The Roots - Wikipedia. The Roots is an American hip hop group, formed in 1. Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots are known for a jazzy and eclectic approach to hip- hop featuring live musical instruments.[1]Malik B., Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, and Josh Abrams were added to the band (formerly named "The Square Roots").

Since its first independent album- length release the band has released 1. EPs, two collaboration albums (with other artists), and also collaborated on recordings and in live shows with a wide variety of artists in many musical genres. The Roots served as the house band on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2. The Roots' work has consistently been met with critical acclaim.

About. com ranked the band #7 on its list of the 2. Best Hip- Hop Groups of All- Time, calling them "Hip- hop's first legitimate band."[2]Band history[edit]Early years[edit]The Roots originated in Philadelphia with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter while they were both attending the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts.[3] They would busk out on the street corners with Questlove playing bucket drums and Tariq rapping over his rhythms.

Their first organized gig was a talent show in 1. Radio Activity, which began a series of name changes that progressed through Black to the Future and then The Square Roots.[4] In 1. Square" because a local folk group had claim to the name. Organix was the band's first album, released and sold independently in 1. It drew offers from music labels, and the band signed with DGC/Geffen. The Roots' first album for DGC, Do You Want More?!!!??!, was released in 1. It was a moderate hit among alternative music fans, boosted by the group's appearance at Lollapalooza.

The band performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival that year. Touring guests, beatboxer Rahzel and producer Scott Storch, joined The Roots.[5]The 1. Illadelph Halflife was the group's first album to break the Top 4. Billboard 2. 00 chart,[5] spurred in part by MTV's airplay of the video for "What They Do" (a parody of rap video clichés)[6] and "Clones", which was their first single to reach the top five on the rap charts. What They Do" was also the group's first single to hit the Top 4. Billboard's charts, reaching a peak of #3. While continuing on the path of live instrumentation, the album's sound was somewhat darker.

Talib Kweli Greene (/ t æ ˈ l ɪ b k w ɑː ˈ l iː /; born October 3, 1975) is an American hip hop recording artist, entrepreneur, and social activist. Kweli.

Kanye Omari West [ˈkɑːnjeɪ oʊˈmɑri wɛst] (* 8. Juni 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia) ist ein US-amerikanischer Rapper, Sänger, Musikproduzent und Modedesigner.

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Breakthrough with Things Fall Apart[edit]The group released Things Fall Apart in 1. Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe, which in turn was named after a line from "The Second Coming" by W. B. Yeats). This was their breakthrough album, peaking at No. Billboard 2. 00 charts and earning a gold record, signifying U.

S. sales of at least 5. The album was eventually certified platinum in April, 2. Mos Def contributed to the track entitled "Double Trouble".

The track "Act Two" features African- Belgian band Zap Mama and Common. The track "You Got Me", a duet with R& B singer Erykah Badu and Eve and Jill Scott intended by Black Thought for the "unconscious" population,[8] peaked at No. Watch White Lightnin` Download Full on this page. Billboard Hot 1. 00 charts. At the 4. 2nd Grammy Awards "You Got Me" won the award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group[9] and the album was nominated for Best Rap Album.[1. Steve Huey of the website allmusic.

First- time cameos on Things Fall Apart for Philadelphia natives Beanie Sigel and Eve helped to earn them major record deals later (with Roc- A- Fella and Ruff Ryders, respectively). After this album, Dice Raw left the collective to record his solo debut album Reclaiming the Dead. In the summer, the band performed at the Woodstock '9.

New York state.[1. Phrenology[edit]Several members, including longtime member Malik B., left the group. In December 2. 00. Roots backed Jay- Z for his MTV Unplugged concert.[1. With heightened popularity came mounting pressure. The Roots released Phrenology (named after the pseudoscience of phrenology) in 2.

Despite not charting as high as Things Fall Apart, reaching a peak of No. Phrenology was commercially successful, being certified gold, and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. At the time, however, there came rumors that the Roots were losing interest in their signing with MCA.[5]During this time, the band backed Jay- Z for his 2.

Madison Square Garden, and appeared in the accompanying Fade to Black concert film. The Tipping Point[edit]After Phrenology, Ben Kenney and Scratch both left the group; Kenney joined the rock band Incubus.[1. This culminated with the release of 2. The Tipping Point, the byproduct of several jam sessions.[5] The album earned two more Grammy nominations: one for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track "Star/Pointro" and another for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for the track "Don't Say Nuthin'."[1.

The Tipping Point peaked at No. Billboard album chart.

In 2. 00. 5, Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide To Understanding The Roots, Volumes 1 & 2, a two- disc compilation album, was released. The Roots were among several performers on the 2.

Dave Chappelle's Block Party, whose event took place on September 1. Game Theory[edit]Game Theory was released August 2. Def Jam records. Questlove describes the album as being very dark and reflective of the political state in America.[1. The first single from the album, "Don't Feel Right", appeared on the internet in May 2. The album's first video, titled "The Don't Feel Right Trilogy", premiered on August 2. In the Music", "Here I Come" and "Don't Feel Right". It earned an 8. 3 on Metacritic and 2 Grammy Nominations.

The late J Dilla is honoured on different occasions throughout the album. Track 1 is credited to be "Supervised by J Dilla". Track 1. 3 "Can't Stop This" is devoted to his persona, the first part being an edited version of a track ("Time: The Donut of the Heart") of his Donuts album, released three days before his death. This version comprises vocals by Black Thought.

Secondly, a string of kindred artists reminisce about J Dilla in the form of answering machine messages. Rising Down[edit]The Roots' eighth studio album, Rising Down, was released on April 2. Los Angeles riots of 1.

In the weeks before the album's release, the original first single "Birthday Girl", a radio- friendly collaboration with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump was removed from the album reportedly because it didn't fit in with the album's tone.[1. It remained as a digital download available from i. Tunes as a bonus track, as well as on international releases. Picking up where Game Theory left off, the album maintains a dark and political tone, with Black Thought and several guests venting about the ills of society today. The album's guests include Chrisette Michele, Common, Mos Def, Saigon, Styles P, Talib Kweli, and Wale; it also features Philadelphia artists Dice Raw, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Peedi Crakk, Greg Porn, and Truck North, as well as former member Malik B.

Rising Down features the Roots incorporating a more electronic and synth- heavy feel into their sound. Rising Down was released to critical acclaim, garnering an overall score of 8. Metacritic. The album's first single was "Rising Up" featuring Chrisette Michele and Wale. How I Got Over[edit]How I Got Over reflects the relief the band felt at the end of the Bush administration and the beginning of the Obama presidency. Guests include Blu, Phonte and Patty Crash.

A cover of Cody Chesnutt's song "Serve This Royalty" was expected to be covered on the album, similar to the group's reworking of his single for The Seed 2. Phrenology.[2. 0] Rather than relying on samples, the album was recorded live, with covers (including Celestial Blues, featuring the song's original artist, Andy Bey) being reinterpreted by the band.[2. The album was released on June 2.

On June 2. 4, 2. 00. Roots debuted the first single and title track from the album live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.