Say It Ain’t So!
I’m unable to find the permalink, so my apologies if this gets pushed down a slot or two over the next few days. But one of my favorite groups is losing one of my favorite bassists, and it’s causing some pain. Leonard Hubbard may have been the perfect bassist for hip-hop (not to slight the contributions of Preston Crump and Mike Elizando in any way) because he knew exactly when to emulate the 808 or take off on his own line and let everything else follow him. From the mostly upright contributions on the early albums to the more electric sounds on the last few, there was nothing Hub couldn’t handle. Listening to some of the cuts on live Roots tracks perked my ears, especially on songs like “The Next Movement.” He was taking hip-hop and playing counterpoint while still making it funky. He knew what to do and when to do it, and he will be missed.