Questlove's Other DrumsticksThe Roots' drummer discusses his latest venture, and it's not a new album

The Roots' drummer Questlove recently supplied both beats and wings at Bon Appétit's new kitchen/party space to celebrate the launch of his locally sourced buttermilk fried chicken catering startup, Quest Loves Food. On hand to party were the likes of chef Tom Colicchio, The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac, Solange Knowles, Ryan Phillippe, and former porn star Sasha Grey. Oh, and Adweek, naturally. A taste:



Adweek: You're a consummate freelancer. DJing, work on Broadway, now soul food?

We stopped being a full-time 365-a-year traveling road show and what we once perceived as a retirement gig [as house band on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon] has really quadrupled into more work and more opportunities. This was like The Accidental Tourist. I did a few DJ gigs out on the West Coast, and these really great, awesome food trucks would be outside selling weird specialty things. This one guy was selling his "world famous" roasted corn. So at 3 in the morning, I'm watching these people kill all this Mexican corn. And I was like, "Man, I want a food truck." I imagined having a "Soul on a Roll" Mister Softee truck that served good soul food.


So, naturally, fried chicken.

It's sort of like "be careful what you ask for." In a perfect world, I would like to have a line of 15 really funky food trucks that go to all the festivals, the Bonnaroos, the Coachellas. This is becoming bigger than that.


Food trucks are very in right now.

Food trucks are the new black. And I'm trying to prove that fried chicken is the new cupcakes.


Has being the house band on Late Night helped The Roots, or has it held you back?

We're doing the most realized music of our career. How I Got Over is our second highest rated album on Metacritic. Undun [due out Dec. 6] will surely eclipse that. What Fallon has allowed us to do is really concentrate on the craft of production and music. When we're touring, it's soundchecks, a night here, night there; it's really not a steady rhythm. A lot of jam bands and bands that are known as road warriors really haven't released a lot of commercially viable material because their strength is in their live show. But coming to Fallon--us being disciplined and there every day from 10 till 3 rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing--has made us better musicians, better craftsmen.


Do you feel like you ever have to be defensive about the Fallon gig?

At first, yeah. I feel like we wanted to lower everyone's expectations, and once How I Got Over came out [in 2010], people were like, "Oh, my God, they didn't fall off." If anything, I was worried about Undun.


Like a second sophomore effort?

I definitely feel like How I Got Over was our first record, and now Undun is our second album.


You did do Wake Up! with John Legend last year, though, which included a cover of Bill Withers' rare gem "I Can't Write Left Handed." You guys just killed it.

Thanks! The night we premiered it in L.A., both Bill and Sergio Mendes came with each other. We're on stage, and all of a sudden I look at the front row. I'm like, "Oh shhhhhhh! He's sitting right there!" That's my dream: to work with him.


He hasn't worked in years though.

It's so selfish to hold that gift in. Him and D'Angelo. He's so needed, and his daughter tells me that he didn't take into account that it was a major snowstorm at his very last concert that caused people not to come. It was Chicago, 17 feet of snow. Black people aren't coming out in the snow. So, that's my dream. That's why I'm working with Booker T. and Al Green. And Rick Rubin is threatening to kick my ass on that.

 
 
Source: ADWEEK

Casio Teams Up With Nicki Minaj And The Roots To Launch Acclaimed TRYX™

DOVER, NJ, March 11, 2011 ― Casio America, Inc. today announced that Nicki Minaj, one of the country’s hottest hip-hop artists, will help kickoff and celebrate the launch of the Casio TRYX™ by performing at TRYX OUT: NYC 2011 - Casio’s official launch party for the camera. Taking place on April 7th at the Best Buy Theater in New York City, TRYX OUT: NYC 2011 will also feature a performance by the legendary Roots, hip-hops’ influential and Grammy award‑winning septet.


“Casio is thrilled to have Nicki Minaj help us launch TRYX here in the U.S.,” said Toshi Iguchi, Senior General Manager, Digital Imaging Division, Casio America Inc. “Just as Nicki brings a unique, exciting and fresh perspective to the world of hip-hop, Casio looks to do the same with TRYX and the digital imaging industry. Nicki’s enthusiasm adds tremendous value to TRYX OUT: NYC 2011, and the unquestionable ‘wow’ factor of her performance will help make this the ultimate launch event befitting such a game changing product.”

“Casio sure knows how to design a camera,” said Nicki Minaj. “I’m excited to be part of the TRYX OUT: NYC 2011 launch party and look forward to working together with Casio to make sure this camera gets the party it deserves! With a TRYX in my hand, there’s no doubt that I’ll be able to take incredible images and video on tour and beyond.”

“We are excited to perform at the launch event for the Casio TRYX,” said Questlove. “From what I hear, the camera has a state-of-the-art, innovative design, and I’m eager to get a chance to see it myself.”


