Tinashe covers Sade at The Roots Jam 2016.
George Clinton and Bilal, photo by Vickey Ford for Okayplayer + Sneakshot
2016 marked the 10th year of Roots Jam Sessions , the super-exclusive musical fiesta that touches down in Hollywood smack in the middle of awards season (The Grammys, The Oscars, etc.) that magical time of year when star talent converges on LA and "The Roots and Special Guests" means almost anything could happen--the only guarantee is that it will represent the best of the best in the world of music. Sponsored by Beats By Dre, Serato, and Martell Cognac the sessions were held in Hollywood at an intimate venue that has a capacity of just about 200 persons. For three consecutive nights, guests were treated to earcandy from a plethora of their favs and ours. You've gotten a play by play and recap of some of our breakout performances so far, (Alessia Cara's "Here"; Moses Sumney's "Say Yes"; Tori Kelly's "Butterflies"; Andra Day's Kendrick Lamar cover and last but certainly not least funky Lenny Kravitz reprising his monster hit "Are You Gonna Go My Way" in an extended Roots-assisted live version). Of course, we couldn't cut a breakout video for every damn performance but there were just too many gems to leave in the OKP video vault, so...you all are in for a treat.
We've got a FULL highlight video, narrated by Questlove himself, of all the performers over the course of three days including...(drum roll, please): Gary Clark Jr., Tori Kelly, Bilal, Tinashe, Jeremih, Andra Day, John Legend, Lenny Kravitz, Lianne La Havas, Leon Bridges, Alessia Cara, J Angel, Kehlani, Bibi Bourelly, Nelly, George Clinton, Lil Dicky, Yuna, Freddie Gibbs, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jazmine Sullivan, Tish Hyman, and, of course, the legendary Roots Crew. It all seemed like a dream, to think that all of these artists graced the stage in one venue, in one long weekend. The vibe was so electric, with the crowd kept on their toes between sets. "Who will be next?" we kept asking ourselves, and with each new guest, the surprise turned into excitement, and then pure energy that exuded from set to set.
Watch our full Highlights video of the Roots Jam Session 2016 below, brought to you by the super talented OKP TV team. Until next year!
Music provided by Mel Chaos Lewis
