?uestlove Says The Roots Are Hip Hop’s Sonic Youth

Renee Graham of the Boston Globe spoke with the Roots drummer Ahmir ‘?uestlove’ Thompson before the group’s performance tonight at the Avalon. ?uestlove says they have stayed true to themselves and the music’s soul while stretching the game out and etching their name as hip-hop savants and saviors. “I like to think we’re the hip-hop Sonic Youth,” he said. “They were tastemakers, were well respected by critics, and played this Moses role in bringing attention to bands like Nirvana and Mudhoney. They were largely responsible for the grunge sound getting developed in the early 1990s. They won’t necessarily get to the promised land, but they’ve led a billion people there. I sort of see that as our role.”