TRYX OUT NYC: 2011

Taking place on April 7, 2011 at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square, TRYX OUT: NYC 2011 is Casio’s official launch party for the much anticipated TRYX. Attendees will have the ability to experience the camera before it hits store shelves as well as catch The Roots with a special guest performance by Nicki Minaj. TRYX OUT: NYC 2011 is expected to draw a number of celebrities and be an exciting, star-studded event. While TRYX OUT: NYC 2011 is open to consumers, it is an exclusive launch party which will require tickets. Ticket information will soon be announced and available on Casio’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/casiocameras.

The Casio TRYX

The award-winning, 12.1 megapixel Casio TRYX immediately turns heads thanks to one of the most innovative designs the digital imaging industry has ever seen. Ultra-thin, TRYX features a unique, variable frame design which gives consumers the ability to adapt the camera to fit their preferred shooting style or to help them capture an image from just about any angle or in any environment. Users can hold the camera horizontally, in a traditional point-and-shoot style to capture still images or flip out the rotating, three-inch, touch-screen LCD and swivel the body to experience countless other positions. The frame rotates 360-degrees and can be adjusted so that the body can act as a tripod, allowing TRYX to stand on its own, or the three-inch, touch-screen LCD can be rotated up to 270-degrees so that users can perfect their own self portrait and see themselves in the frame. Users can even flip out and rotate the body so that the camera can hang from a hook, doorknob or other surface.

In addition to its captivating good looks, TRYX is fully-loaded and packed to the brim with a full range of high-performance features and technologies, such as Full-HD 1080p video and a back‑illuminated CMOS sensor which will help capture stunning images thanks to its enhanced sensitivity and low-light performance. The TRYX’s CMOS sensor is also coupled with Casio’s state-of-the-art EXILIM® ENGINE HS, which adds significant processing speed thanks to dual core processors. Together, they enhance the overall imaging experience by powering many of the camera’s unique creative functions, including High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging, High‑Speed SR Zoom, and slow-motion video.

TRYX also allows users to explore their creative side and truly express themselves through their images with Casio’s revolutionary HDR-ART technology. HDR-ART gives users the ability to essentially transform any photo into a work of art, taking it from ordinary to extraordinary with just the push of a button. HDR-ART works by combining continuous shots with differing exposures and performing highly-precise image analysis to locally change the contrast and level of color saturation. Users can select from three different processing levels to suit their artistic tastes and produce results that are guaranteed to impress.

The Casio TRYX will be available April 2011 for $249.99.

TRYX is a registered trademark of CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD. Any other company or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

About Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is a Grammy nominated, platinum selling Cash Money recording artist. “Pink Friday” became the 1st female rap album to stay in top 10 for 14 consecutive weeks. Nicki also became the 1st female rapper to top the Billboard charts in over 8 years with her hit single "Your Love". She also became the first female rapper to have 7 songs simultaneously on Billboard's HOT 100 chart in 2010. Rolling Stone dubbed her “The New Queen of Hip Hop.”

About The Roots

With the premiere of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" on March 2, 2009, The Roots joined host Jimmy Fallon as one of the coolest house bands in late night television history. The Roots are the influential and critically acclaimed Philadelphia-based band -- described by Rolling Stone as "one of the greatest live acts in the world" and by the Boston Globe as the "greatest hip-hop band in the land". The band has paved the way for live instrumental rap and has won numerous awards for its jazz-influenced, eclectic approach to hip-hop, including two Grammy's and a 2007 NAACP Image Award. For additional information, visit http://www.theroots.com/.

About Casio America, Inc.

Casio America, Inc., Dover, N.J., is the U.S. subsidiary of Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of consumer electronics and business equipment solutions, established in 1957. Casio America, Inc. markets calculators, keyboards, digital cameras, mobile presentation devices, disc title and label printers, watches, cash registers and other consumer electronic products. Casio has strived to realize its corporate creed of “creativity and contribution” through the introduction of innovative and imaginative products. For more information, visit http://di.casio.com/ or http://pressroom.di.casio.com/.

LEVI PIONEER SESSIONS: JOHN LEGEND & THE ROOTS

Levi Jeans has partnered with some amazing artists to create Levi's Pioneer Sessions: 2010 Revival Recordings. Artists from all genres of music got together to record new versions of the songs that have inspired them throughout their lives. All the songs are available for free download on the Pioneer Sessions web site.

Check out some revivals like Nas covering Slick Rick's "Hey Young World," John Legend & The Roots doing Ernie Hines' "Our Generation," Bomba Estereo working a bilingual cover of "Pump Up The Jam," Jason Mraz doing Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky" and MORE!

Check out some great photos and behind-the-scenes videos of the whole process on the Pioneer Sessions web site. What songs inspire you????