Information AboutThe Roots |
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The Roots, also variously known as '''The Legendary Roots Crew''', '''The Fifth Dynasty''', '''The Square Roots''' and '''The Foundation''', are an influential, Grammy -winning Hip-hop band based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. Inspired by the "hip-hop band" concept pioneered by Stetsasonic , The Roots themselves have garnered critical acclaim and influenced later hip-hop and R&B acts. HISTORY Origins & Organix The group's original lineup was formed in .'' The album went on to sell about 150,000 copies. Following the release of Organix, several major record labels offered deals and the band signed with DGC Records , which at the time was better known for its Grunge music releases. With their new record deal, the quintet travelled back to the states. Do You Want More?!!!??! The Roots' first album for DGC, '' Do You Want More?!!!??! '' (recorded live without the use of Samples ), was a moderate hit on Alternative radio. Also lauded for its jazziness, the album was equal parts jazz improv/instrumentation and rap music. It featured the songs "Distortion to Static" and "Proceed." It reached gold status in 2005, with sales of 501,000 copies. Illadelph Halflife The 1996 release '' Illadelph Halflife '' was the group's first album to crack the Top 40 on '' Billboard's '' album chart, spurred in part by MTV 's airplay of the video for "What They Do" (a parody of rap video clichés) 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 40 of Billboard's charts, reaching a peak of #34. While continuing on the path of live instrumentation, the album's sound was somewhat darker. Attempting to appeal to a wider audience, the band begun integrating programmed drums and samples into their sound, though they only sampled their own music. It was also The Roots' first album to include prominent guests, such as Common on "UNIverse At War", D'Angelo and Erykah Badu on "Hypnotic" and Q-Tip on "Ital (The Universal Side)." Things Fall Apart Despite rumors of a possible break up, the group stayed together and released ''Things Fall Apart'' in 1999 (named after '' Things Fall Apart '', a Novel by Chinua Achebe ). This was their breakthrough album sales-wise, peaking at #4 on the Billboard 200 charts and earning a Gold Record , signifying U.S. sales of at least 500,000 units. The track "You Got Me," duet with R&B singer Erykah Badu , peaked inside the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and earned them a Grammy award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. Like " Illadelph Halflife ", ''TFA'' was not quite as jazzy as previous works, instead incorporating more neo-soul influences. First-time cameos on ''TFA'' for Philly 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 ''. The group's popularity continued to rise through the album. With a Grammy under their belts, they were able to perform an extended set at the now infamous " Woodstock '99 ". Phrenology A hectic time ensued for The Roots; several members left; including long time member Malik B. Their popularity increased with their sales and a spot backing Jay-Z for his MTV Unplugged album. With heightened popularity came mounting pressure. The Roots released " Phrenology " (named after the Pseudoscience of Phrenology ) in 2002, which took a turn away from their jazz and soul influences and further into rock territory. The group lost many of their original fans with this new sound, but gained some others at the same time. Despite not charting as high as ''Things Fall Apart,'' reaching a peak of #28 on the charts, ''Phrenology'' was commercially successful, eventually going gold, and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. During this time the band also backed Jay-Z for his 2003 farewell concert in Madison Square Garden, and appeared in the accompanying "Fade to Black" DVD. Tipping Point After ''Phrenology,'' Ben Kenney and Scratch both left the group. Their major label deal with Geffen began to sour as pressures were mounted on the group to sell more records. This culminated with the release of 2004's '' The Tipping Point '', which took its name from a 2000 book The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell . The album earned two more Grammy nominations: one for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track "Star" and another for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for the track "Don't Say Nuthin'." It debuted at #4 on the ''Billboard'' album chart, selling over 100,000 copies in its first week of release, but failed to go Gold . Subsequently, the group left the label after the album's release. Contractual obligations resulted in the release of ''Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide To Understanding The Roots, Volumes 1 & 2'' in 2005, a two-disc compilation album. Game Theory '' album cover]] The Roots' newest album is entitled '' and Malik B. The late J Dilla also produced one song on the album. The album's first video, titled "The Don't Feel Right Trilogy", premiered on August 21 , 2006 , and features three songs, "In the Music", "Here I Come" and "Don't Feel Right". Despite critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album, '' Game Theory '' has sold significantly less than the band's previous releases. Rising Down In an interview, AllHipHop.com reports that the title of the tenth Roots album is '' Rising Down ''. {Link without Title} The band tours extensively, and their live sets are frequently hailed as the best in the hip-hop genre. Recently, the band played a concert in NYC's Radio City Music Hall with '', both performing album songs and playing as a backing band for other artists; Spike Lee 's Bamboozled ; and Marc Levin 's " Brooklyn Babylon ," in which Black Thought plays the protagonist, Solomon, and former band member Rahzel narrates. Black Thought and ?uestlove were both featured in the movie "Brown Sugar," and Black Thought also made an appearance in the film "Love Rome" as Tariq Trotter. ?uestlove reported that he is thinking of adding fellow Philadelphia rapper and Def Jam labelmate Peedi Peedi to the fold as a second group MC. Peedi recently guested on their latest album, and he will join for a set amount of time to "see how it goes." However, when recently asked about the issue, Black Thought responded: "Nah, he ain't joining, he's just family". Most recently, The Roots appeared at The Coachella Music and Arts Festival on April 27th, and are scheduled to play ROCK THE BELLS in New York (July 28th, 2007), San Bernadino (August 11th, 2007), and San Francisco (August 18th, 2007) with the likes of Rage Against The Machine, Cypress Hill, Wu Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Nas, Mos Def, EPMD, and many more. According to Black Thought, ''Rising Down'' will be out in November or December.[http://www.thaformula.com/black_thought_of_the_roots_perception_thaformula_music.html Recently in an interview on okayplayer interview, ?uestlove of The Roots says" Our new album entitled Rising Down will be out in April,2008." MEMBERS The Roots' original lineup included Tariq ", who is still a member. A Beatboxer named Rahzel also joined the group and contributed from 1995-1999. Alongside Rahzel was vocal turntablist Scratch , who DJ'd for them during live concerts. He abruptly left in 2003. Malik B. left the group in 1999 due to drug problems but continued to record, making occasional cameos on future albums. A guitarist, Ben Kenney , had a short stint with the group and contributed to their ''Phrenology'' album, but left to join Incubus as their bassist. A percussionist, F Knuckles, was added in 2002 and guitarist, Kirk Douglas (a.k.a. "Captain Kirk"), replaced Kenney. A vocalist, Martin Luther, toured with The Roots in 2003 and 2004 and contributed to their ''Tipping Point'' album. According to the Root's website, Hub (bass), has been rumored to have parted ways with the group. The current members of The Roots are Black Thought (MC), ?uestlove (drums), Kamal (keyboard), F Knuckles (percussion), and Captain Kirk (guitar). All members have worked with PETA to promote compassion for animals and the Vegetarian lifestyle.4 AWARDS & HONORS
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