Just finished the taping and it was siiick. Can't give it away but just want to emphasize how good it is so tune in really.

but can we promote a song that's on the album for once?

If they played a song and then ended the show with that it would have been perfect.

Let America hear Rising Up!

yea riq not being there was a negative but still it was good for mainstream tv you know? the tracks we've heard on r.d. probably wouldn't work well with the colbert show so it was probably in their best interest to do something a little more palatable to the average viewer considering the high ratings and exposure... but then again chapelle was on comedy central too

does the trio have a name?

i was hoping to hear a song from the album though

kirk smashed the shit out of his guitar

I would rather have heard a song from their album. I take it Black Thought wasn't even in the building?

i was waiting for quest to do a diving head spin right into his bass drum

also, we're 2 weeks away and no video on tv yet, no single on the radio and now no RD songs performed on the TV appearances thus far?

'internet buzz' is flying high, but i dont think thats enough to translate into substantial album sales...

(no hate intended here, just a bit worried)

:)

They *are* on Letterman the night before the album drops. I hope they can get on The Tonight Show and Conan pretty shortly afterwords.

And I'd really like a physical single, I'm old fashioned.

im saying just get some radio spins

There is *almost* absolutely no need for tv spins now, and the need for radio spins is diminishing. We're on the brink of something great, but it's a rough transition to the new way of doing things.

that you have the opportunity to perform on TV and you don't even perform a song from your new record which the host of the show has just promoted not even 2 seconds before you start playing?

this was an L for The Roots.

i mean....lol im laughing and this is ESPECIALLY funny coming from you.

come on now....you know better than this.

they is NOTHING done in our career that was just a random thought yo.

yall aint ready for the truth.


there is a reason for everything.

Look you fucks

1) we had 1 minute and 45 seconds for the "Roots"
set. A whole 18 seconds for the intro.

2) we have been booked for Letterman for months now (we're
doing letterman April 28 FYI). we promised them (letterman)
that the "Roots" would not appear on any other
televised show before doing  theirs.

3) the opportunity to perform on colbert and night of too may
stars came arose much
later, a couple of weeks ago to be exact.

4) letterman accommodated us (they weren't happy) only because
the aforementioned
shows never intended for there to be a complete performance of
a "Roots" song.

5) as a homage to hendrix's musical protest against an ongoing
war. as a scaled back "Roots" performance that
wouldn't make our letterman appearance redundant (as the
letterman folks feared). as a counterpoint to colbert's faux
right wing persona.
in philly pa ,the birthplace of the nation, weeks before an
election in which the city
may well be a decisive factor (an election unlike any other
which has come before it at least symbolically), on a show, a
faux right wing show, with the wife of the symbolic candidate
as the sole guest, a diminished version of the roots performed
the star spangled banner.

6)  Zen the jedi....  find a life outside your corny ass navel
and george lucas's
 asshole.....hokey ass nigga. 

7) high volt ...i know you mean well but, watch 106 and park
sometimes...
and then put away that keyboard and park them lips on this 106

8) Justin Scott .... groundbreak this dick in your mouth

9) brain ..i think i found your L. you can have it back

"DEAD"

if you're saying *DEAD* to the ppl giving you reality then
wake up. the crew is taking a big L in general not promoting
this album. 

just because you guys talked about ideas a lot doesn't make
them right.

i always support the crew and okp and most of their decisions.
you might as well just released the album for free. how many
sales you expect with this type of promotion?

not on no hostile jawn.

assuming you read EVERY WORD of this post before you just
printed what you printed.


you are given about 90 seconds to do something.


you seen the length of time on our material....i mean assuming
you have the cd's and all....



ok--

you are me.

and imma play everyone else.

"ahmir....we got 90 seconds to do something...what is it
that we are going to do?"


---(looks at stop watch...) ghead START!!!!!!


(imma show yall our way of thinking that led us here without
berating an okaynewbie/vet or coming hostile......imma EXPLAIN
it, for if posts like this frustrate me but the goal of
okayplayer is really to show yall the reasons to why we do
what we do)

so please dont be afraid to respond.


you are given about 90+ seconds to do a song....what song
should we do to impress an audience that otherwise wouldn't be
the roots audience?

thanks

"Fuck the streets!"

-?uestlove

www.myspace.com/djjedi1

huh?

colbert doesn't even have musical acts so u did what u could
in the time u were given
as for all the late night shows, whatever you'll get on them
the week the album drops
one thing though, what up with the street team? i haven't seen
shit in the streets, they sleeping?

well for one that is a tough test and i doubt anybody knew
that was the case. although i would have still liked to see
even something on the album even a sample but i agree it would
be hard.

i don't know what everybody elses opinion on it is but my main
gripe wasn't even just this show. if that was the situation
then its one of those "it is what it is" things.

my main problem is the lack of promotion in general.

i always buy the albums so thats a given sale. but like others
have said i have promoted the roots albums as far as telling
my friends in the past and playing it for them to the point
that they sometimes will come to a show or buy an album.

the problem is nobody even knows an album is coming out. 

as i get older i don't even see these people as much to get
them into it. THEY are the people that could lead to a
significant amount of sales. but they aren't the type of
people that frequent okp.

but anyway, i'm one of the few that thought birthday girl
should have stayed on the album. 

luckily "get busy" gets a few spins on hot97 dj
mixes but they cut it up so peedi's verse goes first just so
people will listen. nobody even knows its the roots so who's
gonna go look for a roots album.

>ok--
>
>you are me.
>
>and imma play everyone else.
>
>"ahmir....we got 90 seconds to do something...what is
it that
>we are going to do?"
>
>
>---(looks at stop watch...) ghead START!!!!!!
>
>
>(imma show yall our way of thinking that led us here
without
>berating an okaynewbie/vet or coming hostile......imma
EXPLAIN
>it, for if posts like this frustrate me but the goal of
>okayplayer is really to show yall the reasons to why we do
>what we do)
>
>so please dont be afraid to respond.
>
>
>you are given about 90+ seconds to do a song....what song
>should we do to impress an audience that otherwise
wouldn't be
>the roots audience?
>
>thanks

you coulda went with your line of thinking on Game Theory....

"well, let's see... last album we jammed three songs into
one video. We probably spent about 90 seconds on each song...
Let's do it that way!"

you know we only got ONE video budget yo!

come on now...lol

but i'm just sayin, y'all coulda performed an abridged version
of somethin...

*shrugs*

you need to learn what it is to be effective

now rewind back to that day and we do just ONE verse of
something.

you REALLY think that was the answer to doing something with
impact?

at the rate where the last 17 years has shown me that the
solos and "push it" (of all things) are the LOUDEST
response getters at a roots show?

yes louder than ANY roots song.

im sorry dukes but if you were in my shoes and only had 90
seconds---you couldn't even do a verse AND  a chorus.

on a political show at that in the environment that we are
in....

you could say "eh that was corny"---but come on
dukes...you are music snob numbero uno.

and the standards you holdin is like me yellin in 96 "aw
the fugees is cheating on some puff shit by playing karaoke on
all their singles!!!"---i mean at the end of the day it
helped the score to sell 12 million worldwide. so i deem it in
retrospect EFFECTIVE.

you aint giving us dap but tween indiana and pitt?--ive gotten
MORE dap for that then damn near anything of recent memory.

so...W son

i mean granted you have excellent fucking taste and you pretty
much introduced me to half the shit i wouldn't otherwise have
in regular rotation....but smarten up nas! lol...

for starters we couldn't even preform a song in which someone
else has some publishing...

so since "get busy" is 40% owned by the cats that
wrote "tequila" (pee wee herman), and rising down is
owned by (dont think i can give the answer away with the
contest going on)--or even our own shits with scott or even
jill at the helm (or would you ask "the fuck yall do
"you got me" for? on colbert)--


look here is your chapter 4-6:


acts get booked on late night shows 3 months in advance.

in this time they start work IMMEDIATELY on clearances on
songs and whatnot--because it takes THAT long.

SSP is public domain.

dukes it really makes no sense with 90 seconds yo.

if given a proper 5 mins maybe perhaps i could see a point.


but come on man.

and what else besides chapelle do you see as wasted.

at the time of shooting chapelle we were pre Phernology and
album that went Gold (and before you start "The
Seed" wasn't born yet)

it took them damn near a year to air that performance.


so besides the underfunded only video we had, and chapelle as
the brainchild tragedies...


where have we pulled an "erykah first single" mess
in which you think "oh...well if you guys had only blah
blah blah you wouldn't be in this mess"

i mean look at rich's post again....

next yall will say "well ahmir you couldv'e gotten a poor
man's chris martin to do a "superstar"

---man....


smh

perform birfday girl (the token white person song for a white
audience, is this shit rocket science?) while the credits
roll...

how many times has kimmel or anyone 1 else closed a show while
the song is still being performed?

the performance yall gave was pitiful.

and the song is 300 minutes long....


what do 90 secs of a song not even on the record....

as if there wouldnt have been a post saying "the fuck you
idiots do the song we hate the most on a show in which only
gave you 90 seconds...


like what part of the performance woulda garnered water cooler
talk the next day.

shit was pityful in your eyes because you are in general
negative.

but i got more response from that shit than from any shit
we've done on tv.

