The Roots June 7, 2008

The Philadelphia based group, The Roots, showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonic's "hip-hop band" philosophy of the mid-'80s, by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio. Although their album work has been inconsistent, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, The Roots' live shows are among the best in the business. Catchy simplicity and improvisational chaos come together in Deerhoof's intense and inspirational live shows -- all with a tiny drum set, no distortion pedals and an untrained singer. Jones, the first lady of funk and soul, has performed with the Four Tops, The Drifters and Maceo Parker. She is backed by The Dap-Kings, a group of musicians from The Soul Providers and The Mighty Imperials. Gnarls Barkley is a musical collaboration between DJ/producer Danger Mouse ('The Grey Album') and Atlanta soul powerhouse, Cee-Lo. Their release, 'St. Elsewhere' includes the megahit single, 'Crazy.' The Cool Kids is a hip hop duo from Illinois comprised of Chuck Inglish nd Mikey Rocks. They were among the most talked-about artists at 2007's CMJ Festival, and are one of Rolling Stone's "Artists to Watch in !08." Their old school '80s style has drawn comparisons to Eric B and EPMD, and they often refer to themselves as "The black Beastie Boys."