In Memoriam: Leonard Hubbard

Another master of the bass has left us. Leonard Hubbard, aka Hub, has died from a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma. He was 62 years old. The Roots made the announcement on their social media.

“It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to our brother Leonard Nelson Hubbard,” they wrote. “May your transition bring peace to your family to your friends to your fans and all of those who loved you. Rest in Melody Hub.”

Hubbard was a native of West Philadelphia and is best known for his work in The Roots. He joined the band in 1992 and stayed through 2007 when he was first diagnosed with cancer. As such, he provided bass for the band’s groundbreaking albums including 1999’s Things Fall Apart and 2004’s The Tipping Point. His bass lines set the standard for modern hip hop.

Hubbard was nominated with The Roots for seven Grammys and won one in 2000 for Best Rap Performance for “You Got Me”. Check the band performing it live with Erykah Badu and Jill Scott in 2004:

Hubbard was still writing music, according to his wife. She told Philadelphia’s ABC 6 that had just finished a piece called “The Awakening”. “When you hear his project, you’ll see he was so much more than what people know,” she said.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Leonard Hubbard.