Maybe it's just me, but I'd like to see a man bust up a
sousaphone one day!

i really hope that you are planning on doing birthday girl on
letterman...
because i dont know why you even made the record if you arent
going to use it as the trump card it was intended when youre
provided the appropriate venues...

but if stump isnt gonna perform with you it might not fly...
but then again if u had the right person sing his part it just
might.

if we knew that you guys were given 90 seconds, it'd be a
different story. and yes, myself and a few others jumped to
conclusions, but what do you expect when we see no marketing
(non internet) of an album coming out in a week or so, then
find out you're performing on colbert. of course we expect a
song. being a part of these boards, it's just human nature to
respond to a post about the show after you've seen the show.
you express your feelings. i will though, in the future, just
wait to see what you guys say.

or Livin in a New World.

okps wouldve loved that shit

im just wondering was thought or anyone else available and
this was just a collective decision, or was it known u three
would be the only ones there to perform when this was decided

they don't really "perform" for us (okps)


the game is all about the new people...do you know how many
"new" fans/admirers they might have acquired after
the colbert show? Also, i feel that they did a
switcheroo...rock groups use to do it all the time....

now to the general public it looks like a crazy ass L
move...but with 90 seconds ....really what would you do? You
cant really do any old material...and the joint they
did...shows how versatile they are.

and kinda not, cuz those songs fit into their timeframe and
the themes are kinda relevant.  i know it wasnt for us tho,
read some of my other posts in here lol.  im happy as hell
they were on the colbert report cuz i watch it all the time
and was happy to know they thought enough to get the roots on
the show when they came to philly.  hopefully the colbert
nation will go out and cop the album, and okps too.

ah, didn't know about the letterman agreement (he must have
been saving his bass for THAT). 

You guys interviewees that night and/or just musical guests? 

>Look you fucks

I wish I had this kind of manager watching my back.

but just knowing that you responded, i'm sure the phrase
"eat a dick up" or some variation is in here.

:)

>Look you fucks
>
>1) we had 1 minute and 45 seconds for the
"Roots" set. A whole
>18 seconds for the intro.
>
>2) we have been booked for Letterman for months now (we're
>doing letterman April 28 FYI). we promised them
(letterman)
>that the "Roots" would not appear on any other
televised show
>before doing  theirs.
>
>3) the opportunity to perform on colbert and night of too
may
>stars came arose much
>later, a couple of weeks ago to be exact.
>
>4) letterman accommodated us (they weren't happy) only
because
>the aforementioned
>shows never intended for there to be a complete
performance of
>a "Roots" song.
>
>5) as a homage to hendrix's musical protest against an
ongoing
>war. as a scaled back "Roots" performance that
wouldn't make
>our letterman appearance redundant (as the letterman folks
>feared). as a counterpoint to colbert's faux right wing
>persona.
>in philly pa ,the birthplace of the nation, weeks before
an
>election in which the city
>may well be a decisive factor (an election unlike any
other
>which has come before it at least symbolically), on a
show, a
>faux right wing show, with the wife of the symbolic
candidate
>as the sole guest, a diminished version of the roots
performed
>the star spangled banner.

ok, having read this, i partially rescind my comment.  i still
think it's wack that there is virtually no visibility for this
album outside of a few viral videos that have hit the net. 
Last time I peeked at the Def Jam production schedule (which I
don't think they still know I get on a weekly basis), NOTHING
HAS BEEN SHIPPED TO RADIO.  I mean, I know radio probably
wouldn't play whatever you guys sent them, but damn... they
gave up that quick?   

I got the Giant Step mp3 blast... which was cool
(ACAPELLAS!!!!!)

but y'all got three videos that are already out there... Have
they been serviced to the traditional TV channels?

If it weren't for this website, I wouldn't know a new album is
on the way.

>8) Justin Scott .... groundbreak this dick in your mouth

You didn't let me down, Rich!

>9) brain ..i think i found your L. you can have it back

I got plenty of them in my damn-near-10-years-on-this site.  I
don't need another one.

lol at okayplayers sometimes. getting all huffy. stop getting
your panties bunched up

he will clown you so hard your ancestors will cry.

but i stated my opinion (and i've never been anything but a
roots supporter). i wasn't hating just for the sake of hating.
i didn't curse or disrespect the roots or anyone. i simply
stated MY OPINION.

it got them on tv. there's one positive. other than that, i
don't see what that accomplished. most of our comments come
from wanting the roots to go platinum, but not seeing any
videos yet on tv, nor hearing any singles, nor SEEING any
singles in the stores. so when they go on tv, and don't play
their own music, of course we as fans wonder "what the
fuck?" dude could have broke it down; dude could have
left it alone. but he chose to disrespect a loyal fan. it says
a lot about whoever he is. he may be a cool guy, but that made
him look like a complete idiot. he was wrong, and (i bet) he
won't be man enough to admit it.

Fuck ass niggas always plea copin'.

Manage a dick, cocksucker.




























............................

.

I heard Get Busy the other night on Hot 97 (in NYC) the other night. It surprised the shit out of me and oddly they started it with Peedi's verse. I was happy to hear it on the radio!!!

antonio.reid@umusic.com?

lol

(OOP!)

i'd send a rather nice letter.

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?episodeId=165829

did they even have time to do a full song?

finally the first post that makes sense

excuse rich yall
he meant to call you fucks "you fucks" in a loving manner.

i on the other hand still marvel that after 10 years of having this place up
we STILL are on the same shit.

as some of you remember the bitter "late night wars" of yesterday past
there is still a crunch going on today ladies and gentlemen.

whenever someone says "?uest you dont have to explain yourself" then a post like this goes on. pretty much a tie in between what you guys should think we should do (as if we haven't thought these things out ourselves) to how smart you guys think you are (oh oh oh oh you people started your own fan videos!!!!! we are smart!) to this aint the right single to whatever you feel the answer is.

i aint gonna make this a long post.

just know that a group does NOT survive THIS LONG without OVER THINKING the scenario.

TRUST ME

EVERY idea you think is good for us has been thought out and discussed and discussed and thought out and discussed over and over

and over

and over


and over......


i mean come on bill....you heard rich talk before....


you think while your sleeping at 6am that me and rich AINT talking about problems and solutions and answers til about 10 am???

everyday yo.

what you thought a rock just hit our heads and we said "uh duh....lets NOT do a song from the album" uh duhhh...


you just happen to think that we dont know this album is coming out with little to NO fanfare?


we tried the ol "can yall organize and ask radio stations to play us?" and yall passed.

we tried the ol "can yall organize and vote us for trl and bet" and yall passed

even asked yall to make fan videos to support us in some round about way and yall passed


so pretty much at this point even though yall okayplayers and all...half of us (really? most of us) aint even THINKING about yall.

even if we were ALLOWED to do a roots song with a 5 minute window ID STILL roll with the idea we rolled with....

i damn near got stopped by like 80 people IN YOUR HOME STATE of indiana who otherwise i KNOW wouldnt know me from adam asking "was that you playing on Colbert yesterday smashin the geee tars?"

---i dunno...


the post called me this morn...



because of THAT performance.


---mtv called me this morn


because of THAT performance


---the philly inquirer AND daily news called this morn

because of THAT performance


im like obama to hillary on YOU of all people should know better.


i love you guys to death....but COME ON yall!!!

nobody on the net or the real world cares about the shit yall care about---


what "rising up" gonna make 500,000 people rise up and buy our shit?


are YALL even gonna get our shit?---yall who be on some "yo inbox me....inbox me..."

i mean who are we kidding here.


night after night after night...ask high voltage aka dr. document...when are the loudest cheers in a roots show?

what dynamite? psshh

proceed? haaaa!


are yall friggin kidding me?


the hell i gotta send yall to hip hop university so yall can see what time it is?


all this energy yall spend being critics judging shit yall dont even have A CLUE about

(and yes...yall rushed to judgement without knowing all of the info)

i wish yall would surprise me one day and take cues from jill solbule's fan site

yall claim support round here but all i hear is a bunch of whining and bitching and nothing much else.

Okay, I can role with this post, ?uesto.

But Rich's response was out of hand. That shit ain't gonna win anymore people into agreeing or supporting. If anything, that shit is gonna turn more and more people off. Plus, how old is he? 5?

People talk, but that's the internet. I understand its frustrating, but if you have your manager up here making things worse, less people are gonna wanna support. Maybe we're not as supportive as you wish, but if you piss all the OKPs off and they all decide to stop supporting (and buying the album), then The Roots career is done. Cause we're all you got.

Maybe we're not as many as you (and we) wish, but it's better than nothing.

I think the OKP to OK Artist relatioship DOES need to improve, but it's not one-sided (aka, just OUR fault).

based on album projections....

yall did more downloading than buying.

yall gotta know rich's character---well after the album intro

you all will know rich.

to point the finger at okayplayers when there is an entire untapped market out there that has absolutely no idea that The Roots have a new album coming out in less than 2 weeks.

Ideally, yes, every fan on this site should buy the album... no arguments there. But their decision to purchase was made long ago (and its not them singling out The Roots, its likely their buying habits--or lack thereof--in general).

The fact is rest of the world outside of okayplayer--the people who are on the front lines buying music-- have no fucking clue that The Roots have a new album coming out, and thats where the big problem lies.

