The Roots' original lineup included Black Thought (MC vocals) and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson (drums), who were classmates at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts. As they began to play at school and on the streets, they added another MC named Malik B., bassist Leonard Hubbardand keyboardist Scott Storch. Another MC, Dice Raw, frequently made album appearances with the group from 1995 to 1999 before leaving to record a solo album. Scott Storch also left to pursue career as a producer following the Do You Want More?!!!??! album, He produced songs such as Still D.R.E. by Dr Dre. The Roots filled his void with another keyboardist, Kamal 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 greatly contributed to The Roots' sound, most notably in live concerts. He left the group in 2003. Malik B. left the group in 2000. A guitarist, Ben Kenney, enjoyed a short stint with the group and contributed to their Phrenology album, but left to join Incubus. A percussionist, Knuckles, was added in 2002 and guitarist, Kirk Douglas (a.k.a. "Captain Kirk") repleaced Kenney. A vocalist, Martin Luther toured with The Roots in 2003 and 2004 and contributed to their album The Tipping Point. The current members of The Roots are Black Thought (MC vocals), ?uestlove (drums), Hub (bass), Kamal (keyboard), Knuckles (percussion), and Captain Kirk (guitar).
The Roots' debut album, Organix released in 1993, was actually a live recording from a concert in Germany that the Roots sold at their shows. The album earned enough industry buzz to earn the Roots offers from major record labels, and they signed with DGC records, which at the time was better known for its grunge music releases.
The Roots' first album for DGC, Do You Want More?!!!??! (recorded live without the use of samples), was a moderate hit on alternative radio. Their 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 such as the "beatdown shot," and "Clones" which was their first to single to reach the top five on the rap charts.
In 1999, The Roots released Things Fall Apart (named after a novel by Chinua Achebe), their breakthrough album. The track "You Got Me", duet with R'n'B singer Erykah Badu, earned them a Grammy award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.
In 2000, Dice Raw left the group to record his solo debut album, Reclaiming the Dead.
The Roots' reputation as a hip-hop live band made Jay-Z call on them for his MTV Unplugged album in 2002. The album featured good recreations of many of his great songs, played by the band with a little help from female vocalist Jaguar Wright.
2002's Phrenology introduced a more mainstream sound for the Roots, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. The album's sales were boosted by radio and TV airplay for two duets on the album, "Break You Off" (featuring Musiq Soulchild) and "The Seed 2.0" (featuring Cody ChestnuTT). The video for "The Seed 2.0" earned a nomination for the MTV2 Award at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. "The Seed" was also featured on the soundtrack to the Mandy Moore movie Chasing Liberty. Phrenology was certified gold (signifying U.S. sales of at least 500,000 units) in June 2003.
The Roots' 2004 release, The Tipping Point, took its name from a 2000 book 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'". The album was an immediate hit, debuting at #4 on the Billboard album chart and selling over 100,000 copies in its first week of release.
On November 15, 2005 The Roots released two compilation albums, Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide To Understanding The Roots, Volumes 1 & 2. These two separately sold discs are a compilation of past hits, live performances, and rare remixes compiled by ?uestlove himself. They also feature 70 pages of liner notes written by ?uestlove. These two albums marked the Roots' last releases on Geffen Records.
The Roots' album, Game Theory, was released on August 29, 2006. The album, which features a track that samples the song "You and Whose Army" by Radiohead, was released on Jay-Z's Def Jam.
The Roots next album 'Rising Down' was released on April 29th 2008. Features tracks with Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Saigon, and other greats.
The Make Me Songfacts reports that The Roots' eleventh album, undun, is their first concept album. It tells the story of a man called Redford Stephens who died in 1999 at the age of 25. We hear Redford retelling his life post-mortem and attempting to deconstruct what led to his undoing.
The Roots are also the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon airing first on March 2nd, 2009.
? Vs. Rahzel
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Break it on on down
Come on
"Noise"
Ah yeah
See that's how we do
We gonna drop something like this
Get my funky drum on the side
And I'm right there, like grandfather noise
Check it cuz I'm known for the
"Noise"
Ladies and gentlemen you are now witnessing the incredible
"Noise"
Louder
So clap your hands to what he's doing
Come on
Come on
Give the drummer some
Come on
Come on
Give the drummer some
Come on
Give the drummer some
Come on
Give the drummer some
See ya'll don't know what ya'll doing out there
But I'm about to give the drummer some
Some of this funky powerful soul that i got up in here
We gonna drop a little taste of this
We gonna put some bass in your face
And we gonna kick it like this
"Noise"
Have you got my man on the horn?
He left some for the trumpet
We got the funky drummer
And then we gonna get my man on the upright
He about to get busy
Drop a little taste on em
"Noise"
Heh! see that's how we do it?
