La Soul and Ludacris all performed as well.At midnight, Chappelle turned 50 and many of the artists listed above started a countdown to wish him a happy birthday.

LL Cool J is bringing his star-studded Rock The Bells Festival to Forest Hills Stadium for an afternoon and evening featuring Hip-Hop icons from the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s.Just a few of the stars joining the “Mama Said Knock You Out” rapper include The Roots, Run DMC, Queen Latifah, Ludacris and De La Soul.Method Man with Redman, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Salt-N-Pepa and Slick Rick are on the lineup too.All in all, over 20 major acts will take the stage at this year’s mega event.Given all the historic talent set to gather in Queens this weekend, last-minute tickets are surprisingly cheap.At the time of publication, we found some going for as low as $86 before fees on Vivid Seats.Lower-level tickets start at $187 before fees.$197 before fees is the cheapest price available for general admission floor passes.Want to jam out in Hip-Hop heaven this weekend?Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Rock The Bells.All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation.A complete breakdown of all the best Rock The Bells ticket prices by section can be found below.(Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and include additional fees at checkout.)Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

Comedy’s king of controversy is going on a short tour.From May 31 through June 2, Dave Chappelle is set to perform at three huge venues in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.First, the “Half Baked” star will drop into Charleston, WV’s Charleston Municipal Auditorium on Wednesday, May 31.After that, he’s set to headline at Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena on Thursday, June 1. Finally, he wrap up the brief run at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center with Philly natives The Roots joining him on Friday, June 2.What can we expect from these gigs?At a Chappelle show, it’s anyone’s guess.

LL Cool J has revealed his first headline tour in 30 years – featuring the likes of The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt-N-Pepa and many more.The F.O.R.C.E. Live, standing for Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy, Live tour is set to commence on  June 25 in Boston at TD Garden.

LL Cool J went on an arena tour in 1996, Bill Clinton was in office, Beanie Babies were crazy popular and the internet was still in its infancy.Now, in 2023, he’s back at it again.Starting June 25, LL Cool J will take off on his ‘THE F.O.R.C.E. Tour’ (Frequencies Of Real Creative Energy) that will send him all over North America including stops at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on June 27 and Newark’s Prudential Center on June 28.But the “Mama Said Knock You Out” rapper isn’t going it alone this summer.On select dates, he’ll be bringing along titans of hip-hop Big Boi, Salt-N-Pepa, The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Queen Latifah along for the ride.That’s not all though.Common, Ice-T, Rakim, MC Lyte, Method Man and Redman will be there too for certain concerts on the run.Let’s not forget Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony, De La Soul, Goodie Mob, Jadakiss, Juvenile, Rick Ross and Doug E.

Last August, LL Cool J pulled off his first Rock The Bells in the aftermath of a lawsuit in which he won the trademark rights to the popular New York hip-hop festival, named for a 1985 cut from his debut album, Radio. Today, he’s announced that he’ll be taking Rock The Bells on the road this summer, joining powers with Live Nation to present a “once-in-a-lifetime touring experience and a celebration of Hip-Hop culture” called “The F.O.R.C.E.

Questlove is set to direct a new adaptation of The Aristocats for Disney.The Roots musician, producer and filmmaker – real name Ahmir Khalib Thompson – will reimagine the animated 1970 movie as “a live-action/hybrid”, according to Deadline. He’ll also serve as an executive producer and oversee the film’s music.Will Gluck and Keith Bunin are said to be helming the script. Tarik Trotter, Shawn Gee and Zarah Zohlman will executive produce the forthcoming title on behalf of Questlove’s production company Two One Five Entertainment.In a statement (via Pitchfork), Questlove said: “During those first months of the pandemic back in 2020, I allowed my inner 9-year-old to have a voice he wouldn’ta had back in 1980.

Questlove has entered the social media debate over the drumming of The White Stripes‘ Meg White, defending her ability.White, who formed The White Stripes with Jack White and went on to become one of the most successful bands of the 21st century, has often been criticised for her drumming style.In In 2002, White said of the criticism: “I appreciate other kinds of drummers who play differently, but it’s not my style or what works for this band. I get [criticism] sometimes, and I go through periods where it really bothers me.

