The Roots

Three genre-blurring and globally influential hip hop groups come to Ravinia as The Roots, Digable Planets, and Arrested Development take the stage at the Pavilion.

Hailing from Philadelphia and founded by Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, The Roots approach hip hop with live instruments and touches of jazz and improvisatory pop. They won their first Grammy with “You Got Me,” featuring Erykah Badu, and went on to win more with “Hang On in There” and the album Wake Up!, both in collaboration with John Legend. They have played as the house band on both of Jimmy Fallon’s late night shows, serving that role since 2009.

Digable Planets burst into the music scene in the early ’90s with their Grammy Award-winning “Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat).” Made up of Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Craig “Doodlebug” Irving, and Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira, the trio carved out a unique style of jazz-informed hip hop. Digable Planets’ debut album, Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time And Space), was certified gold and praised by Pitchforkas “a world within a world, complete with its own language and monuments.” Melding jazz samples and complex rhymes, they have touched on themes from the nuances of city life to women’s rights.

Hip-hop trailbalzer Arrested Development has been a champion of cultural consciousness and empowerment since their foundation in the early 90’s. Their merge of African sounds, rhythm, and fashion has left a notable mark on hip hop culture, and they continue a mission of social activism through support of groups like the National Coalition of The Homeless and the African National Congress. The album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of… earned Arrested Development two Grammy Awards, two MTV awards, a Soul Train Music Award, and the NAACP Image Award.