The Summer of Soul: Music Acts to See
This summer is heating up with amazing music festivals all around the country. Check out our list of the top music acts to see this summer!
The Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band, formed in 1987 by Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots currently serve as the house band on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, having served in the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014.
Hailing from Philadelphia, this band is a must-see
The Roots are an American hip hop band, formed in 1987 by Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots currently serve as the house band on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, having served in the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014. They are also one of the most prolific recording artists of all-time with twelve studio albums released.
The Roots began performing together as a band in 1987 and released their debut album, Organix, in 1993. They have since released twelve additional studio albums: Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995), Illadelph Halflife (1996), Things Fall Apart (1999), Phrenology (2002), The Tipping Point (2004), Game Theory (2006), Rising Down (2008), How I Got Over (2010), undun (2011), …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014), WE GOT IT FROM HERE… THANK YOU 4 YOUR SERVICE (2016) and ENDGAME (2021). Each album received critical acclaim and several of their albums have been nominated for Grammy Awards. In October 2011, it was announced that The Roots would serve as the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
They have won multiple Grammy Awards and are considered one of the best live bands
The Roots are an American hip hop band, formed in 1987 by Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots currently serve as the house band on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, having served in the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014. The Roots have won four Grammy Awards including Best R&B Album for Wake Up!, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Don’t Feel Right”, and Best Rap Album for How I Got Over and Undun.
Outkast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The duo is one of the most successful hip-hop groups of all time, having sold over 25 million records and winning six Grammy Awards. Outkast’s musical style is often Dirty South. If you’re looking for a great hip-hop act to see this summer, make sure to check out Outkast!
This hip-hop duo is from Atlanta, GA
Formed in 1992, Outkast is comprised of Andre “3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton. They are often credited with helping to popularize southern hip-hop while still maintaining their own distinct sound. They have released six studio albums, the most recent of which, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, is a double album that features each member performing solo. It is this album that contains their most well-known song, “Hey Ya!” With a total of seven Grammy Awards, Outkast is one of the most successful hip-hop acts of all time.
They have won multiple Grammy Awards and are considered one of the best live hip-hop acts
With a career spanning over two decades, Outkast is one of the most successful and acclaimed hip-hop groups of all time. André 3000 and Big Boi met while attending high school in Atlanta, Georgia, and formed Outkast in 1992. The duo released their debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, in 1994. The album was a critical and commercial success, and helped put the southern rap scene on the map.
Outkast released three more albums over the next decade: ATLiens (1996), Aquemini (1998), and Stankonia (2000). These albums continued to build on the group’s success, and Outkast became known for their innovative blend of genres, styles, and ideas. In 2003, they released their fourth album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The double album was a massive success, selling over 10 million copies and winning multiple Grammy Awards.
Outkast has not released an album since 2006’s Idlewild, but they have remained active with occasional touring and live performances. They are considered one of the best live hip-hop acts around, and their reunion tour in 2014 was one of the most highly anticipated events in music history. If you’re a fan of hip-hop or just great music in general, seeing Outkast live is an experience you won’t soon forget.
The Isley Brothers
You might not expect an R&B and funk band to have had such a huge impact on popular culture, but The Isley Brothers have been doing just that for over half a century. With their unique sound and ability to stay relevant, The Isley Brothers are a must-see music act this summer.
This R&B group is from Cincinnati, OH
The Isley Brothers are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that started as a gospel quartet in 1954. The group, consisting of brothers Ronald and O’Kelly Isley, Rudolph Isley and Vernon Isley, first gained notice as a gospel group before crossing over to secular R&B with hit songs like “Shout”, “Twist and Shout” and “Nobody but Me”. They have been cited as having enjoyed one of the “longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the history of popular music”. The group has been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
They have been active for over 60 years and are considered one of the best live R&B acts
The Isley Brothers are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, United States that started as a gospel quartet in 1954. The group has been cited as having enjoyed one of the “longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the music industry”. The group was inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1992.
The original lineup consisted of brothers O’Kelly Isley Jr. (1937–1986), Ronald Isley (born 1941) and Rudolph Isley (born 1942), Chris Jasper (keyboards, percussion, songwriter) (born 1951). The group has been active for over 60 years and has gone through a number of lineup changes over the years; the most notable being the death of founding member O’ Kelly Isley in 1986 and drummer Marvin Isley in 2010. Rudolph and Ronald are the only remaining original members still performing today.
The Isley Brothers have been cited as having one of the “best live R&B acts” with their string of hits which dominated radio waves for decades. They’ve influenced artists across genres including rock n’ roll, soul, funk and hip hop. The group was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
The Temptations
This R&B group is from Detroit, MI
The Temptations are an American R&B group from Detroit, Michigan, that achieved fame as one of Motown’s premier vocal groups during the 1960s and 1970s. Known for their success in the field of popular music, they are distinguished by their falsetto singing style. The Temptations have sold tens of millions of albums with over 100 million records sold worldwide. As of 2008, they were ranked as the 21st most successful recording act of all time by Billboard magazine.
The group’s first lineup included Otis Williams, Elbridge “Al” Bryant, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams. Over the years, the quintet had 28 charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including four number-one hits: “My Girl” (1964), “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” (1966), “I Can’t Get Next to You” (1970), and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (1972).
They have been active for over 50 years and are considered one of the best live R&B acts
The Temptations are an American R&B group who first formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960. The group’s signature sound was created byfounder-member Smokey Robinson, who wrote and produced most of their songs. The Temptations have released 43 studio albums and have sold over 27 million records in the United States during their career. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
The group’s lineup has changed numerous times throughout their career, with bass singer Melvin Franklin serving as the only constant member. The other members at various points have included Otis Williams, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Stanley (before he joined Kiss), David Ruffin, Damon Harris, Dennis Edwards, and Ali-Ollie Woodson.
The Temptations are considered one of the best live R&B acts of all time and have toured extensively throughout their career. In recent years, they have performed at President Barack Obama’s inauguration celebration and the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
