Why it took two decades to get The Roots to NZ.

Summer Haze organisers explain how it happened - and why it may not happen again.

It’s exclusive, special, a one-off event that won’t be repeated for a long time to come.

“We’ve been trying to get The Roots here for 19 years,” says David Benge, the co-promoter behind Summer Haze, a Tauranga-based music festival being headlined by the iconic Philadelphia hip-hop group.

“They’re hip-hop royalty. You’ll get to go watch this extraordinary one-off show that may possibly never happen again.”

When The Roots take the stage in Tauranga’s Wharepai Domain on December 30, it will be nearly 20 years since the hip-hop collective was last here, at a St James performance in 2005 that featured P-Money on the bill.

“Mad … unpredictable,” quipped a NZ Herald reviewer who was at that marathon two-and-a-half hour show. “Sometimes you'd find yourself standing there, mouth open, eyes popping, laughing your head off in disbelief … They sounded like a group of kids having a whale of a time with a jukebox.”

That concert was so long ago The Roots were yet to sign up as Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night in-house band, a role they’ve filled since 2009. It’s something they still do each weeknight, fitting their tour dates in around it.

This time, Black Thought, Questlove and a full live band will top a day packed with hip-hop heavyweights, including the famed Jurassic 5 MC Chali 2na, as well as locals Kora, Home Brew, Aaradhna, Jujulipps and Soraya Lapread, all playing to a capacity crowd of 8000.

It is, says Benge, a line-up aimed at hip-hop aficionados, the ones who grew up listening to albums like Illadelph Halflife and The Tipping Point and still own them on vinyl. “It’s for the crate-diggers, the [hip-hop] heads. The Roots are pioneers of hip-hop … they’ve been so extremely influential and if anything, that’s only grown,” he says.

He credits the festival’s founder Alex Turnbull for making it happen. “He’s a massive fan and has been working relentlessly on this for years, certainly at least a decade,” Benge says. “Whilst they haven’t been here for 20 years, it’s not through lack of trying from promoters or a lack of desire from audiences. It’s just been one of those hard things to work out. This time it works out.”

Once they had their headliner, there were few problems lining up local talent. “Everyone was like, ‘Holy shit, fuck yeah, count me in, I’m 100% in,” Benge says. “Everybody has grown up with this and has been influenced by this and knows the strength of their live show.”

Still, Summer Haze is joining a festival season rammed with hip-hop, soul and R&B-heavy line-ups, from Ludacris and Akon performing at Juicy Fest to Busta Rhymes and Miguel at Eden Festival. In October, Public Enemy will be here too.

Benge believes Summer Haze will attract a different kind of crowd. “This isn’t just a rapper and a DJ – not that there’s anything with that – but this is a full live experience,” he says. “This is about live music, being with your mates, having a positive, uplifting experience and witnessing extraordinary musicianship from start to finish.”

He also warns: “I don’t think this will happen again.”

Summer Haze, December 30, Wharepai Domain, Tauranga; To register for tickets, visit summerhazenz.com.

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