The Roots Home Grown!


Philly crew The Roots have been dropping knowledge on the masses for over a decade now, combining the awesomeness of the live, band driven groove with the thought provoking raps of Black Thought. Their records have had their classic moments, and their live show is the stuff of hip hop legend. Last week saw the release of Home Grown! The Beginners Guide To Understanding The Roots. Curated by drummer extraordinaire Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, there are two seperate CDs (Vols. 1 & 2). The material comes from ?uestlove's archives, and features exclusive remixes, never before released tracks and lots of liner notes from the mighty stick man. It's a heady brew of beats and pieces from this experienced crew, and I still haven't fully digested it all. I love these guys - have all the records, seen 'em live. These two discs are a lot of fun. Today I give you one of my all time favorite Roots tunes, taken from Vol.1, and one that features the fabulous vibes playing of the legendary Roy Ayers - Hometro/Proceed 2 (Featuring Roy Ayers). It's one hell of a fat ass groove - tight drums, big thick bass lines, and those velvety smooth vibes slay me every time. This version was originally on the Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool compilation from 1994, and is a remake of a track that appeared on 1993's Do You Want More?!!!??!. Classic smokin' grooves.