The Roots always deliver such live and energetic live shows, but their performance at Ravinia on Saturday Aug. 24, 2024. For the Chicago date of their current Hip-Hop Is The Love of My Life 2024 Tour. They are currently on with Digable Planets and Arrested Development. Really set the bar as not only one of the best all-time performances at the venue, but among the best performances I’ve ever seen in my nearly 13-plus year’s of covering shows mostly here in the Chicago area.
The show opening with various covers right before Digable Planets came out. Giving a very smooth, yet amazing performance of such classic records as, Jettin’, Pacifics, Where I’m From, Nickel Bags and 9th Wonder (Blacktiloism). Butterfly, Ladybug Mecca and Doodlebug showing their undeniably great chemistry as a group throughout the performance. Which was elevated even more from the members of The Roots band playing alongside them.
Black Thought of The Legendary Roots Crew then proceeding to rock the mic and crowd with their classic, Proceed. As well as such other classics as Step Into the Realm, What They Do, The Next Movement, Act Too (Love of My Life) and Stay Cool. The way Black Thought rocked the mic with such ease and spitting several of his standout lyrics such as, “Hip-Hop, you the love of my life, and that’s true. (And that’s true). When I was handlin’ the sh*t I had to do. It was all for you (It was all for you). From the door for you (from the door for you). Speak through you, gettin’ paper on tour for you. From the start, Thought was down by law for you. Used to hit up every corner store wall for you. We ripped sh*t and kept it hardcore for you.” Showing why he is easily one of the best emcee’s of all-time that should be more consistently in lists of Top 5 and or 10 of all-time lists. The sweat you can see dripping on the white t-shirt Black Thought was rocking with blue jeans showing the hard work he puts in on the mic and on-stage, while giving his all to the crowd.
Thought leaving the stage for the performance to smoothly transition over to Arrested Development. Who performed such classics as Man’s Final Frontier, Tennessee, Mr. Wendall, Revolution, and U. Their very energetic live performance really lending to the very diverse sold-out crowd dancing along and singing. As well as rapping along with the group. Their performance of Revolution that is taken from the soundtrack to the Denzel Washington starring Malcolm X biopic that should have won Denzel an Academy Award. Showing their awareness and letting everyone in the crowd know that times like now is when we should be calling for, “A Revolution!”
Black Thought would once again take the stage with, The Roots. As they then went through such classics as, Web, Here I Come and You Got Me. With Thought’s undeniable mic control and energetic control of the crowd rapping along every word. Showing why he is such a true emcee, whose talent just seams through the mic on-stage and the way he controls the crowd alongside Questlove on drums and Captain Kirk Douglas on guitar. Kirk going into a very crazy guitar solo after performing backing vocals with Black Thought on, You Got Me. Showing his very undeniably great talent as a guitarist with the way he was all different styles before finally really shredding towards the end. While also showing why outside of Thought and Questlove, he is the longest tenured member of The Roots.
Digable Planets would then come back out to perform their classics Appointment at the Fat Clinic and Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat). The latter being not only their most well known hit song, but one of the most memorized songs in Hip-Hop and really even possibly all of music history. That truly had the crowd energized as they danced and rapped along every word of the chorus, “I’m cool like that. I’m cool like that. I’m cool like that. I’m cool like that. I’m cool like that. I’m cool like that.” Along with the group. Digable Planets thanking Chicago and the crowd as they left the stage and Arrested Development came back out. As they performed their most well known hit record, People Everyday. That had everyone in the crowd continue to dance and sing along the memorable chorus of, “I am everyday people. You see, I am everyday people.” Also thanking the crowd for their time and as Black Thought retook the stage one final time with The Roots. Closing out the evening with a very energetic and stellar funky performance of The Seed (2.0). Asking the crowd to clap along as they sang and rapped along right before Black Thought and The Roots went into a cover of the late great Curtis Mayfield’s classic, Move On Up and finally a cover of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo’s, Men at Work. Black Thought then introducing each member of the greatest Hip-Hop band of all-time, as they energetically played out and moved from side to side onstage. Before thanking Chicago and what was still left of the sold-out crowd. To perfectly end the night for one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen and that my brother got to enjoy with me as well.