Roots Discuss Tour, New Album

October 24 -- ?uestlove, the mightily afro-ed drummer of Philadelphia hip-hop band The Roots, says it hasn't taken long for the group's latest road outing to distinguish itself from its previous tours.

"I rarely ever see moshing at our shows," he says. But it's happening this time out, thanks to a star-studded package that includes Dead Prez, Slum Village, Bahamadia, and Talib Kweli, plus three artists from the group's Motive Records label: Jaguar, the Jazzyfantastees, and Dice Raw.

The "Okayplayer" tour is no traditional concert experience. Unlike other tours, this package — which hits Chicago tonight, and continues until the Nov. 24 wrap-up back in Philadelphia — is interactive, with The Roots onstage the entire time, backing the other artists on the bill.

"We handpicked them," explains ?uestlove, 29, whose real name is Ahmir Thompson. "We wanted to do an updated vaudeville, a variety show situation, as opposed to the standard [show, where] this person does 15 minutes, this person does 25 minutes, and the headliner goes on last."

"This makes the show really unique," continues the drummer. "You don't know what's going to happen next; there are seven acts, and all of them are interchangeable and doing collaborations with each other. It's a real spontaneous atmosphere."

And acts such as the energetic Dead Prez, according to ?uestlove, have pushed The Roots out of their traditional musical modes. "People associate us with mellow, loose, and jazzy sets," he says. "We're doing so much more than hip-hop and jazz now; we're doing a lot of soul stuff, a lot of swing, a lot of rock, drum and bass. We try to cover the whole spectrum."

This experience will likely make a mark on the next Roots album as well, he predicts. With group member Black Thought's solo album, Masterpiece Theater, due out in March, ?uestlove plans to spend some time working on music for The Roots' next project, which he expects to be out by fall 2001.

And its working title, Introducing the Roots, is an indication that some change will indeed be afoot for the 13-year-old sextet.