The Roots, with Floetry

What does a band that Rolling Stonereaders once voted one of the 20 best concert attractions in the world do on its summer vacation? It heads back out on the road, of course. The Roots, who redefined live hip-hop during the '90s, will take the provocative rhymes of Black Thought and the funky drumming of ?uestlove -- the focal points of the back-to-basics 2004 set The Tipping Point-- cross-country once again during a six-week jaunt. Possible additions to the set list: material from the band's in-progress Game Theory album, planned for a 2006 release and reportedly featuring a Black Star reunion of Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

Joining Philly's finest on the bill will be Floetry, the London rap-R&B duo who have penned tracks for such poetically like-minded peers as Jill Scott and the infamous Jacko himself. Fans may also hear at least a few new songs from the pair's own upcoming effort, Flo'ology, the follow-up to 2002's debut, Floetic (which was nominated for a Best R&B Album Grammy), scheduled for a midsummer release.