And im talking about the casual Roots fans here, you know, the ones who own a couple of albums, been to maybe 1-2 shows but never log onto okp, etc. I've talked with these people and they literally know nothing about Rising Down. If this really is The Roots best album, its one these casual fans will likely buy. THAT is who I think you should focus on reaching.

most of my friends who are casual fans also have no idea there even is an album.

not for nothing, but they are all the type of ppl who would buy. but unless i start promoting the roots big time (which in a way i pretty much do within my group of friends) they'll have no idea and won't buy it.

whats the point of having all these big guest appearances if nobody knows about it. i'm glad for selfish reasons because it'll be a good album. but i'd think the point of all the guests is to get some attention.

this is called making the most of the situation.

look up in the "15" post and post jack the convoi was having with the cat up there....if he dont respond quick enough then take the challenge i just presented to dude.

what we DON'T do around here is explain the detailed day to day shit that occurs with the label who basically put us in this position. cause i really dont feel like arguing the whole "well just do a radiohead" or "go indy!" or whatever solution yall think is better for us as if we didn't think these options out.

there is a FLOOOOOOODgate of shit that done went down in the last 5 weeks.


shit you wouldn't believe yo.


so it just seems like some high and mighty shit like some "well just pick yourself up from your bootstraps nigger" (this was a popular post jim crow response to ex slaves who were freed but still unequipped for basic survival skills like education or even a home to take care of themselves or even their fam) shit, when we hear okayplayers tell us some shit that we already know! now granted i know that a majority of this heated exchanged tween yall and us is mainly due to yall's frustration of what you thought was a wasted opportunity, (and rich not liking okp's all that much) and me trying NOT to look like a victim---but basically if you knew 100% all the shit that was going on with us? you'd be shocked as fucked that we somehow managed to put out a stellar album.

so ghead....post jack dude so i can show yall the real yo.


i aint even trying to come at cats or make an example.


but i CANT sit here and read "stop crying" and watch mofos make "fail" gifs (amazing how if its negative energy then yall are THE MOST powerful site in the world yo.....amazing)
i need to educate.


so ghead....im checking in this hotel looking like ghostface robe and all...ill be back in 15

but i dont think its fair to use us (okayplayers) as a scapegoat by turning the tables around on some but you-only-download-and-dont-support-us shit or Rich's response. That doesnt motivate people here to help out on the promo tip or to buy the album.

and the ball has been dropped on the artist/label's end... and i dont doubt that it may be due to label politics or things out of your control... the ball was still dropped (this is a post jack btw... colbert aside)

without all the facts.

like its cool for mofos to add their two cents in any ol way they want to...

but (and i still have yet to see you go up to that 15 post above) none of yall will touch the truth with a 10 foot pole...

ghead man


i aint gonna bite.

be like "oh... that was a cool performance of a several hundred year old song, even though I would've much rather heard something new!"

i mean FUCKING SHITBALLS DUDE.

it ain't our fault somebody ripped chapters 4-6 out of our copy of the plan whereas you and Rich got the full, gold embossed hardcover edition.

but just going off plain fucking history...

y'all kinda got a history of not making the most of opportunities.

starting with Chappelle Show ("let's do a song from that Black Thought album we scrapped even though our new shit is out now!")

seems like this type of stuff happens every album now.

roots songs.

---negro YOU dont even support us all that much anymore yo...so of course i go to plan be.

what you think i be like "damn...lemme blah blah blah so bill and prov and tara and most the vets will love us again.


key word.


again.


look i aint tryna be on some pity party shit. but i can send this right back atcha with some you coulda asked "why did you guys not do a roots song?"

and then i woulda responded pronto.


and make the most out of an opportunity.


like what magic occurred out of us doing "here i come" on letterman and leno the last time?

you think a song performed is making the most out of an opportunity?


you my friend (whom i respect in the highest form as one of my favorite knowledgeable okps are sadly mistaken)

i guess you think com blew up cause he did "the food" on chapelle?

>i guess you think com blew up cause he did "the food" on
>chapelle?


LOL. not tryin to be a wiseass but i been a com fan for a long ass time.

and i actually think there was a big difference after he did "the food" on chappelle. more so cause the ppl saw him with kanye tho. not as much b/c of the song. sorry i just thought that was funny.

Anyway the performance was sweet and I am coppin' (3) when the album drops.

peace.

>roots songs.
>
>---negro YOU dont even support us all that much anymore
>yo...so of course i go to plan be.

i don't support? just cuz i don't make it out to shows as much as i used to (mainly because money is tighter than ever and i hate asking for guest list)... and even though i got free promos of everything from Phrenology on... I still bought copies of everything (Phren and TTP on vinyl, and I even bought a GT CD even though I had boxes of them at my disposal)


>what you think i be like "damn...lemme blah blah blah so bill
>and prov and tara and most the vets will love us again.
>
>
>key word.
>
>
>again.

man, you know i fight for y'all all the time. even at def jam i was trying to keep your artist page updated as much as i could until people told me to stop posting shit cuz the project was over.


>look i aint tryna be on some pity party shit. but i can send
>this right back atcha with some you coulda asked "why did you
>guys not do a roots song?"
>
>and then i woulda responded pronto.
>
>
>and make the most out of an opportunity.
>
>
>like what magic occurred out of us doing "here i come" on
>letterman and leno the last time?
>
>you think a song performed is making the most out of an
>opportunity?

well muhfuckas don't buy shit (i could end the sentence here, but there's more) blindly anymore. since they aren't getting to hear anything on radio, or see a video on BET or VH1 Soul (even the GT trilogy got played a lot on there!) how are they gonna know what they're buying?

>you my friend (whom i respect in the highest form as one of my
>favorite knowledgeable okps are sadly mistaken)
>
>i guess you think com blew up cause he did "the food" on
>chapelle?

nah, i just get confused by a lot of what goes on in The Roots world.

confused and frustrated.

i want y'all to win so bad but from the outside, sometimes it seems almost like self-sabotage.

i'ma shut up now.

>>roots songs.
>>
>>---negro YOU dont even support us all that much anymore
>>yo...so of course i go to plan be.
>
>i don't support? just cuz i don't make it out to shows as
>much as i used to (mainly because money is tighter than ever
>and i hate asking for guest list)... and even though i got
>free promos of everything from Phrenology on... I still bought
>copies of everything (Phren and TTP on vinyl, and I even
>bought a GT CD even though I had boxes of them at my
>disposal)

Even when I have the downloads, I still buy the CDs and you (BC) know I hardly cop CDs anymore. Sheeeet I even cop for my homie because she digs the group and that's since Tipping Point.

>i want y'all to win so bad but from the outside, sometimes it
>seems almost like self-sabotage.

Exactly.


Be fearless...

"And the night I fought Sonny, I heard a few southerners at ringside say 'Sonny, knock that nigger out! The nigger talks too much!'
And we laughed, didn't we, because his seat cost two hundred and fifty dollars..."---Muhammad Ali

>without all the facts.
>
Welcome to the Internet :) Hell, welcome to America. And welcome to the power of people who think they *know* what's going on with your career- because you do share so much of it on this site.

I'm not sure what to think sometimes. Birthday Girl threw me a bit (I liked it, but it didn't seem like a song on the next Roots album I had in *my head*) so I sent the link to a friend who's girl doesn't like rap and asked their opinion. They liked it.

I'm still not 100% certain about Masters of War in concert, but man do the people in the crowd who I wouldn't automatically identify as hard-core Roots fans *LOVE IT* (UCSD sure did.) And I know people who have no idea who The Roots are but will react when The Seed is played on our "alternative" (to what?) station in town (91x, as heard of in The Voices of Modern industry.)

Hell, *I'm* still not sure about the focus on the guitar that has happened since Phrenology (,and I miss the Rhodes being played on almost every song live,) but I can see how its a choice that The Roots Crew has made.

But the choices I *would* make if I was in the group, or if I was an industry insider, would be completely different. *I* saw the VH1 Hip Hop honors tour where The Roots were the band as FAR superior to any previous or any since - but VH1 didn't seem to.

The point is - I'm not in the group, I'm not part of the crew,an i'm not an indsurty insider, *but* I do try to some present some ideas here in a constructive manner. This is where I sometimes differ from others on this site.

As for what to do on Colbert in 90 seconds? I'm not sure. But in the 90 seconds a new demographic got to See The Roots, they all knew the song tahtw as played, and it got the new product in front of them. That seems like a win.

Too bad Conan doesn't invite you on for a week of performances. If i were Conan you'd so be in.

>but (and i still have yet to see you go up to that 15 post
>above) none of yall will touch the truth with a 10 foot
>pole...
>
>ghead man
>
>
>i aint gonna bite.

just to be clear, my replies have all been post jacks referring to what i said in reply 8. im not talking about the colbert performance, so i dont see what "that 15 post above" has to do with what im referring to since that is purely about colbert/time allotted.

I'm waiting 4 it 2 arrive from Amazon. I go 2 the shows, when my pocketbook allows. I don't have ALL of the albums. I'm a "casual" fan, I guess. But, I support when and where I can. Hip hop w/o the Roots would be like the body w/o both kidneys.

Your preaching to the choir.

You know me and HighVoltage are buying the album, so what's the issue? Instead of bitching at the fans who go to 2 or 3 shows PER YEAR, buy every album, buy t-shirts, help Dan and Ginny, etc., why don't you try to get the casual fans to buy the album?

And I know Rich's reputation preceeds him. Doesn't mean it's okay to be an asshole. Not to the fanbase that you want to buy your album in 2 weeks, and not to anyone. Nobody likes a bitter person with a chip on their shoulder, and dedicated OKPs who support The Roots 300% don't deserve Rich's immature tongue-lashing.

