In a time where politics seem more divisive than ever, and governments seem to lock themselves in partisan standstills, it’s rare to see politicians unite for swift and meaningful action. That’s exactly what the Philadelphia City Council did last week, however, when they paid tribute to the famed Philly hip-hop group, The Roots, by naming the existing East Passyunk Avenue as, the “Avenue Of The Roots.”
Though members of the City Council just introduced the resolution on Thursday, the new sign was prominently displayed by Friday morning, much to the surprise of The Roots drummer Questlove.
The drummer and late-night bandleader took to his Instagram to acknowledge the honor in saying, “Welp this is very Philly: technically we were supposed to wait for the vote and then like in May come Picnic Time we’d have an unveiling w confetti & kool aid lol but cats was like ‘NOAP!!! WE FINNA PUT THIS JAWN UP NOW!!!!!!!’ really awesome to see the place we honed our skills and craft embrace us like this.”
Related: Gary Clark Jr. Shares “This Land” Remix Featuring The Roots [Listen]
Questlove was referring to the 2020 Roots Picnic music festival, which takes place at The Mann at Fairmont Park in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 3rd and hosted by the hometown band. This year’s Roots Picnic will see performances by the host band, Meek Mill, Thundercat, Summer Walker, DaBaby, and many more.
Click here for more information and check out the newly-minted street sign below.