The Roots Interesting Facts

Whenever we get to do a research on an artist in rap music, we go through the regular music search or better yet rap music search routine. We try to determine who contribute the most to the current state of rap music. One of the main contributors are

the Roots. Their contribution to rap music will be outline more in the following paragraphs and you will see how it effectively allowed rap music to be recognized as diverse.

Do You Want More was the name of the Roots album in 1999 that was commercially successful?

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To a true Roots fan, these questions are fairly simple but when we were compiling our rap music search or researches, we try to incorporate many elements of easy and hard questions. To better help you with questions relating to the Roots, we have included their Bio below. Please read and reread because most of the information gathered from our music search will help you in the weekly contest.

Though popular success has largely eluded the Roots, the Philadelphia group showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonic 's "hip-hop band" philosophy of the mid-'80s by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio. Though their album works have been inconsistent affairs, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, the Roots' live shows are among the best in the business.

The Roots' focus on live music began back in 1987 when rapper Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and drummer ?uestlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson) became friends at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts. Since the duo had no money for the DJ essentials — two turntables and a microphone, plus a mixer and plenty of vinyl — they recreated classic hip-hop tracks with ?uestlove 's drum kit backing Black Thought 's rhymes. Playing around school, on the sidewalk, and later at talent shows, the pair began to earn money and hooked up with bassist Hub (Leon Hubbard) and rapper Malik B . Moving from the street to local clubs, the Roots became a highly tipped underground act around Philadelphia and New York . When the group was invited to represent stateside hip-hop at a concert in Germany , they recorded an album to sell at shows; the result, Organix , was released in 1993 on Remedy Records. With a music-industry buzz surrounding their activities, the Roots entertained offers from several labels before signing with DGC that same year.

The Roots' first major-label album, Do You Want More?!!!??! , was released in January 1995; forsaking usual hip-hop protocol, the album was produced without any samples or previously recorded material. It peaked just outside the Top 100, but was mostly ignored by fans of hip-hop. Instead, Do You Want More?!!!??! made more tracks in alternative circles, partly due to the Roots playing the second stage at Lollapalooza that summer. The band also journeyed to the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland . Two of the guests on the album who had toured around with the band, human beatbox Rahzel the Godfather of Noyze — previously a performer with Grandmaster Flash and LL Cool J — and Scott Storch (later Kamal ) became permanent members of the group.

Early in 1996, the Roots released Clones , the trailer single for their second album. It hit the rap Top Five, and created a good buzz for the album. The following September, Illadelph Halflife appeared and made number 21 on the album charts. Much like its predecessor, though, the Roots' second LP was a difficult listen. It made several very small concessions to mainstream rap — the band sampled material which they had recorded earlier at jam sessions — but failed to make a hit of their unique sound. The Roots' third album, 1999's Things Fall Apart , was easily their biggest critical and commercial success; The Roots Come Alive followed later that year. The long awaited Phrenology was released in late November 2002 admist rumors of the Roots losing interest in their label arrangements with MCA. In 2004 the band remedied the situation by creating the Okayplayer company. Named after their website, Okayplayer included a record label and a production/promotion company. The same year the band held a series of jam sessions to give their next album a looser feel. The results were edited down to ten tracks and released as The Tipping Point in July of 2004. A 2004 concert from Manhattan's Webster Hall with special guests like Mobb Deep Young Gunz and Jean Grae was released in early 2005 as The Roots Presents: A Sonic Event in both CD and DVD formats.