>Your preaching to the choir.
>
>You know me and HighVoltage are buying the album, so what's
>the issue? Instead of bitching at the fans who go to 2 or 3
>shows PER YEAR, buy every album, buy t-shirts, help Dan and
>Ginny, etc., why don't you try to get the casual fans to buy
>the album?
>
>And I know Rich's reputation preceeds him. Doesn't mean it's
>okay to be an asshole. Not to the fanbase that you want to buy
>your album in 2 weeks, and not to anyone. Nobody likes a
>bitter person with a chip on their shoulder, and dedicated
>OKPs who support The Roots 300% don't deserve Rich's immature
>tongue-lashing.



what this guy said

youre telling me the roots are supposed to sit back and listen to some hardcore fans talk random shit and belittle them on their fansite, but if rich feels like responding in a way that genuinely fits in to okps persona, hes out of line.

these guys spend their lifetime making music for you to listen to, and because you drop $15 on an album, you think youve earned the right to talk random shit about them, but they're supposed to treat you with respect.

yall are crying about rich tellin folks to take their L and groundbreak his 106, and the shit wasnt even directed at you.
gtfoh, cop the ablum and kim, stop taking shit so personally like YOUR the one actually putting work in on here

"Fuck the streets!"

-?uestlove

www.myspace.com/djjedi1

C'mon dude, free speech.

I haven't said one negative thing, but I have the right too. Just because they work hard, I can't criticize? I've busted my ass in life and I get criticized. It's life. I've written 150 reviews for Okayplayer, and I've been bashed on The Lesson just as much as ?uesto has. Just because they're artists we like doesn't mean they can't be called out.

I'm a music journalism. My career is based on criticism. I'm not trying to be an asshole, but if I have a negative opinion over something it's not because I'm hating... it's because I'm trying to be constructive so maybe the artist can do better the next time.


I hate all this "we can't criticize them on their own site" shit. It's not like we're doing it to hate. It's because our artists are held to a high standard they set themselves. It's motivation for them to do their best and not get lazy.

im not saying youre supposed to censor, im trying to say stop acting like the roots are supposed to sit there and take it. i know you or bialy havent said anything negative in this post, but you both seem to be getting all offended over some shit rich said to brainchild in what was typical okayplayer fashion. if you think hes out of line, then i think the rest of us are even farther out.

you said the internet is the internet so quest should expect this, well we should too, whats the point of them posting on a messageboard if theyre expected to have pr people edit their shit. this is all trivial, and most of it really isnt criticism folks just like to talk big.

people are complaining about marketing plans and shit, like they shoulda played rising up or some other song from the album, even tho if they played bday girl, the "crossover hit" that people keep complaining isnt being used right, people woulda hated on them for playing some "wack" shit. most people complaining probably dont even watch colbert like that and dont realize this fit in with his whole 'character' in the show.

and i personally just get sick of that whole 'u know i copped the album' shit everybody comes with before saying they think the bday girl video sucks and shit like that, like since they could've dled it for nothin, actually buying the shit has earned them some extra privilege over and above being able to listen but also to talk unwarranted, uninformed shit on here. didnt your mom ever tell you if you dont have anything nice to say dont say it. i mean none of this shit is motivational, or music related.

people on here are talking shit about the roots not properly marketing an album - that they made for 'us' - to 'them'. Birthday Girl was for 'them' but 'we' hated on it so its not on 'our' album now (regardless of the reasoning) so then we start hating on that decision. people on here act like they know what 'they' want all the while taking pride in the fact that they dont listen to the radio or watch 106 and shit, hence they have no idea what theyre talking about, and theyre complaining to someone whos in this mostly to make music for 'us' and not for all this marketing shit. were complaining about all the shit theyve done recently because we dont know about it, its not for us, its not what we want, but thats the point, we shouldnt need it. this is the one place where quest should feel some assurance that hes got people who know what their getting with this album and will cop, and dont need to be marketed too, but for some reason it isnt.

i don't think they owe me anything.

i'm just annoyed at the whole situation that they might not be taking advantage of everything they can for their own benefit. i wanna see them succeed. i don't doubt that they've probably been screwed by the label as well making things harder.

i think its just a bad move when people here are obviously only frustrated b/c they don't think they're going to be able to take full advantage of this album and then to have the finger pointed at you like its your fault if the album doesn't sell when it sounds like they are talking to the very people that help keep them going.

if the roots could afford to make a good album without a major label i'd rather see that. then maybe they could get similar sales and actually make some money.

or maybe get on a major that promotes them. but i doubt that will happen either. that only happened one time from what i remember.

u think they would of got that same press off 90seconds of Rising up or Birthday Girl? I think not.

i'm not really talking about colbert.

>i don't think they owe me anything.
>
>i'm just annoyed at the whole situation that they might not be
>taking advantage of everything they can for their own benefit.
>i wanna see them succeed. i don't doubt that they've probably
>been screwed by the label as well making things harder.

i just find it ironic that okayplayer has still found problems with an album that quest has pointed out before is for us, and our problems arent even music related anymore. ud think folks on here wnated the roots to make a bunch of birthday girls instead, and then theyd just hate on the music. and hell i really like the song so if they went all out on some commercial shit and blew i wouldnt be mad at all, and if okps on here take it personally that the roots "stopped caring" about them, they should stop taking themselves so seriously. i mean i doubt okp was responsible for even half of gt's sales, and in that case youd have to wonder how they ever got to 900K with TFA if we mattered that much. and i wish i had casual friends like u, none of mine would ever buy an album.

>i think its just a bad move when people here are obviously
>only frustrated b/c they don't think they're going to be able
>to take full advantage of this album and then to have the
>finger pointed at you like its your fault if the album doesn't
>sell when it sounds like they are talking to the very people
>that help keep them going.

i think fans are taking too much offense to this talk, and dont seem to realize the context its in on a internet message board. if you dont think they are completely justified, and couldn't reasonably prove, that most of okayplayer dont support them like that anymore and havent copped albums since TFA, i think ur kinda delusional and are projecting your fandom (Natural Mystic's, handle's, HV etc.) on everyone elses, and if youve copped all the albums and take pride in that then so be it, they werent talking about you.

>if the roots could afford to make a good album without a major
>label i'd rather see that. then maybe they could get similar
>sales and actually make some money.

hell im sure they would love to be able to do this. but the problem is, i think most people like to associate this option with radiohead, when really the roots would probably be more in line with how trent reznor's and saul williams went indie, and i dont think they ever recovered costs. i really dont think it would be wise for quest to play around with the possibility of recovering his costs lol. and none of them really tour like the roots, or are associated with such a large group and other artists. and this website would probably get nixed, so that probably wouldnt be good for us either.

>or maybe get on a major that promotes them. but i doubt that
>will happen either. that only happened one time from what i
>remember.

Come on adrian, stop being the sensitive type (what are you 22
years old or
something?). As you can see, I don't post here on any regular
basis so,
I can hardly be charged with driving dedicated okayplayers
away
(but a nigga can wish). 

Couple of points.

I'm not bitter nor do I have a chip on my virtual shoulders
but,
I will respond aggressively when individuals come at us on
some 
cybergressive steez. Flexing and saying things that they
wouldn't 
say if not for their anonymity, or lack of proximity. 

Anyone who has met me is aware that I'm consistent, that my
on-line persona doesn't vary from my real world one and that
I stay on the  "eye for an eye".

As for me being an asshole, that's industry rule number one.
Be an asshole. You can't survive this shit without being an
asshole.
I have met every label head in the business. They are all
assholes. Lyor Cohen...definitive-asshole, Jimmy Iovine
....supreme-asshole,
Clive Davis... historic-asshole. Let's not talk about the
niggas of the industry.
Puff, Dame, Irv, Jay, Suge, Benny.  These guys could give less
than a fuck about 
your touchy feeley  sentiments. They're assholes.  It's their
vocation.
While I'm hardly in that echelon of shit cutters, I must
admit, I'm an asshole
as well. 

My aggression isn't directed at the supportive fans that have
constructive criticism, the ones that make known their
opinions, wishes, disappointments etc. and then respectfully
fall back. These supporters, like minded artists, aspiring
writers, musicians, business types, general well wishers and
kindred spirits that we encounter in cyberspace or in general
population, are our lifeblood and we respect them. We
certainly wouldn't have survived for 16 years plus as one of
the only Black touring bands, not respecting them, our
psychographic base, our living breathing demographic.

The Okayplayers that I do have a problem with are the
aggressive, dissatisfied
(to the point of being hateful), frustrated, narcissistic ones
(there is also a
passive aggressive/narcissistic variation of this archetype).
These bitter, third wave Okayplayers are usually (or
unusually) frustrated artists,
producers, journalists and bloggers who have yet to see their
work acknowledged in a way they feel is meaningful. Most of
these people have no way of nuancing their social 
selves and are largely unknown outside the message boards of a
select number of online communities or the heads of their
bitter progeny. They're the backseat drivers, the
armchair quarterbacks, couch potato A&R's who won't shut
the fuck up. 
Their refrains go something like this: "Yall gonna catch
a brick", "That's why
yall went wood", "The Roots are meh", " I
stopped listening to them 
after Illadelph", "Thought is
boring"....yada.... yada...fucking yada.
It would be cool if these lames said that shit twenty times
and disappeared into 
the hip hop abyss that is the comment section of rival sites. 
Instead for these fucks, Okayplayer has become some weird part
of their 
"Primal Scream Therapy".  They are drawn here hour
after hour, day after day, year after year, to clear their
fucked conscience. For them, I pray and pray for their
downfall. They are the worst elements, lowering the bar of
support to the point that a regular fan feels comfortable
saying semi-foul shit. Yet we should grin and take it right?

