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Legendary band the Roots to play 'symphonic hip-hop' concert in Irving

On Oct. 17, the Pavilion at the Irving Music Factory will be host to the next installment of Amazon Music's "A Night of Symphonic Hip Hop" starring trailblazing Philadelphia group the Roots.

It's the third concert of the series, with previous editions featuring household rap names Common and Nelly. And it's so far the only one that will take place in Texas.

This won't be simply a concert: The event will be live-streamed on Amazon Music's Twitch channel, and the Roots will perform with a 50-piece symphony made up of Dallas-area musicians. A news release promises the combination of an orchestra and one of hip-hop's all-time great acts will "undoubtedly unlock another dimension of the Philadelphia group's groundbreaking fusion of rap, funk, jazz, soul and rock in the live arena."

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Given the illustrious history of the Grammy-winning group led by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, we're willing to presume something special could occur. From both a commercial and critical perspective, the Roots have been a powerhouse act, selling millions of records and racking up universally glowing reviews for every record they've released. In 1999, the group broke through with Things Fall Apart, and since then has continued to expand its sound with an unmatched ambition.

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Unique live performances aren't anything new for the Roots, either. Long before they were the coolest late-night television studio band for Jimmy Fallon, they were one of the first hip-hop acts to headline massive festivals such as ACL Fest. Chance the Rapper, one of this year's ACL headliners, was a teenager when the Roots dominated the Sunday afternoon crowd of the 2004 ACL Fest. And before that, in 2001, the Roots were the backing band for Jay-Z on his seminal MTV Unplugged episode.

The Roots are the most qualified band in hip-hop for this unique type of gig.

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Tickets will go on sale Friday, Aug. 25 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com.