We come correct from '94
Know what what I'm sayin' baby
Cuz we that got right there on the side
We got the roots on up in the house tonight
You know what I'm sayin'?
This is how we get funky, improvisational style
You know what I'm saying baby doll
Off from the top
Not from the bottom
Not from the middle
Thats how we do it, check it out
The lyrics to The Roots's song "Vs. Rahzel" are primarily about delivering a funky beat and showcasing some impressive musical skills. The opening lines set the tone: "Come on we gonna do it like something like this baby / Break it on on down / Come on." The singer then invites listeners to witness his prowess on the drums, where he's "known for the / 'Noise.' " Rahzel enters the scene, and the duo commands the audience to "clap your hands to what he's doing" and "give the drummer some." As they continue to "put some bass in your face" and deliver "funky powerful soul," they reference other instruments like the trumpet and upright bass.
Overall, the lyrics are an invitation to witness live music and participate in its energy. The Roots and Rahzel demonstrate their technical chops while also encouraging everyone in the audience to groove along. The improvisational style and call-and-response nature of the song suggest that this performance is unique and can never be replicated exactly the same way.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on we gonna do it like something like this baby
Let's get started with this performance and do it in a funky, soulful manner.
Break it on on down
Get ready to experience some amazing music.
Noise
The Roots are well known for their incredible noise, which is a combination of their impeccable music skills and improvisational style.
Ah yeah
The groove is on and the music is funky.
See that's how we do
This is The Roots' signature style of performing – funk-filled, and improvisational.
We get funky up in this sweet set
The Roots like to get funky and jam out when they are performing on stage.
We gonna drop something like this
The Roots are about to wow the audience with some amazing beats.
Get my funky drum on the side
The drummer has a funky beat to play for the audience.
And I'm right there, like grandfather noise
The Roots' noise is like a legacy that has been passed down to them from older musicians who have influenced their music.
Check it cuz I'm known for the
The Roots have a reputation for creating incredible music and noise.
Ladies and gentlemen you are now witnessing the incredible
The crowd is witnessing an incredible performance by The Roots.
Louder
The crowd is encouraged to make some noise for The Roots.
So clap your hands to what he's doing
The audience is encouraged to clap their hands to the amazing music that The Roots are playing.
Give the drummer some
Show some love to the drummer by giving him some recognition and applause for his awesome beats.
See ya'll don't know what ya'll doing out there
The crowd might not be musically inclined to understand the incredible performance from The Roots.
But I'm about to give the drummer some
But The Roots are about to change that and give the audience a taste of their amazing music.
Some of this funky powerful soul that I got up in here
The Roots are about to bring some amazing, funky, and soulful music to the audience.
We gonna drop a little taste of this
The Roots are going to give the audience a taste of their incredible music.
We gonna put some bass in your face
The Roots' music is going to be incredible and overpowering, and it's going to blow your mind.
And we gonna kick it like this
The Roots are going to start their performance, and it's going to be awesome.
Have you got my man on the horn?
Asking if the person responsible for playing the trumpet is ready.
He left some for the trumpet
The trumpet player has something incredible to contribute to The Roots' music.
We got the funky drummer
The Roots have an incredible drummer who is ready to play some amazing beats.
And then we gonna get my man on the upright
Then they will give a chance to the player who is playing the upright bass.
He about to get busy
The musician on the upright is about to start playing some soulful music.
Heh! see that's how we do it?
This is how The Roots perform – with soul and intense passion for funk music.
We come correct from '94
The Roots have been doing incredible music since 1994.
Know what what I'm sayin' baby
Do you know what we are talking about, music lover?
Cuz we that got right there on the side
The Roots have the best music right now, and their music is going to be loud and proud.
We got the roots on up in the house tonight
The Roots are ready to perform, and the audience is in for an unforgettable night.
You know what I'm sayin'?
Do you understand what we are about to bring to the stage?
This is how we get funky, improvisational style
This is how The Roots perform their music – funky and improvisational.
Off from the top
The Roots are improvising and creating music as they go along, building their music from scratch.
Not from the bottom
The Roots are not starting with an existing structure, but rather building their music from the ground up.
Not from the middle
The Roots are not starting from a specific point, but instead creating new music from where they stand.
Thats how we do it, check it out
This is the Roots' style of creating music, and it's going to be amazing.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AHMIR K. THOMPSON, ROZELL MANELY BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Ball
on Proceed V (Da Beatminerz remix)
So after purchasing “Do You Want More” the day it dropped, my guy the upped me from jump (pass the popcorn obvi) found this join on a European release and pressed play…the rest is history. But there in lies my question…what IS the history, the story on how, where, when, this was created? I need to know for context. Drop a link if there is one out there PLEASE! V 5 is a masterpiece!