The Roots - Interview

Thrasher Magazine, Nov, 2002 by Aki X

SMOKING GROOVES TOUR, UNIVERSAL AMPHITHEATER, HOLLYWOOD. It was hella weird walking through Universal City going to the show, kinda like going to watch a dope hip-hop show in Disneyland while it's still open to the public. Once inside we headed backstage and posted up at the bar. Hey, free drink, and we needed a few of them after wading through all those frenzied, consumer crazed tourists. It was now 7pm, the after-party was in full effect and the show hadn't even begun. The place was cracking, gorgeous sexy girls everywhere, and we were getting krunked. This was def the mos' happening spot in Hollywood. We had Dr Dre, Truth Hurts and their entourage chilling on the low over there, KRS ONE kicking it with the Roots right here, Jaguar Wright, Cody Chesnutt, J5 and Outkast lamping. I just wished Sheiblack was there but he was still on tour in Paris with the Arcade team gassing on the French gangstaz sportin' Mickey Mouse socks. Twelve beers later and back at the after party I found a minute to talk to Black Tho ught, ?uestlove and the 5th Dynasty Roots crew about what's poppin' back in Ill-adelph, Michael Jackson raising his fist, and the new Roots album Phrenology.

What's "phrenology" mean?

Phrenology is the study of the brain or how it operates, you know, the particular components that effect the nerves and the thought process, and the study of the size of the head. We just wanted to tie it into subject matters.

How is this Roots album different from other Roots albums?

This is probably our most aggressive, our fastest record yet; very aggressive. We just made a list of things we hadn't done before-songs over 100 bpm, guitars. It's not a typical sounding Roots album. We added guitars to it. It's rock. It's a lot of elements. It's very aggressive. People are getting tired of the same formula. They want something more avante garde, more innovative.

Who produced the new album?

The Roots always produce their own material. Who else you got up on there?

Talib Kweli, Jill Scott, Nelly Furtado, James Blood Ulmer--the radical, insane, crazy guitar player-and Amir Baraka, the poet.

Is there a backlash to the bling-bling coming?

I have not seen evidence of it. Nelly is having the biggest record of his recording career tight now. Obviously the taste of the public has not died down for that stuff. Honestly, on the real I don't even concern myself with that anymore. My main concern is that there is a balance in the system and that some art-based hip-hop can get out to the masses, 'cause right now people are not responding to what they don't know. Most people are just afraid to think on their own.

Like they're just sheep and need to be fed and lead?

Yeah. Like it's not legitimate unless it's on TV 50 times a week.

The Roots have been around for 10 years, keeping it real and progressing way beyond the boundaries of hip-hop. How do you feel in the music industry of today?

We go under the industry There is no subculture anymore, hip-hop used to be the subculture of the music industry; it was the underground. Now it's the mainstream of the music industry. As a result it becomes problematic for the underworld without having its own identity. Most of the status quo refuse to recognize hip-hop as an art form. If something gets validated by a conservative group of people then it's legitimate, like classical music, then it's an art form. Hip-hop is an art form.

How much of an influence have The Roots been an cats in the industry? Everyone has got bands now.

I mean, yeah, they told us, "Yo! Man, you raised the stakes and we all got to do it." The important thing is not even about the band-at the end of the day you have to be great.

You have played with pretty much everyone in the industry. Who is left that you really wanna play with?

We pretty much played with everyone that we admire, but it's my dream to put Michael Jackson back in a place where he is not the punch line anymore.

On the subject of Michael Jackson, how do you feel about his claim of the music biz being run by racists?

Not even gonna take that.. .err, he is crazy, that is obvious. He speaks the truth, but he is very delusional about his status in the marketplace. I mean, someone in his camp must know that anything he does has to be Al perfect, it has to be nine-times perfect, one illionth of a flaw and it's curtains,, and that is how he has to approach his work. I think he has just had the wake up call. He always really knew he was black. I never thought I'd see Michael Jackson with his fist up.

BET did a survey up in Harlem about this and nine out of 10 black people said they don't even consider him to be black anymore.

I know he is black and tight now the public reaction to his freakish nature is like being black. At least five times a day, I am reminded that I'm a freak. I stay in five-star hotels and I get in the elevator and people are like, "Aaahhh!" Then it's like, "Alleyways and cuts?"

Don't that shit piss you off?

In Italy once I caused a car crash, that was the sweetest revenge. It was the sweetest vindication I have ever had in my life. Four assholes were driving in their car in Rome and they rode by me, rolled down the window, shouted out derogatory comments, and drove straight into a pole.