(That's why you (Adrian) feel like you can say some shit like,
us "okayplayers are all you got", rattle off some
bullshit about a "clear conscience" and feel
justified. How bout this.....FUCK YOUR CONSCIENCE. Now do we
still "got" you?  Or is it bye bye to your trouble
and your spirit?  Yes,I'm an asshole). 

Anyway, back to this elusive casual buyer that Trouble, High
Volt and, nut ass Bialystoker allude to...Who are these casual
buyers? What artists do they support? 

Coke rappers...Jeezy,Rick Ross,TI, Jay Z. Lil Wayne.
Tween rap.... Soulja Boy, Bow Wow (in decline), Hurricane
Chris (ringtone only)
Huge artists in decline 50, Luda, Snoop, Outkast 

For the most part hip hop is a singles market. Singles for the
most part are lifestyle driven.
Lifestyle meaning crack, club, bitches, guns all that boots
with fur shit.
Does this sound like something that the Roots could traffic
in.

There is Kanye, a winner but a very specific type, post ironic
and non committal.
A lil backpack, a lot of dizzy dazzle. The self professed Dear
Moma-ing, Louis 
Vuitton Don. Spends 10 million plus making and marketing his
albums. That
can create lots of casual buyer awareness (for the record I
think the boy is dope).
Can we traffic like that?

There is Common/Lupe.

Casual buyer appeal.
Lupe a  young newcomer with a Kanye association, a fresh face,
a skate boarder,
nerd, etc., a kid  who resonates with kids (his first outing
sold just 350k btw) and, has only been around for two albums.
His label outspent Def Jam two to one on marketing.  

There is Common, clearly the lone winner (gold plus) on this
side of
the left of center divide, thanks once again to the Kanye
associated buzz (fyi, Kanye isn't intersested in producing,
cameo-ing or, touring with anything Roots...we have asked).
More recently casual buyer awareness by films and Oprah
appearance.
Geffen outspent Def jam three to one marketing his last
project relative to The Roots.
  
Believe it or not for all "the Roots only go wood
talk" Do You Want More Is gold,
Illadelph is 475K, Things Fall Apart 900k, Phrenology 700k,
Tipping Point 470k....
Game Theory did 200k which -if you check any recent  soundscan
you will discover 
that this-is pretty much the new hip hop reality (with the
exception of the 
aforementioned lifestyle artists and the Kanye bubble). 
But now I got hear about the casual buyer from people who have
never sold one 
record in their entire life (or received per diem for that
matter).

Given the shape of the industry in general (google any label
and layoffs)
and Def Jam specifically we expect diminishing returns (name
one act selling 
more than a fraction of what they sold just two years ago). We
accept
the industry's new reality along with possibility of becoming
more niche than 
mainstream. So, exactly where does the casual buyer fit into
this equation?  
Are casual buyers at the core of niche artists sales? 


In closing, the Roots have done over 100 interviews in the
last month.
Including  The New York times, Vanity Fair ,Spin, Blender,
Urb, Fader,
Rolling Stone (a six page feature), XXL. THe Source, Vibe,
Essence, The 
Washington Post,USA Today,etc. etc. We tour constantly.  Check
our dates.
Just this week we appeared on Night of Too Many Stars and, as
discussed,
Colbert. We are headlining DC's Green Apple Festival at the
National Mall 
in front of 100,000 people on April 20th. We have Letterman on
April 28th.
VH1 Soul Stage at the beginning of May. We got the cover of
Urb, a six page 
feature in Rolling Stone and a feature in the New York Times. 


Our records have been serviced but, no significant play (Flex
dropped bombs
on Get Busy so I know he has it). Our video (no real budgets)
has been serviced
(Get Busy) no significant play. Def Jam is having internal
problems as are 
all labels.  Hip hop has been losing almost 30% of its market
share every passing year
and the industry overall is in decline (Soundscan anyone?).

I wish y'all would do some homework before y'all start
yapping, that's if you care.

If you don't care ...shut the fuck up.

If you don't care and still want to yap ...yap this dick in
your mouth.
   
 
 .

  

You should come to GD sometime.  You'd like it in there.  It'd
be like getting your daily aggression exercise on.  Plus I'd
enjoy you blacking out on some folks in there.  Shit would be
epic comedy.

>In closing, the Roots have done over 100 interviews in the
>last month.
>Including The New York times, Vanity Fair ,Spin, Blender,
>Urb, Fader,
>Rolling Stone (a six page feature), XXL. THe Source, Vibe,
>Essence, The
>Washington Post,USA Today,etc. etc. We tour constantly. Check
>our dates.
>Just this week we appeared on Night of Too Many Stars and, as
>discussed,
>Colbert. We are headlining DC's Green Apple Festival at the
>National Mall
>in front of 100,000 people on April 20th. We have Letterman on
>April 28th.
>VH1 Soul Stage at the beginning of May. We got the cover of
>Urb, a six page
>feature in Rolling Stone and a feature in the New York Times.

its good to know that these promotional features are coming up, but as Bill said, how are we expected to react when we dont know about any of this stuff?

i dont necessarily agree with your views on the current hip hop market, but to each their own.

at the end of the day, we're all on the same side here.

Great post Rich.

Not that you need anyone (especially me) to validate it, but
the insight is some good shit.

I'm especially excited for the VH1 Soulstage, Rolling Stone
article, and AOL Sessions.

I just wanted to say that I've been coming to this site almost
everyday since May of 1999 and this is the best post( sorry
?uest) that I have ever read on here. As a fan of not only the
roots as musicians but also as a successful organization, I
have that much more respect for their gangsta, their grind and
their almost unparalleled success/longevity/relevance in the
game after reading Rich's post and getting a glimpse of just
what kind of manager he is. 

Please keep the posts coming!

>Anyway, back to this elusive casual buyer that Trouble,
High
>Volt and, nut ass Bialystoker allude to...Who are these
casual
>buyers? What artists do they support? 
>

lol nut ass bialystoker i dunno what that means but anyway...

i respect your response and all but they support good music.
they just aren't the type of people in general that might
search the net or look groups up all day to find out about it.
but when they hear something good through a friend or on tv
they'll buy. and i'm not saying just hiphop. its basically any
type of music. 

maybe you are pretty sure it doesn't have any affect on sales
but if i've gotten about 10 people to buy albums that hadn't
heard of them by talking about them and playing it for them
i'd assume that if a lot of people did that it would
significantly improve sales.

a lot of these people wouldn't need me to do that if there was
decent promotion. i understand most of these companies have
cut way back. my problem with it is whats the point of being
on a major without promotion. school me if i'm wrong i just
thought that was what they did.

maybe my idea of casual buyer as they call it would actually
be 'casual listener' to me. they love the roots but not to the
point of constantly following them. and i do think they fit
in. but thats just my opinion.

>Believe it or not for all "the Roots only go wood
talk" Do You
>Want More Is gold,
>Illadelph is 475K, Things Fall Apart 900k, Phrenology
700k,
>Tipping Point 470k....
>Game Theory did 200k which -if you check any recent 
soundscan
>you will discover 
>that this-is pretty much the new hip hop reality (with the
>exception of the 
>aforementioned lifestyle artists and the Kanye bubble). 
>But now I got hear about the casual buyer from people who
have
>never sold one 
>record in their entire life (or received per diem for that
>matter).
>

if i'm not mistaken a few of these albums did get at least
some push. and they each helped bump up the sales of the
previous albums. up until phrenology i'd say.

thanks for your insight.

i am aware that the roots do press and all that so its not
really that i was disappointed in as far as interviews and
whatnot.

i guess the difference now is just what you said about too
many groups to listen to and not enough listeners. as far as a
casual listener goes. my friends that are casual listeners are
casual roots listeners as well. and i see that def jam in
general isn't really putting a push behind hardly anyone so
why should it be different for the roots. they seem to push
like 3-4 artists and that must be their whole budget.

hopefully some new ideas start coming up in the near future
about ways to promote artists now that labels aren't giving
the same support and sales are down. 

i also wonder if the roots or any groups that don't get the
push will have the ability to make more off of less sales
since they aren't getting the same budget and shouldn't owe
the label back as much.

"They're the backseat drivers, the
armchair quarterbacks, couch potato A&R's who won't shut
the fuck up." (c) Aesop 2008

^^^^^^^^^
Nigga... that was beautiful.

