The Roots – You Got Me

From their 1993 debut through their conceptual albums in the 2010s, one of the most prolific rap groups was also one of the most progressive bands in modern music: the Roots. Even though they were a rap group with many instrumentalists (they included a sousaphonist in their roster starting in 2007), which may seem like a dated approach, they never stopped being inventive, either with their own songs or with the wide range of collaborations they engaged in. With their subsequent studio albums, they achieved platinum and gold status and took home several Grammy Awards. Through a close collaboration with television host Jimmy Fallon, they were able to garner a nightly national audience. They then proceeded to challenge listeners with works that were not limited by genre.

Organix
When rapper Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and drummer?uestlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson) became acquainted at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts in 1987, The Roots’ emphasis on live music was born. The two started making money by performing in front of schools, on the sidewalk, and later at talent events (backing Black Thought’s rhymes with?uestlove’s drum equipment). They then connected with rapper Malik B and bassist Hub (Leonard Hubbard). The Roots transitioned from the streets to neighborhood clubs, where they gained notoriety as an underground group in Philadelphia and New York. The Roots created an album to sell at concerts after receiving an invitation to represent American hip-hop at a concert in Germany; the result, Organix, was released in May 1993 on Remedy Records. Before signing with DGC that same year, the Roots turned down offers from other labels due to the excitement in the music industry about their activities.

Would You Like More?!!!?
Do You Want More?!!!??!, The Roots’ debut major-label album, was released in January 1995. Ignoring the standard hip-hop procedure, no samples or previously recorded material were used in the record’s production. Because the Roots performed on the second stage at Lollapalooza that summer, it made more tracks in alternative circles and peaked just outside the Top 100 of the Billboard 200. The group traveled to Switzerland to play at the Montreux Jazz Festival as well. Two of the album’s guests who had toured with the band were human beatbox Rahzel the Godfather of Noyze, who had previously performed with LL Cool J and Grandmaster Flash, and Scott Storch, who was later replaced by Kamal Gray, who joined the group on a permanent basis.

Halflife of Illadelph
The Roots released “Clones,” the lead single off their second album, early in 1996. It generated positive hype and reached the rap Top Five. Illadelph Halflife made an appearance and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 that September. But just like its predecessor, the Roots’ second album was challenging to listen to. It failed to become a hit despite making a few very minor concessions to mainstream rap (the band members sampled material they had recorded earlier at jam sessions). Things Fall Apart, their third album released in February 1999, was perhaps their greatest commercial and critical hit. The MCA release saw it go platinum, and the Erykah Badu song “You Got Me” reached the Top 40 and went on to win a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Phenotypy
In November 2002, amid speculations that the Roots were losing interest in their label arrangements with MCA, the eagerly awaited Phrenology was finally released. The band made amends by founding the Okayplayer company in 2004. Okayplayer, named after their website, consisted of a production/promotion company and a record label. The group performed live several times that year in order to loosen up the sound of their upcoming record. With cooperation from Geffen, the final product was reduced to ten tracks and released as The Tipping Point in July 2004. The Roots Present, a 2004 Webster Hall event from Manhattan with special guests like Mobb Deep, Young Gunz, and Jean Grae, was released on CD and DVD in February 2005. Two volumes of Home Grown, the rarities-collecting book! Published at the end of the year is The Beginner’s Guide to Understanding the Roots.

Theory of Games
Following that, a record deal with Def Jam produced a string of captivating, frequently depressing concerts, starting with Game Theory in August 2006 and Rising Down in April 2008. The trio gained more exposure in 2009 when they appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as the incredibly adaptable house band. Their recording schedule was unabated despite the new job; in 2010 alone, they released the incisive How I Got Over in June and Wake Up! in September, both of which featured their support for John Legend on covers of socially conscious soul classics like Donny Hathaway’s “Little Ghetto Boy” and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes’ “Wake Up Everybody.” It was recognized with Grammy Awards for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album. While still signed to Fallon, the Roots collaborated with Miami soul icon Betty Wright on November 2011’s Betty Wright: The Movie. The following month, they released Undun, their ambitious concept album whose protagonist dies in the first track and then retraces his life.

Ghostly Wisdom and Other Songs
The group’s unexpected 2013 duet album with Elvis Costello took precedence over work on their upcoming studio album. Wise Up Ghost, which was first slated to be a reworking of Costello’s songbook, evolved into a full-fledged collaboration and received favorable reviews when it was released on Blue Note in September 2013. The band joined Jimmy Fallon in his new late-night slot, the highly anticipated Tonight Show program, within six months. May 2014 saw the release of another concept album, the succinct but profound…And Then You Shoot Your Cousin. At the age of 47, rapper Malik B., who was a mainstay on the Roots’ early recordings, passed away on July 29, 2020. On December 16, 2021, Leonard Hubbard, also known as Hub, passed away at the age of 62 from multiple myeloma.