As avid readers will know, I am borderline obsessed with Toronto songstress Melanie Fiona. So it’s natural that I was ecstatic when I first heard she would be collaborating with Roots dummer and music icon Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson for an upcoming mixtape.

We now have footage from the two jamming for this Friday’s mixtape release to promote Miss Fiona’s debut album The Bridge, dropping August 18th. Above is a clip from the studio sesh of my favorite Fiona jam “Ay Yo” and after the jump is the live jam remix to her sweet single “Give It To Me Right.”

In other Roots news, the band is set to debut its new single “How I Got Over” tonight during their duties as house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. According to About.com, the song follows in the same vein as their previous political releases, such as “Don’t Feel Right” and “Rising Down.”

Late Night airs weekdays at 12:35 Eastern time. I advise all my fellow Roots fans to tune in to get a taste of the new album How I Got Over, expected October 20th.

I’ll take this as an opportunity to drop a dope collection that came out in 2000, The Roots -  The Instrumental Album (Limited Edition), a must-have for any collection. Check out the track list and download link after the jump.

Thanks to Okayplayer and Mr. Adoso for the scoops. Check the jump for the live remix to “Give It To Me Right,” plus The Roots’ instrumental album. Enjoy!

Download: The Roots – The Instrumental Album (Limited Edition)

Tracklist:

01 – Distortion to Static (Instrumental)
02 – What They Do (Instrumental)
03 – Proceed II (Instrumental)
04 – Concerto of the Desperado (Instrumental)
05 – Adrenaline (Instrumental)
06 – Clones (Instrumental)
07 – Da Lesson Part I (Instrumental)
08 – Section (Instrumental)
09 – Da Lesson Part III (Instrumental)
10 – U.N.I.verse At War (Instrumental)
11 – Respond-React (Instrumental)
12 – Sweetback (Au Natural) (Instrumental)
13 – Represent (Instrumental)
14 – Proceed Without a Pause (Instrumental)
15 – Distortion to Static (At Ease Remix) (Instrumental)