As I have stated before in writing about artists utilizing the Roots as their backing band during a performance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, sometimes a more boisterous beat can become slightly hollow without the manufactured, processed bass and samples. But that's only been the case on a few occasions, such as when the Clipse performed last year. Most of the time, though, the beats can reach new heights, such as DJ Khalil's for "Rock 'N Roll" off Raekwon's Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang. Here, the Chef and Ghostface, without Jim Jones (yay!), tear through their verses as the Roots add plenty of flavor and depth to the production. It's just too bad that Black Thought wasn't around to add a random verse in the place of Jones.
Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang drops March 8.
I will watch any video with Ghostface Killah in it.
Also, Rae's trying to hard to get into this one. His verse is hot, but the hook is kind of lame.
Both verses are pretty killer here. And someday soon I'll propose a law that requires every rapper to be backed by the Roots. At least in a live setting.