I hate to admit it, but I’ve never been much of a hip-hop fan. Metal’s always been the genre for me, but I have dabbled with “safe” hip-hop in the past — the kind of acts white dudes who don’t like rap love: A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Common. But I never actually got into the Roots, not in the same way. The few songs I had heard, I could appreciate, and people had long told me that live, the band could out-rock most of the long-haired outfits I adored.

I never actually believed it, until today. I was legitimately blown the f— away by the Roots, who, in my opinion (and this is based on my not seeing Muse yet), were the most intimidating and tightest band of the afternoon. I was most impressed by guitarist “Captain” Kirk Douglas.

This dude can play, my friends. For nearly 10 minutes, the Captain just lost himself in the sounds emanating from his guitar — it was one of the most amazing solos I’ve seen, and I’ve seen some good ones. At one point, the man made his guitar weep — no lie.

The rest of the band was equally as impressive, but Douglas’ performance was a clinic in impromptu wailing. The next time a “who’s the best guitarist alive” discussion pops up, I think I’m going to have to consider making a strong argument for Kirk, even if no one else agrees with me. I’ll sum it up like this: Next time in a record store, I’m heading to the rap section first.

Read more about the Roots and all of Saturday’s performances on MTVNews.com …