Common+the Roots

While 50 and Diddy rake in the Benjamins with their tie-ins, this Chi-town institution’s done pretty well for himself, aligning with Microsoft, Gap, and now Hennessy on a mini-tour. Unlike those peers, he’s got the goods to back up his work, especially on the heels of the Bambaataa-influenced “Universal Mind Control.” And as the Roots have been proving on late night, they’re not just the ultimate backing band now but they’ve still got the goods for their own music 20 years strong.

Wed., Oct. 7, 9 p.m., 2009