Reggae Music News

Eclectic lineup including Meek Mill, Nick Jonas, Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah close Roots jam

By Nekesa Mumbi Moody

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

LOS ANGELES _ The Roots hadn’t had their traditional pre-Grammy, late-night jam session since 2012, so this year they made up for it with four nights of music as eclectic as the hip-hop band itself.

Thursday night was the last concert at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, where the “Tonight Show” house band had held court since Monday, jamming with acts ranging from Ed Sheeran to Miguel to Cee Lo to T.I. On their last night, the band played host to a lineup that included Meek Mill; a singing and rapping Queen Latifah; gospel rapper Lecrae,; Nick Jonas, singing his hit “Jealous;” Prince protege Liv Warfield; and Jamie Foxx, who sang a bit when introducing legends Kool and the Gang. The celebrity crowd included Aisha Tyler, Zoe Kravitz, and Brandy, who had performed earlier in the night at Essence magazine’s Black Women in Music Event.

That event also had a varied lineup, including performances by Chaka Khan, MC Lyte, and Lianne La Havas, and a crowd that included Prince. The night was a salute to Jill Scott, who had the audience shouting in appreciation as she boomed through songs like “The Way.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *