Layin' It Down Live: Hip-Hop Pioneers, The Roots, Play Washington College, November 6

Chestertown, MD, October 11, 2004 — Philadelphia's live hip-hop pioneers, The Roots, will perform Saturday, November 6, at 8 p.m. in Washington College's Lifetime Fitness Center. Doors open at 7 p.m.Tickets for students, faculty and staff, on sale through Friday, October 22, only, are $15 per person with a five ticket maximum, and may be purchased in the Student Affairs Office on the second floor of the Casey Academic Center between the hours of 12 noon and 4:30 p.m.

An underground sensation for the past decade, The Roots have recently broken through to worldwide acclaim for their live, instrumental rap, both in concert and in the studio, and critics consider The Roots' live shows among the best in the business. The Roots' focus on live hip-hop began in the late 1980s when rapper Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and drummer ?uestlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson) became friends at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts. Since the duo had little money for the DJ essentials, they recreated hip-hop tracks instrumentally with ?uestlove's drum kit backing Black Thought's rhymes. Joined by bassist Hub (Leon Hubbard) and rapper Malik B., The Roots soon became a high-demand underground act in Philadelphia and New York. In 1993, they released their first CD to sell at shows.

Major-label status came with their second CD, Do You Want More?!!!??!, released in January 1995 and breaking stride with usual hip-hop protocol by forsaking the use of sampling. Peaking just outside the Top 100, the CD was ignored by most fans of hip-hop, but took off in alternative circles. In 1996, The Roots' second major-label CD, Illadelph Halflife, made it to 21 on the album charts. Undeniable commercial success finally arrived in 1999 with the release Things Fall Apart. Now, in 2004, The Roots have their own label, Okayplayer, and their seventh CD to date, Tipping Point, just released this summer.

Visit The Roots online at www.theroots.com.

For more information on upcoming concerts and events at Washington College, visit http://calendar.washcoll.edu. The concert is sponsored by Washington College's Student Events Committee.