New Music: The Roots ft. Wale & Chrisette Michele - Rising Up

Hip-hop super-blogger Eskay over at NahRight.com is linking to a leaked track from the forthcoming album by The Roots featuring up and coming R&B star Chrisette Michele and D.C.’s Wale over a crankin’ go-go via Philly backbeat courtesy of QuestLove. (Looks like all those shows in DC finally rubbed off on him!)

In the past, Wale has credited the Roots’ Black Thought as one of his influences as an MC, and the admiration is definitely mutual–Black Thought has stated that “Wale is the only new artist he is feeling.” The execs at Def Jam are lining this up to be the lead single for the new Roots album and Wale’s buzz may give them the boost they need. Not to mention that go-go influenced songs by non-DC artists have a great track record. (See Jill Scott, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Salt N Pepa, Heavy-D, LL Cool J…)

Wale layers his in-the-pocket flow about nothing to Quest’s go-go influenced drumming with a tight 16 bar verse that compliments the vocal work of Black Thought and Ms. Michele. Like many a great song by the Roots, Rising Up seems to lament the mainstream hip hop media’s refusal to support their brand of good music and their efforts to correct that.

Here’s to the Roots finally achieving the multi-platinum records sales and radio success that they have been angling for their whole career. Only time will tell, but they may have just lucked up on one of this summer’s D.C. anthems - at least once it gets covered by a real go-go band or two.