While the 2015 edition of the Roots Picnic is already almost a month behind us, Billboard has just premiered video of one of the most ambitious performances of the day. During Erykah Badu's set, which was backed by The Roots themselves of course, the team ran through more than 16 minutes worth of hip-hop covers and invited the likes of YG, Freeway, and the Lox, onstage to perform some of their own hits.
The clip finds Badu and company anchoring a generations-spanning hip-hop tribute in their own songs "Love of My Life" and "Act Too (Love of My Life)." During the set they touch on records like Kanye West's "Gold Digger," Wu-Tang Clan's "Can It All Be So Simple," and even music from Afrika Bambaataa.
"You know, both acts—The Roots and Erykah—did 'Love Of My Life' songs, and we thought it was rather apropos that we pay tribute to the culture of hip-hop in it's 35-plus years," Questlove told Billboard. "Initially the idea just started with The Roots and Erykah wanting to mash our songs together, but as the wheels started turning I decided maybe we should turn towards more of a full on tribute to hip-hop, and then the wheels really started turning when the budget allowed me to fly out a few luminaries to perform with us. So, for some reason, a 5-minute song turned into a 20-minute migraine for my manager...but I thoroughly enjoyed it."
Watch the whole thing below:
