Back to the Roots again....

I didn't want to repeat what happened yesterday so I left work and went straight to the city. I figured that the traffic would be crazy considering it was a Friday night and the rainy weather woudld impede traffic flow. But it was disgusting. I mean the Grand Central was shut down which helped none. the expressway was backed up for over 20 exits. It took me double the time to travel from Suffolk county to NYC. Lucky me I got there on time. I even Found a sweet spot that had no time retrictions. I can't afford another ticket.

This shows vibe would be different because the night before was strictly Hip-hop this one would have a more R&B feel. Same deal balck Thought, Hub, Kamal, Rahzel, Quest, Kirk and DJ Jazzy Jeff played the sounds inclucing the horns whom I have no idea the members are. The Roots changed the itinerary from the night before. switching up the order of songs. Angeligue Kidjo performance was okay I am unfamiliar with her work. Another performance which was a bit strange was R&B duo J. Davey. the lead singer was a tall slinky long legged woman with a native american head dress. She had legs for days. It was very alternative a mixture of Lauryn, Gwen Stefanni and Kelis. She sang and rapped. The tempo was very fast but I my foot tapped to the beat. Guess I liked it. This time the sound man was on point. Skillz could be heard this time. I still cant tell who was the other artist that joined them. The show was a continuation of the tribute to J. Dilla. Mos Def took the stage. He was very mellow but he killed. Mos got a lot of love. It felt like the crowd was louder for Mos than when Common came out the night before. I guess since he is big Movie star (italian Job,Hitchhikers guide.., 16 blocks). He also ran through the aisles which the fans reallu appreciated. what I find interesting of Mos is that althought he has a lot of positive things working for him you will never tell by his appearance. Mos joined Slum Village the group of the late J. Dilla to sing the hook for Selfish. Bilal made an appearance as well. He did is strange cat that belts sounds to the rythm but makes it sound official. He then did sometimes and then kicked rocks. The first big suprise was to see Dave Chappelle. He did about ten minutes of Stand up. He was hillarious. He explained why he left his own show in a joke, but If I tell it will lose its comdedic edge. it started to feel like Dave's Block Party part two. later Eryah Badu did her thing. It was refreshing to see how versatile the Roots were... backing up all the artist that apearred both nights. Erykah has a presense about her feels regal. She is one of my favorite R&B artists. As the show was winding down. THe roots began to play a medley of instrumentals. Then they played the Intro for "Public Annoucement" then Jay-Z sneaks on stage with a hoody tryin to disguise his appearane. The roots pulled a rabbit out the hat. All in all it was a great two night. I would have regret if i didn't buy my ticket. I witnessed history in the making. The Roots have planted themselves deep into the ground and they florish from this point forward. if You were not a fan you will be now.

Once again Rest in Peace to J. Dilla.