Despite a steady gig as house band for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, the Roots continue to be one of Hip-Hop’s most progressive and creative acts. The Philadelphia representing rap band just revealed the title for their new album and that they will be collaborating with OG singer/songwriter/rocker Elvis Costello on a separate project.
Costello has been on Fallon’s show few times and developed a strong artistic relationship with the Roots, thus their joining of musical forces. “It was really love at first sight,” Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson told Billboard of the collab with Costello due out this year. “The second time he came on, we surpassed the first one. So by the third time, he was like, ‘Let’s stop messing around and do something together.'”
Thompson added that they have created about 20 songs together and the as yet untitled album, which started as an EP, will have 12 to 14 songs. Roots engineer Steve Mandel will mix and master, as well as executive produce the project. But what label it will be released on is still in limbo. “We kind of have the freedom to take it around, whether it’s to Elvis’ people or Def Jam’s people,” said ?uestlove. “I can just say that it is brilliant.”
Def Jam will be releasing the Roots’ new album, titled & Then You Shoot Your Cousin, either late this year or in early 2014.
Thompson has been hella busy. Besides the aforementioned projects, he has been putting the finishing touches on R&B singer D’Angelo’s highly anticipated, and even longer delayed new album. Tentatively titled James River, The Roots drummer says of the project; “99% of it is done” and that it’s “totally brilliant.”
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Photo: Def Jam
