Is hip hop dead?
If so, The Roots sure made it seem otherwise.
With a set list ranging from new songs to covers, the Grammy Award-nominated, Philadelphia-based hip-hop band played to a sold-out crowd of students and area residents last night at the fall SPEC-TRUM concert in Irvine Auditorium.
"We chose The Roots because they're a group that attracts a wide audience," College junior and SPEC-TRUM co-director Efe Johnson said.
SPEC-TRUM, a branch of the Social Planning and Events Committee, organizes events geared toward the undergraduate minority community.
As the lights dimmed in preparation for the show, students rushed the stage and crowded the aisles, eagerly awaiting The Roots' mixture of live instrumentals and record sampling.
The Roots, often praised for their socially conscious lyrics and unique sound, formed in Philadelphia in 1987 and released the widely acclaimed Things Fall Apart in 1999.
"It's kind of one of those shows that you can't miss," College freshman Megan Shaw said.
Nearly 1,000 students agreed: 900 student tickets for the performance sold out in the first week, which Johnson said showed an "amazing student response."
More than 150 more tickets held on reserve were also sold at the door, SPEC Secretary and Engineering senior Lindsay Motlin said.
The Roots played songs from their most recent album, Game Theory - nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2007 Grammy Awards - and covered songs ranging from Biz Markie's hip-hop classic "Just a Friend" to the modern MIMs hit "This Is Why I'm Hot."
The Roots' MC Black Thought energetically rapped and danced around the stage throughout the show, asking whether hip hop was dead and declaring that "we try to keep this thing called hip-hop music and culture alive."
Guitarist Captain Kirk Douglas and drummer ?uestlove also made their presences known, particularly during a cover of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War."
?uestlove and Douglas traded solos during the politically charged song, with Douglas running out into the aisles while playing complex guitar licks.
"I loved the Dylan cover," Engineering freshman Cameron Smith-Rapoport said. "It gave them a great chance to feature the guitar, and I thought they made a good political statement."
The show "more than exceeded my expectations," he said.
