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June 25, 2009

New Roots - "How I Got Over" (Live On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon)

thumbnail icon: New Roots - "How I Got Over" (Live On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon)

Yes it's Fallon's show in name, but really we should be calling this thing Late Night With The Roots And Jimmy Fallon's Shrewdly Assembled Writing Staff. Whatever it is GE is paying Questo and Black Thought to anchor Late Night, it's a steal. One of the major perks they can offer the Philly hip hop stalwarts, aside from an inimitable model for circumventing the record industry, was on display last night: The most valuable house band in late night doubled as Late Night's musical guest, performing and getting heavy promotion for the first song from their new album. It seems the Roots are taking this night-in-night-out/"hardest working band in show business" thing to heart on "How I Got Over," a funky, horny, James Brown-indebted track that has Black Thought dipping into his dual TV role as crooner and rapper. The old knock on the Roots has always been that their drummer has more charisma than their MC, but I think their tenure with Fallon is starting to shift perceptions. Either Thought's upped his game, or the constant camera's just exposing what's always been there. Either way, he sorta runs this.

The album's called How I Got Over, too, and it's out 10/20 via Def Jam. The "How I Got Over" single is out next week. According to okayplayer.com, there will be a "special edition 12" featuring the title track on the A-Side, and on the B-Side, a collector's item 'Art Sketch.'" There will be a video for this one in early July. Keep you posted.

Posted at 10:48 AM by amrit in
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15 Comments

Kind of disappointed by the new song. It's not even a hip-hop song, just sort of a generic soul/funk thing. It actually sounds like something a house band on a late show would play.

Posted by: Joe at 06/25/09 11:06 AM  | Reply
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i love when the roots jam this type of stuff, but i agree it does sound generic, i feel the same way about the dap kings. still enjoy it, but whenever i hear a new funk song i just think "oh this groove again"

Posted by: funkpump  in reply to Joe's comment at 06/25/09 12:42 PM  | Reply
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needs more autotune. . .sike! Questo is beastly on the drums and Black Thought's appeal lies in his delivery and wordplay. Charisma or none, The Roots are like the Grey Poupon of hip hop live acts.

Posted by: teeshirtweather profile link at 06/25/09 11:15 AM  | Reply
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Pass the Grey Poupon......SIKE. Um it's 2009

Posted by: ikidikid  in reply to teeshirtweather's comment at 06/25/09 11:41 AM  | Reply
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GP is timeless, son.

Posted by: teeshirtweather profile link  in reply to ikidikid's comment at 06/25/09 12:20 PM  | Reply
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"Kind of disappointed by the new song" really? REALLY? what part of that song is NOT good? Good Damn Stereogum coment haters.

Posted by: John at 06/25/09 11:32 AM  | Reply
Score = 2 Vote up Vote down

Needs a cape routine.

Posted by: James Joseph at 06/25/09 11:40 AM  | Reply
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mad props

Posted by: funkyflava at 06/25/09 12:01 PM  | Reply
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haaahahahaha....white bass player cannot dance....hahahahahaha

Posted by: scott at 06/25/09 12:01 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

I don't know how you can be disappointed by that.

Posted by: Zach at 06/25/09 1:55 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

James Brown wannabe, uh uh uh Ima Soooooooul Maaaaaaaannnnnn!

Posted by: Ivan Feltersnatch at 06/25/09 3:21 PM  | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

Soul Man is not a James Brown song, dipshit.

Posted by: george  in reply to Ivan Feltersnatch's comment at 06/25/09 4:49 PM  | Reply
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The white guy side-stepping in the back is awesome. Kinda like me...er...

Posted by: Leo at 06/25/09 4:02 PM  | Reply
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I'm still not sure how Jimmy Fallon landed the best house band in Late Night... I can never decide if it's worth it to watch the show just to see what the Roots are gonna pull out.

Posted by: Meowxcore profile link at 06/25/09 4:58 PM  | Reply
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the roots have an awesome throwback in our hands coming up in october!

Posted by: eddie at 06/26/09 2:55 PM  | Reply
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