>The Okayplayers that I do have a problem with are the
>aggressive, dissatisfied
>(to the point of being hateful), frustrated, narcissistic
ones
>(there is also a
>passive aggressive/narcissistic variation of this
archetype).
>These bitter, third wave Okayplayers are usually (or
>unusually) frustrated artists,
>producers, journalists and bloggers who have yet to see
their
>work acknowledged in a way they feel is meaningful. Most
of
>these people have no way of nuancing their social 
>selves and are largely unknown outside the message boards
of a
>select number of online communities or the heads of their
>bitter progeny. They're the backseat drivers, the
>armchair quarterbacks, couch potato A&R's who won't
shut the
>fuck up. 
>Their refrains go something like this: "Yall gonna
catch a
>brick", "That's why
>yall went wood", "The Roots are meh",
" I stopped listening to
>them 
>after Illadelph", "Thought is
boring"....yada....
>yada...fucking yada.
>It would be cool if these lames said that shit twenty
times
>and disappeared into 
>the hip hop abyss that is the comment section of rival
sites.
>
>Instead for these fucks, Okayplayer has become some weird
part
>of their 
>"Primal Scream Therapy".  They are drawn here
hour after hour,
>day after day, year after year, to clear their fucked
>conscience. For them, I pray and pray for their downfall.
They
>are the worst elements, lowering the bar of support to the
>point that a regular fan feels comfortable saying
semi-foul
>shit. Yet we should grin and take it right?

brilliant.. makes me want to quit comin' in here.
i'll stay out of spite, being a 12 year Roots supporter.

<--R.I.P, lil Bro. 
"If you stay ready, you aint gotta get ready..."
--Will Smith
My Blog---> www.abenghorn.net/Heat.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kwadwojuma/

>The Okayplayers that I do have a problem with are the
>aggressive, dissatisfied
>(to the point of being hateful), frustrated, narcissistic
ones
>(there is also a
>passive aggressive/narcissistic variation of this
archetype).
>These bitter, third wave Okayplayers are usually (or
>unusually) frustrated artists,
>producers, journalists and bloggers who have yet to see
their
>work acknowledged in a way they feel is meaningful. Most
of
>these people have no way of nuancing their social 
>selves and are largely unknown outside the message boards
of a
>select number of online communities or the heads of their
>bitter progeny. They're the backseat drivers, the
>armchair quarterbacks, couch potato A&R's who won't
shut the
>fuck up. 
>Their refrains go something like this: "Yall gonna
catch a
>brick", "That's why
>yall went wood", "The Roots are meh",
" I stopped listening to
>them 
>after Illadelph", "Thought is
boring"....yada....
>yada...fucking yada.
>It would be cool if these lames said that shit twenty
times
>and disappeared into 
>the hip hop abyss that is the comment section of rival
sites.
>
>Instead for these fucks, Okayplayer has become some weird
part
>of their 
>"Primal Scream Therapy".  They are drawn here
hour after hour,
>day after day, year after year, to clear their fucked
>conscience. For them, I pray and pray for their downfall.
They
>are the worst elements, lowering the bar of support to the
>point that a regular fan feels comfortable saying
semi-foul
>shit. Yet we should grin and take it right?


Nigga went to church with this one, I got the holy ghost at my
desk...  lol

I don't know how a post got to this stage. Just buy the music,
go to the shows and be cool I mean it's music just enjoy it. 


He is right though about OKP this place is LIFE for some
people. So sad..

I have waited patiently for the album and all I have heard is what yall played at the Grammy Jam. I will be buying two copies first day just like I do every album and I am sure there are many more like me out there...

>you just happen to think that we dont know this album is
>coming out with little to NO fanfare?
>
>
>we tried the ol "can yall organize and ask radio stations to
>play us?" and yall passed.
>
>we tried the ol "can yall organize and vote us for trl and
>bet" and yall passed
>
>even asked yall to make fan videos to support us in some round
>about way and yall passed
>





:: Do Not Let this Universe Regret You ::

Once I saw Kirk without one of his usual guitars....I knew this one wasn't coming back lol (and word to Owen, go balls out or don't go at all bro!)

But yea I would have liked to hear ANY of the Legendary's catalog on the show, but I guess it wouldn't have meshed with the theme of historical Philly and the primary next week. Not to mention that most of their later "political" joints (post-TFA, GT, and now Rising Down) are really heavy stuff that are not exactly Comedy Central's thing. Masters of War notwithstanding (and that sh!t is lOOOOOOng)

Dear Dr. Denisov,
I'm the experimental seminar organizer at SLAC. I would like to invite a speaker from your collaboration to give a
seminar at SLAC on the observation of the doubly strange b baryon Omega(b)-. Would you please put me in contact with the

why were people b*tching?

That was dope! Kirkalicious, yes my nygga YES! Excellent solo.
Thematically on point performance. Good job, guys.

SS

LMAO @ ?uest throwing his sticks

The Star Spangled Banner with feedback. Haven't seen this before....
Corny ass shit.

if you're not going to play your own songs, at least do something groundbreaking musically.

LOL @ this whole thread.

maybe if ya'll would have played the first 90 seconds of "bread and butter" the true fans would be geeked (obscure B-side!), and the rest of the world who doesn't give a shit STILL wouldn't give a shit.. it's like you wouldn't have been on the show at all! CHA-CHING!

@}-,-`-

... armed with 7 rounds of space doo doo pistols...

roots fans are becoming some of the most ungrateful and unsatisfied fucktards, ever.

I agree. I have already bought my preorder & I will be downloading it via itunes the day of. I'm just happy they were on tv and getting some shine! Y'all really need to stop your bitchin!


"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"

-Martin Luther King Jr.

LOL Bitter

shut the fuck up and realize the motherfuckers youre talkin stupid to right now are the motherfuckers that pay your fuckin bills.
you aint got shit to say to ANYONE who owns or spends as much money on the roots as we do.
us buying their shit pays YOUR bill, bitch.
you basically need to shut the fuck up and grow some fuckin balls, as the customer/consumer is ALWAYS right.


on the other side of the street
some of yall need to stop complaining
yeah we were expecting something a lil different from the roots on colbert
but were lucky just to get that shit.


but all this tough typings gotta stop
for real

"Products" have customers/consumers.

"Art" has an audience.

Dont get smart assed up in here.

LOL. Smart Assed v. Dumb Assed would be a heavyweight bout on this board.

what a great and witty comeback.
im so impressed,
i cant reply to your tired ass anymore.

You've made my point.

you did, didn't you.

afterall, u replied. right?

an audience doesn't spend money? is you retarded? nike dunks have an audience/following, shit, even white t'ss have an audience/following, it all sells... just like concert tickets, cd's, posters, and other merch.... are you actually tryinna pull this dumb shit here or what?

@}-,-`-

... armed with 7 rounds of space doo doo pistols...

I'm just saying that, as a listener, I don't care about the merchandising or promotion or any of that. As far as I'm concerned, the Roots are some of the greatest artists of our time. In any field or genre. History is going to look back on their records the way we listen to "Blue Train" and "Remain in Light" and "Bitches Brew." The music is all that matters to me personally. The art. That's it. If that means I is retarded, as you put it, I'm fine with that. Cool. Fortunately, the Roots keep getting better and better, and that's all I care about.

you were joking right?

@}-,-`-

... armed with 7 rounds of space doo doo pistols...

the shit was a two way street.

they didnt have enough time (roots). we didnt fuckin know that.

we were expecting MORE. like a full song or two. and thats not alot to ask, since thats usually what they do for TV shows. shits almost EXPECTED.

but ill be gatdamned if some angry ass bitch is gonna come in here chest all out huffin and puffin over some fuckin criticisms.
shut the fuck up and grow some fucking balls.

do you even watch the colbert report. its a half hour, that show goes through the same pattern every day. im more pissed they couldnt have gotten an interview even tho michelle obama was a good guest if that when she fit in. im not sure if any guest has ever played their own song, except maybe REM recently, most of them have colbert sing a duet with them, its almost always related to some ongoing theme within the show. the fact that they did what they did, played 'house band' on the colbert report, and played the theme song is extremely cool to people who watch that show religiously. this is like a giant cosign by a guy who got people to get a bridge named after him somewhere in europe, and an OHL mascot named after him, and a day named for him in Oshawa, Canada.

so if people are sitting around like 'wtf was that?'
you gotta understand that it only comes from the fact that we are just used to seeing MORE of the roots when they do tv shows. thats it.
>the colbert report, and played the theme song is extremely
>cool to people who watch that show religiously. this is like
>a giant cosign by a guy who got people to get a bridge named
>after him somewhere in europe, and an OHL mascot named after
>him, and a day named for him in Oshawa, Canada.

okay, thats cool and all. i understand
and colbert is major. like we dont know. we know. lol.
but if youre gonna have a musical guest on there, at least let em play some of their own music.

...I agree 99%. Watch your language, though, Miss. Kids post here.

One thing that really irks me is how goddamn DEFENSIVE ?uest gets on this site. I know, I know...it's HIS site - but look at Slug's posts to see how an artist should handle their fans and criticism. Dude is gonna scare people out of speaking their mind if he keeps coming at them the way he has. He knows this is the "choir", right? Despite how much we bitch & moan? Fairly childish and insecure on his part.

*whew*

I said my peace on the subject.

like, come on.
?uest being defensive of his own shit is totally understandable.
its HIS MUSIC.
but DixPop?

negro, who the fuck are you?

sit yo ass down. or log the fuck off.

p.s. (edit) i feel you on the delivery part
but im at work
fuck all that
lol

>like, come on.
>?uest being defensive of his own shit is totally
>understandable.
>its HIS MUSIC.

Nah, fam. There's DEFENDING your music in a non-confrontational manner and there's being just plain ol' defensive. ?uest went from being the former to the latter (since the announcement of this album and everything that has proceeded thus far)

>but DixPop?
>
>negro, who the fuck are you?
>
>sit yo ass down. or log the fuck off.

LOL. It's their manager. The head honcho.