St. Vincent and The Roots covered Portishead‘s ‘Glory Box’ on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week – check out the video below.The performance aired on Wednesday night’s episode of the US chat show (March 8) ahead of St. Vincent’s appearance at the Love Rocks NYC benefit concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre yesterday (March 9).Remaining faithful to the original 1995 single, the atmospheric collaboration saw Annie Clark put her own spin on the song’s electrifying guitar solo, and deliver a powerful and haunting vocal.She was accompanied by subtle instrumentation and a steady drum beat courtesy of The Tonight Show house band The Roots, as well as a live string section.Watch St.

Haim, The Roots, The Flaming Lips and Sheryl Crow were all lined up to headline.Other acts slated to appear across the weekend included Khruangbin, Princess Nokia, Pom Pom Squad and The Weather Station.As Pitchfork reports, however, organisers have now confirmed that The Big Climate Thing has been pushed back to 2023.“Collectively, we felt that if we couldn’t produce the event in a way that met the high standards for participation, impact and sustainability that are the foundation of The Big Climate Thing, then it was the responsible choice to postpone until we can,” an official statement read.It added: “With humility and gratitude, we look forward to bringing a renewed The Big Climate Thing back in 2023 to create a platform for those who truly inspire us with their commitment to creating a more just, equitable and habitable planet. And some of the best music on Earth.”A post shared by The Big Climate Thing (@thebigclimatething)Those who had bought tickets via AXS online or by phone will automatically receive a refund to the credit card used to purchase within 30 business days, per TBCT’s official website.

Haim, The Roots, The Flaming Lips and Sheryl Crow are scheduled to headline The Big Climate Thing Festival, a three-day climate-themed festival in New York City.Seeking to address and raise awareness of the climate crisis, the event will blend musical programming with climate-related dialogue, including videos, talks, and calls to action. The event, which takes place at the start of Climate Week NYC in September, will also be carbon-mapped in an effort to reduce its environmental footprint.The festival’s proceeds will support EarthPercent, a Brian Eno-launched nonprofit which seeks to raise $100million of music industry funds for climate initiatives by 2030.

Danger Mouse and Black Thought have announced that they’ll be dropping a collaborative album this summer.Set to be released on August 12 via BMG, ‘Cheat Codes’ is Danger Mouse’s first hip-hop full-length since his ‘DANGERDOOM’ collaboration with the late MF DOOM which was released back in October 2005.It follows Black Thought’s pioneering output with legendary Philadelphia group The Roots and his critically acclaimed solo trilogy, ‘Streams Of Thought’ – the third volume of which was released in 2020.‘Cheat Codes’ – which was initially rumoured to be called ‘Dangerous Thoughts’ – is something that the pair began the initial idea for “maybe 13 or 14 years ago”, Black Thought revealed when he first teased the project in an interview back in 2020.“It’s a feel-good record,” he said. “It’s a record for people who got into hip-hop and sort of evolved at the same period of time that we did. We’re the elder statesmen at this point, so I feel like this record is reflective of that too.”Black Thought added that the album – which features; A$AP Rocky, Run The Jewels, MF DOOM, Michael Kiwanuka, Kid Sister, Joey Bada$$, Russ, Raekwon, Conway The Machine and more – is “a return for [Danger Mouse] to hip-hop and to sampling in this way”.The announcement comes alongside the album’s first single, ‘No Gold Teeth’, a razor-sharp cut that hears Black Thought deliver a lyrical clinic over Danger Mouse’s dizzying backdrop.You can watch the song’s hypnotic video, directed by UNCANNY, the UK-based creative duo of George Muncey and Elliot Elder, above.01. ‘Sometimes’02. ‘Cheat Codes’03. ‘The Darkest Part’ (feat. Raekwon & Kid Sister)04. ‘No Gold Teeth’05. ‘Because’ (feat. Joey Bada$$, Russ & Dylan Cartlidge)06. ‘Belize’ (feat. MF DOOM)07.

