The Roots Bring Together Hip-Hop Legends For All-Star Hollywood Bowl Concert

The Roots hosted “The Roots Picnic: Hip-Hop Is The Love Of My Life” concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday. The single-day event featured the Philadelphia-born band sharing the stage with other acclaimed hip-hop artists including Queen Latifah, Common, Digable Planets, Arrested Development, MC Lyte, The Pharcyde, Monie Love, Black Sheep, Jungle Brothers and more.

Saturday’s West Coast event followed this year’s annual two-day Roots Picnic held in Philadelphia in early June. The Roots served as the house band at the Hollywood Bowl, backing the parade of hip-hop stars throughout the celebratory evening.

The performance unfolded with The Roots getting the show rolling before being joined by Digable Planets and then Common. Several of the night’s performers were associated with the 1990s Native Tongues collective, which was represented Saturday by Black Sheep and Jungle Brothers, and later by Queen Latifah and Monie Love.

The opening portion of the concert also saw additional 1990s hip-hop icons joining The Roots who backed The Pharcyde on “Passin’ Me By” and “Otha Fish” and Arrested Development on “Ease My Mind,” “People Everyday” and “Mr. Wendal.”

Queen Latifah was given an extensive showcase that saw the acclaimed rapper joined by several fellow hip-hop icons throughout her time on stage with The Roots. Queen Latifah recruited The Lady Of Rage for her iconic “Afro Puffs” and Monie Love emerged for “Ladies First” and “Monie In The Middle.” Yo-Yo came on for her classic “You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo” and MC Lyte was tapped to perform “Paper Thin.” Queen Latifah capped her performance with her anthemic “U.N.I.T.Y.”

The latter part of the evening saw the Jungle Brothers and Pete Rock get in on the action, as well as the re-emergence of Common, Digable Planets, Black Sheep and Arrested Development. Watch video footage from “The Roots Picnic: Hip-Hop Is The Love Of My Life” at the Hollywood Bowl below: