Hip-Hop.com

President Obama makes an unexpected stop on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon the other night, and with Jimmy and The Roots on support, they make student interest loan rates sound sexy(-ish). Always nice to see Black Thought in soft focus behind the president.

The Sasquatch! Festival in the hinterlands of Washington state this year will have a heavy dose of hip-hop with The Roots, Childish Gambino, Shabazz Palaces, and araabmuzik in the lineup for the multiday music festival in George, Washington. The rest of the hip-hop offerings will have a heavy Seattle flavor, as Shabazz collaborators THEESatisfaction will perform, as well as Dyme Def, Fresh Espresso, The Physics, Sol, Grynch, Fatal Lucciauno, Metal Chocolates, Spac3man, and Scribes.

Also there will be Little Dragon, Girl Talk, Pretty Lights, SBTRKT, Charles Bradley, punk/rap fusion act Don’t Talk to the Cops, and soul R&B group Fly Moon Royalty, along with the headliners Jack White, Beck, and Bon Iver. The festival runs during Memorial Day weekend at The Gorge Ampitheater, tickets are available now.

Questlove and Black Thought sat down with the folks at VEVO and three videos from the session were posted on YouTube today. In the clip above, Black Thought recounts his teenage years and how he got kicked out of school and started doing deals on the block before a life-changing intervention put him on a different track. After the jump, Questlove talks about viral-pop sensations Karmin and their covers of radio hip-hop hits, and jazz pianist DD Jackson, whose “incredible, violent” style captivated Quest enough to invite him to play on their new album undun. read more »

undun is the thirteenth album by The Roots, and their first concept album, telling the story (abstractly) of a (fictional) Redford Stephens, who died at the age of 25. And now, thanks to the fine and admirable people of Public Broadcasting, we can all listen to the entirety of the album before it’s available for purchase, slated for December 6. And on first listen, one word comes through for me, and it’s focus—it’s easily the most focused I’ve heard the Roots in tone and mood, and even all the guest raps (by Big KRIT, PORN, Phonte, and others) contribute to the narrative instead of going off on their own tangents.

Listen to the album here:

The Roots played Fishbone’s “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” as the walk-on song for Tea Party Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s introduction on Jimmy Fallon.

Hat tip: MTV Hive

San Francisco’s big summer music festival, Outside Lands, just released their lineup for 2011. Hip-hop is well-represented again, and features among the headliners Erykah Badu, the Roots, and Big Boi. The festival returns to its 3-day format, and will be held August 12-14.

Jamaica is also well-represented, with Major Lazer, featuring Diplo and Switch, and Collie Buddz. Girl Talk will also headline, if you haven’t had your fix of UGK and Ke$ha blends. Longtime Bay Area heads should perk a bit that Latyrx, the duo of Lyrics Born and Lateef, are reuniting for the festival. Hip-Hop.com featured artist Ana Tijioux returns to the Bay. And you might not have heard of Macklemore, but the Seattle emcee and his partner on the boards Ryan Lewis may be the city’s newest nationally emerging hip-hop act.

3-Day passes will go on sale April 14 at sfoutsidelands.com.

Just in case you missed it. Aired last night 9/29 on Jimmy Fallon

Is this what Las Vegas will look like in 50 years? LOL Jimmy is at least hip enough to attempt to do this and has enough rhythm to follow through with the skit… oh forgot Quest Love & the Roots are backing them up ….gave them the cool pass! 2 Thumbs ups!

NEW Music video by John Legend, The Roots, Common & Melanie Fiona performing “Wake Up Everybody”

ORIGINALLY Recorded in 1975, “Wake Up Everybody” is an R&B song originally performed by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, with Teddy Pendergrass singing lead vocals. (Written by the team of Carstarphen, McFadden, and Whitehead)