Pusha T delivered a live rendition of ‘Dreamin Of The Past’ on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon last week – tune in below.The Kanye West-featuring song appears on the New York rapper’s fourth studio album ‘It’s Almost Dry’, which came out last Friday (April 22).On the eve of his latest record’s release (April 21), Pusha T – minus Ye – played a live rendition of the track on Jimmy Fallon’s US chat show with help from the host’s studio house band, The Roots.West’s contributions to ‘Dreamin Of The Past’ could be heard on the backing track as T and the musicians performed in the New York City studio. ‘Dreamin Of…’ is built around a sample of Donny Hathaway’s cover of ‘Jealous Guy’ by John Lennon, the latter of whom is credited as a co-writer.“‘It’s Almost Dry’, out now,” T said at the end of the Fallon performance.

Pitchfork has announced the lineup for the 2022 edition of the Pitchfork Music Festival. Mitski, The Roots, and The National will headline the three-day concert taking place July 15-17 in Chicago's Union Park.

After two years off, The Roots' annual festival Roots Picnic will return to Philadelphia in 2022. The two-day event takes place June 4-5 in The Mann at Fairmont Park.

Philadelphia Inquirer. The musician officially passed away from multiple myeloma — a rare form of the blood cancer that he’d been diagnosed with 14 years ago — after being hospitalized on Wednesday.

The Roots between 1992 and 2007, has died at the age of 62.As the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, the news was confirmed by Hubbard’s wife Stephanie, who said the musician’s cause of death was multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer that Hubbard was diagnosed with in 2007.She added that up until last month he had been in remission, and had continued to work on music in recent years.

Black Thought has denied speculation that his band The Roots are due to face the Fugees in an upcoming VERZUZ battle.The rapper was approached by HipHoxDX yesterday (August 24) to verify if a widely shared flyer detailing the forthcoming rap fight was real. He confirmed that it wasn’t.Per the outlet, a flyer that placed the Triller and VERZUZ logos prominently and included a promotion “Drinks by Cîroc” contributed to making the ad seem real.

DJing at the Oscars this year, Questlove could very well be up for one of those golden bald babies in early 2022.In fact, his directorial debut, “Summer of Soul” — a documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival that took place over six Sundays in 1969, which premieres on Hulu and in theaters on Friday — was already honored with two prizes at the Sundance Film Festival in February.The 50-year-old Roots drummer, “Tonight Show” bandleader and celebrity DJ — who was born Ahmir Thompson — reveals

Questlove of The Roots has discussed a pivotal moment in the band’s career when they were “saved” by Dr. Dre.Speaking with Mark Ronson on THE FADER Uncovered podcast, Questlove discussed The Roots’ sixth album, 2004’s ‘The Tipping Point’, and how it almost didn’t arrive following the dissolution of the band’s record label, MCA, the year before.“So as promised, MCA imploded,” Questlove explained.

Mark Ronson is set to host a new podcast series featuring interviews with artists such as Tame Impala, Haim and David Byrne.The producer, songwriter and DJ has partnered with The Fader to host the FADER Uncovered podcast.Billed as “a series of in-depth conversations with the world’s most impactful musicians”, FADER Uncovered will see Ronson speaking to the likes of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Haim and Byrne, with each episode being rooted in the respective artist’s Fader cover story.The

Justin Bieber has been joined by The Roots and Jimmy Fallon for a special performance of his recent single ‘Peaches’ using classroom instruments – you can watch their rendition below.The original track featured on Bieber’s latest album ‘Justice’, which was released last month.Bieber joined The Roots and Fallon on the latter’s US chat show The Tonight Show last night (April 26) for a special remote performance of ‘Peaches’.Bieber played on a toy piano during the performance, while Fallon

tweeted a similar statement.“Mourning my beloved cousin today,” Champion wrote on Twitter. “He was so talented and had a huge heart.