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<p class="MsoPlainText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Statement from The Roots<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The Roots Family are devastated to announce the passing of Richard Nichols, the band’s longtime manager, after a long battle with leukemia. Nichols, 55, a Philadelphia native, managed the band from its
inception in 1992, and was instrumental in every aspect of The Roots’ creative, cultural, and professional life over the past two decades. Nichols is survived by his wife, Mercedes Martinez, his sons Amiri Nichols and Rakim Nichols, his sisters Rochelle Nichols-Solomon,
Rebecca Dennis, his brothers Russell Nichols and Reginald Nichols, and the many individuals and artists he mentored in his lifetime.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">Carleen Donovan</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#C00000">PRESS HERE </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">(New York)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">138 W. 25<sup>th</sup> St., 9<sup>th</sup> Floor, New York, NY 10001</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">P: (212) 246-2640<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><a href="mailto:carleen@pressherepublicity.com"><span style="color:blue">carleen@pressherepublicity.com</span></a>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#C00000">PRESS HERE </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">(Los Angeles)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">8105 West Third St.,<b><span style="color:#C00000"> </span></b>Los Angeles, CA 90048<b><span style="color:#C00000"> </span></b></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">P: (323) 556-9752 </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif""> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/presshere"><span style="color:blue">www.twitter.com/presshere</span></a></span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"">Click to view website:</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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