>p.s. (edit) i feel you on the delivery part
>but im at work
>fuck all that
>lol

Just saying, people aren't going to take you seriously if they have to endure so many "fucks" in such a short period of time. This ain't HBO! Tone it down.

>Nah, fam. There's DEFENDING your music in a
>non-confrontational manner and there's being just plain ol'
>defensive. ?uest went from being the former to the latter
>(since the announcement of this album and everything that has
>proceeded thus far)
see, i hadnt seen this part yet.
ill read thru the rest of it
but quest gets more of a pass to be angry than anyone else in here
for real

>LOL. It's their manager. The head honcho.
For real, so what.
Other than being the Roots bitch for the next few months
and writing that horrid ass article about that 'party like a rock star' group
what the fuck do you contribute?

and do you honestly think running off fans is gonna help your paycheck?

come on now.

>Just saying, people aren't going to take you seriously if they
>have to endure so many "fucks" in such a short period of
>time. This ain't HBO! Tone it down.
i swear alot
both here and in real life.
i promise ima work on it
i PROMISE.

yall know i didnt mean to be so angry/vulgar
but my point still stands dammit
lol
lol

I though this post was funny.

Thats just me. After I found out it was the manager I thought it was even funnier.

I guess it gets pretty serious up in here. Everyone needs to relax. Don like it leave Im sure the roots will be just fine without you sour asses anyway




"it is unclear to me why anybody over 15 would listen to an album like Curtis, except to review it."-John H. McWhorter

>>LOL. It's their manager. The head honcho.
>For real, so what.
>Other than being the Roots bitch for the next few months
>and writing that horrid ass article about that 'party like a
>rock star' group
>what the fuck do you contribute?
>

have you done your research on dixpop? You DO know he's been around since the beginning of the Roots? So IMO, he has just enough rights to be confrontational as quest. and He contributes a lot.


>and do you honestly think running off fans is gonna help your
>paycheck?
>

We need not to get into this man's paychecks..he'd still get them with or without us....
>come on now.
>
>>Just saying, people aren't going to take you seriously if
>they
>>have to endure so many "fucks" in such a short period of
>>time. This ain't HBO! Tone it down.
>i swear alot
>both here and in real life.

Just like you were passionate with the f bombs...so was he...

@}-,-`-

... armed with 7 rounds of space doo doo pistols...

just get your money and keep it moving.

you can say all you want

but you best be prepared to back that shit up.

i mean there is not a precedent for this type of interaction.

most cats are used to yapping at the mouth and really not expecting much

in the form of a response.

again yo...its the method of which yall wanna come.


if cats wanna get ignant or (the least offensive being offering opinions without being informed of the situation) then yeah i feel as though im well within my right to defend my work.

i mean if im on prince's site and i ask about some songs on planet earth...then i know the method in which i should ask a question.

id ask a question the way THAT I WANNA BE ASKED A QUESTION.

i mean the coolest shit that phont asked me the night i first met LB was "yo man...what was the mentality of the phrenology album cause imma be honest with you man....that went over my head man...."

---i dunno...its common sense to me.

but as rich says alot of yall can hide behind aliases (well not really...with the staff) and feel like yall can say whatever....


im sorry....but fuckthat.

i STILL welcome constructive criticism

and before yall start with the rich berating us all the time shit....

read all the posts IN ORDER.

stay in your lane.

Don Johnson.

lol

i mean you did it, then denounced it all in one reply. i know you can see that...lol

and no, i don't agree that an artist is a slave to the consumer. i don't agree that just because you buy what they selling, they lose their right to complain about how they are treated by you.

?uest and Rich's frustration/anger is VERY warranted. if i were them, i'd have shut this site down years ago cuz i'm way more emo. and i'm grateful that they haven't done that.

but consistently, for years now, okayplayers have taken advantage of this website and of the oftentimes exclusive access we've been given to the Roots and all the other artists who orbit this place. it's glaring and it's sad. of course we don't have to like everything they do, but like Rich pointed out, there is a respectful and considerate way to express your diasappointment with something. But that's not what happens here most of the time. People, mainly because they have some anonymity, go for the most offensive, jarring, crude way possible to say that don't like something. and for what? and to make matters worse, whenever people DO express positive opinions on here, they are accused of being stans and dickriders, which then drives them away from the site, leaving only the haters and vultures around for ?uest to have to constantly deal with. Under the circumstances, he has exhibited INFINITE patience.

now i'm very aware of who i'm writing to. i'm very aware that you will likely reply back with lots of cursing and insults. i'm aware you probably won't REALLY hear/understand/acknowledge anything i've said. and that's ok. you don't have to. because truth is truth.

so have at it.

d

poplock.blogspot.com

reading is fundamental.

Natural Mystic

Do you really think that you’re paying my bills? Really????
Bitch, I wouldn’t let your dumb ass buy me a condom.
If you have truly spent any money on the “Roots”,
send me a receipt so, I can stick this fat rebate up
your semiliterate ass.

i think that signals the end of this tired post.

i know dixpop is probably just defensive to a certain degree. i still don't see what good it does to insult ppl who've been coming to shows for 10-15 years some of them probably as much as i have. instead of a thank you its fuck you. lol. i'd say avg 5-10 shows a year. there's no way that anybody that spends as much money on the roots and gets his friends to spend as much on them as i do could really be hating.

i understand and don't blame them for what happened on colbert so thats not even the issue.

i have a job where people tell me they pay my salary every day and i know thats insulting. it doesn't mean anybody owns you or should tell you how to do your job.

but most of us have seen this cycle now for the last few albums. i'm sure its frustrating for most of us and the band too.

i for one, just don't understand why it keeps happening. annnnnnd i'm out for good.

Your thong is showing
and you runnin decent people away.

great job, manager.

just to show you how really real shit is.

and i just might. and make a post about what a fuckin pussy you are.
so you can take that tiny ass 'rebate' of yours...

and PUT IT IN YA MOOOOOOOOOUTH!
i said YA MOTHERFUCKIN MOOOOOOOOUTH!
©akinyele.


"If you have truly spent any money on the “Roots”,
send me a receipt so, I can stick this fat rebate up
your semiliterate ass"

Here's the CDs:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/126/331665940_0e9dea1754.jpg

-Tom :)

--i shoulda never seen that pic.
i got gassed for 4 secs.

>--i shoulda never seen that pic.
>i got gassed for 4 secs.

I didn't even photograph the VINYL. or the cASSettes. Or the posters (including the one that only you and I got for The Legendary.)

AND that pics about a year old.

this will be its own spinoff post.
some good will come of this shit. LOL
get your photos ready.

haahahahahahhahaha

lotta people in here shouldnt complain as much.
we should just be greatful we have a site that allows us access to you like this.

but you already KNOW the kinda money we spend to keep up with your shit.
i know YOU know.
you see us at every other LA show.

two way street
but your boy is wildin outta control right now.
you might want him to log off.
just for a minute.

i dunno if i was radio raheem
or the cops that killed him.

we all still love each other right?

>i dunno if i was radio raheem
>or the cops that killed him.
oh i laughed so hard
dont tell GD
just DONT
lol


>we all still love each other right?
always.
always always always.

you were always cool
my rant was never at you

its ya boy dix.
your boy is wilding.
and these people complaining and going in on yall over a show.
its like... who fuckin cares?
everyones winning in the end.

but ya boy dix...
this reminds me of that infamous assed review he did of that 'party like a rock star' group.
the fallout from that was just... smh.

even with that apology up there
shit isnt cool.
i might be sensitive because he cussed out my husband and the homies hard for no really good reason (lol)
but i understand why hes upset
yall put alotta work into getting colbert, im sure
but still
dont be yellin at the people who really do love you

and you know we love you
and your angry ass boy dix
lol

:(

will you marry me?

but yes. yes i will.
and we shalt live in holy eMatrimony forevar.

this needs to be archived

I used to post here quite frequently, but I see why I don't much anymore.

The spirit of hate has grown over time and become a hallmark of this joint.

I'll admit, I've participated in some myself, but all this trash-talkin to dudes who've provided us with great moments over the years, in my op, is overboard.

It is a lot easier to just react to something and complain about it rather than investigate and form an educated response, but, c'mon. for real? you think these cats don't know what they're doing by now?

I see the colbert show as great exposure. what can it hurt those who don't know the roots vs. them not being on the show at all?

anyway, the performance was dope.

===RUNNING OUT OF TIME===

ME: http://www.myspace.com/crutmusic
WRITE: http://therunoffgroove.blogspot.com
HEAR: http://booksmusic.podomatic.com/

ABB: http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/index.php?vst=45730

i have nothing more to say

@}-,-`-

... armed with 7 rounds of space doo doo pistols...

n/m.

ok then.

this post is weird.

this thread is ridiculous.

the roots are playing packed venues almost every damn night of the week. yeah it sucks that they're not getting the publicity of "t-pain" or "akon" but instead of bitching about it, since you're SUCH a dedicated OKP, why don't you put up rising down flyers on your block instead, or download the "get busy" ringtone, play it for friends, or at least preorder the album!? do something productive with all that negative energy

yep

i mean, i'm pretty sure he made it on neighborhoodies anyway, w/his online fetish.

i buy every album the day it drops, cuz i'm a geek ass fan. if y'all ever need any help on the site -- holla, i'm back in philly and so much better.

--
http://at.yamomzcrib.com </3
04.16.2008 - to be bigger than the hnic.

in addition, rich thanks for the insight into the industry.

ESPECIALLY if you posting on here (cuz that means you a Roots fan moreso than the average bear (c) yogi ).



i understand yall wanted to hear a track off Rising Down... but wasn't this performance classic material that you'll remember 50 years from now?


sheeeesh

>but wasn't this performance classic material that you'll
>remember 50 years from now?

you don't think you'll remember this waaaay down the road?

but given the circumstances of the situation, i dont necessarily blame them for the decision.

I thought "here i come" was memorable cuz they kilt the shit outta that song, but this was up there to me.


symbolism - @@@@@
artistry - @@@@@
musicianship - @@@@1/2


I mean, it was just a cool performance.

the current climate that exists here in America. It seems the studio audience enjoyed it as well... Some of you "fans" really just need to fallback. I think the fact that The Roots are still successful is GREAT considering they are very left of center. Thank God they are still around demonstrating musicianship and musical versatility!! I rarely come to OKartist and after reading this thread I am reminded why. The best posts in this entire conversation was the manager cat breaking down the science of why they do what they do. Whether you agree or disagree it is working for them... maybe not as much as they would like but they ain't exactly hurting ya dig? Just my humble opinion...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sometimes I comtemplate moving to a warmer place, then the lake and skyline give me a warm embrace" © Common

*uncovers a rising down cd in the ashes*
*lifts it up to the sun*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you really think that you’re paying my bills? Really? Bitch, I wouldn’t let your dumb ass buy me a condom.
If you have truly spent any money on the “Roots”,send me a receipt so, I can stick this fat rebate up your semili

.

(c) Ron Burgundy

.

Stop trying to play armchair A&R's! I thought their performance was apt for the situation. I mean, RD seems to be a very social/political album and what better way to promote it by playing the Star Spangled banner??

I would really like to hear more from you three...I love that punk vibe you guys put out!

i guess i can say that we did an EFFECTIVE performance on colbert.

for NO performance we ever did on tv has gotten discussed THIS much.


love or hate it....

if its talked about?

E-f-f-e-c-tive

but there were a lot of post jacks in here to be fair.

Just Google: Roots, Colbert, Guitar(s), Smash(ed)... or try adding other search words like: inspired, cliched, homage, lame, awesome, Douglas, ?uestlove, some-skinny-white-dude... key words like that...

Seems like everyone has an opinion.

...c'mon WHAT were you thinking yo?!?!?


joking with u lol...

where the promoter gets mad at prince..."what's this one song shit?"
i mean it's not exactly the same but people in here catching feelings and overreacting about things they have no idea about. and yeah, it was effective. the question is if the people can still follow it or if everybody is ready to drop the ball and "let morris run the show"?

i think doing the ssp in that setting was a good choice. especially with the background info you gave now.

and i've been wondering how you can establish the "roots brand" in todays marketplace that translates into album sales. imo, rich broke down perfectly the demographic for roots supporters. in my 10+ years of campaigning for the roots in my circle and taking about 20+ people to shows, i observed who of those, that all loved the show, actually went out and bought the record and maybe stayed loyal.
i sadly have to say it probably was just 1-3 of those 20+ and the explantion is not "make a better record or have a nicer cover or play your hits then the people will buy".
and i do think that with quest and rich explaining things helps a lot for the okps here to realize that this is not only about having the new shit in the inbox and feel good about it for a week and then make a poll in the lesson if the record is a classic or whack.
this is about appreciating the artist and his product and staying loyal.
this is what music consumers have to realize everytime they enjoy anybody's music.
don't dwell on the songs and decisions you don't like.
give it up for the music that creates the soundtrack for your life.

Alright imma need a late pass cause i was away for a few...but here goes nothing...

Especially given the amount of time....I thought it was the perfect choice and perfect performance.

Just remember, its a political based (comedy...but still political based) show....its being done when people are especially watching to see whats gonna happen with the democratic nom.....the whole thing is politically charged.

Making a political statement like that definitely would make the biggest impact given the situation imo....

If we're saying the goal is marketing....not just the new album but the roots in general. Then i gotta say they get a big W. And i'll explain why...

We gotta assume most people watching the show don't know the roots...or atleast a large majority of them don't. OKp's know the roots...we know most of the songs on the album already...we know its coming out ...so of course we'd like to see them perform a song off it....but i'm assuming we're the small minority. So with that said...is doing 90 seconds of any RD song....or you got me...the seed...or what ever...really gonna win over many people who aren't already aware of whom the Roots are? Is that gonna be enough to make them wanna know more about the roots and get the new album? Prolly not imo...

So then what are the other options? Well you could make a broad general statement that will play to the crowd you're performing too (which is ultimately what they did)....You send a message that makes sense to THOSE people...the people who don't know the roots, but are watching Colbert because of the political news (Yes i understand its a satire...but they're still delivering news...and most people are watching for the combo)....so by performing something political you're giving THOSE people atleast a common denominator ....So now you're reaching people who might not be the least bit interested in the roots. Your performance has given them something to be interested in....and HOPEFULLY spark their interest in checking you (the roots) out further. Some people may love it...some may hate it...but if it gets people talking about it one way or the other...then thats gonna lead to people looking into the group atleast somewhat (maybe its even a very small % of the overall viewers...but still).....then thats goal accomplished no?

HV, i respect what you're saying, ultimately it wasn't crazy different then what we've seen in masters of war parts of the show (tho kirk did amp it up quite a bit...he was a man on a mission there)...but remember we've been to like a gazillion shows...so just because we've seen something similar...doesn't mean most have. Remember we're the minority here...

Bottom line I guess i just feel like making a political statement like that...on a political show....in a political backdrop (big things in philly here...lots of buzz around april 22nd)....would make a bigger broader statement (see buzz) then playing a peice of a song.



"you think its my group simply because im the only one round here whose solution to dealing with fans and journalists isn't punch em in the eye lol"

i only saw some clips, maybe i'm wrong, but i thought that was it, no songs or anything.

i mean i guess smashing stuff is cool but it doesn't seem to exciting to me.

- - - - -

jy
1974-2006

peace & love

The folks who stayed in for the rain really missed out.

Word

..especially in the context of the show. But.. the guitar smashing was hella unnecessary. Kirk at least smashed the shit out of it in one good clean blow, but the bassplayer's reluctant throwdown of his axe was a little awkward.

Cats be saving for three years to be able to afford even a Strat imitation by Squire... damn. Next time you get that idea, call me. I'll be glad to take it off your hands.

Nicolay

http://www.nicolaymusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/nicolay
http://www.last.fm/music/Nicolay

I'm cheap like that.

Am I too late for this post's group hug?

IMHO!!!!!!!!!

"Oh, they didn't play a song from their new album"

"Oh, they aren't promoting well enough"

Yeah... the Roots have no clue what they are doing and are not trying to promote the album well just to piss YOU off.

What the fuck is the matter with you people?

I feel like I parked my car and when I came back, that shit was on cinder blocks

fuck it
*takes plates off*

I had to post in here, because this post provided me with a crazy amount of entertainment. (I haven't gone to sleep yet because I've been madly intrigued by this post)

I was referenced to this post from ?uest's comment from the official "Rising Down" thread in The Lesson. I thought I was gonna get a bunch of angry comments, but as usual I got a lot of insight from Rich Nichols, ?uestlove and many OKPs. And TONS of humour at some Okayplayers' expense (at least they seemed like good sports).

I love this site. Thanks guys!

The performance was great. I loved it, even as short as it was, it was quite entertaining. The smashing of the guitar was the gravy on the fries (Is that a Canadian thing?).

and thought it was dope.

first of all, i don't have or watch television.

secondly, i think it's possible doing the star spangled banner like that
could have created a mysterious interest.. but regardless...

why are yall/we so concerned with the decisions The Roots make when
it comes to a general audience that we're not apart of? those performances
aren't for us.. we go see The Roots when they come to our cities so we
can mouth along the words to 'The Next Movement' or whatever.

why do you really care? all the talk around here about videos, tv performances,
radio singles.. that's all image. the only thing i care about is the quality of
the album itself, which i am waiting to cop when it comes out because it's one
of the few albums i'll buy all year..
i really don't get why yall get so adamant about the process
of promotion and make Quest defend his decisions. who gives a fuck?

its funny how shit works on here.

a week before this show aired, if questo wouldve said "on colbert next week, we are gonna let martin luth run wild on his guitar for 90 sec on a political themed song after a political cadidate's signif other appeared on the show, and then right before finishing the song, smashes the guitar to pieces on some "fuck you politicians, fuck the system, fuck def jam, fuck radio, etc" type ish, the boards would've been blowin up with "yeah the roots are on some public enemy, quest on some chuck d type shit, takin it back, going old school, bridging the gap, going back to the good days of hiphop in the early 90s, etc etc." and mo'fos woulda been all hyped.

but because we got some album treats early, now everybodys spoiled because they didnt hear a song they heard already that they shouldn't have heard yet, live.

(no disrespect intended)

shame shame shame. its the star spangled banner stupids. there isnt a roots song recorded thats EVER fucking w/the popularity/bring motherfuckers into the fold the way that ssb will. how thee fuck yall think jimi hendrix became legendary? jimi + woodstock = legendary.

save for the Banner performance.

Hendrix + Monterrey Pop Festival = Legendary
Remember him lighting his guitar on fire?

late than never

just saw it, tight

That is good enough for me! stop complaining!