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.
BOOM!
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's Black, code name Yaphet Kotto ock
My twist like a ratchet in an auto shop
Since granddaddy old Desoto stopped and he got the Caddie
I been gladly servin, any y'all cats want to act determined
Spit pesticides for rats and vermin
Seem like none of y'all chumps is learning
Y'all hopeless, and I'm a little better than dope is
Tryna hold on, maintain my focus
Coming out a room with a could of smoke
Smokers rolling with the punches
I survive and rock
Cause I keep the crowd alive
And the texture of my voice
Is course and kind of hoarse and cut
Like I'm throwing a thousand knives
Party people gather round what we have here is a brand new sound
Reach for my waist you hit the ground
You better duck when that awful sound goes
Boom
That's what's happenin in the parking lot
That's what's happenin on stage
The man at hand that rule the school
And reach and teach the blind and find a way from A to Z
And be the most to boast I'm load and proud
The game and reign that remain
The heat is on so feel the fire come off the empire or the
More higher level of depth one step beyond dope
To suckers all scope and hope to cop a note
Cause I could never let em on top of me
I play em out like a game of Monopoly
Let it speed around the board like an astro
And send them to jail for tryna pass go
Shaking them up
Breaking them up
Taking no stuff
But it still ain't loud enough
So quest love let the fire roast
So I can flow and we can kill the whole show cause
Party people gather round what we have here is a brand new sound
Reach for my waist you hit the ground
You better duck when that awful sound goes
Boom
That's what's happenin in the parking lot
That's what's happenin on stage
I'm live
Design a finer rhyme that's right on time
One step beyond and not behind the line
That separates thought from divine
You can take it as a caution or a warning sign
Look for antonyms
Words I'm sending em
Homonyms, synonyms good like M&M's
You know the time when it's Riq Gees slicing
I turn a Mic's last name into Tyson
My brain like a factory constantly creating
Materials stitch by stitch for decoration
My lyrics one fabric the beat is a lining
My passion of rhyming is fashion designing
Now it get sorted cause people want to sport it ya bought it
If you didn't then you couldn't afford it
Poetry full of surprises it's like a game show
And my brain go
I do my thing yo
Party people gather round what we have here is a brand new sound
Reach for my waist you hit the ground
You better duck when that awful sound goes
Boom
That's what's happenin in the parking lot
That's what's happenin on stage
The Roots's song BOOM! starts off with the line "Hold your flix, I'm not for the photo op's." meaning that the singer is not there for appearances or to be photographed. Instead, the singer is simply there to do what they do best, which is spitting rhymes that are unique and different from what others are doing. The lyrics say that the singer's twist is like a ratchet in an auto shop, which means that their rap style is distinctive and stands out from others like a tool in a mechanic's workshop. The lyrics go on to say that the singer has been serving gladly and is always ready to act determined. The imagery of "spit pesticides for rats and vermin" suggests that the singer's rhymes are aimed at getting rid of the bad elements in the rap game.
The chorus of the song revolves around the word 'Boom!' which represents the power of the singer's rhymes. The line "Party people gather round what we have here is a brand new sound" suggests that the singer is introducing something new and different in the rap game. The lyrics also talk about the heat being on, and feeling the fire come off the empire. This could mean that there is a lot of competition in the rap game, but the singer is confident that they can hold their own. Overall, the lyrics of BOOM! are a testament to the singer's skill and unique style of rapping.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold your flix, I'm not for the photo op's
I'm not here for appearances, forget about photo opportunities
It's Black, code name Yaphet Kotto ock
My name is 'Black', codename 'Yaphet Kotto'
My twist like a ratchet in an auto shop
My style is unique and distinct
Since granddaddy old Desoto stopped and he got the Caddie
Ever since my grandfather switched cars from his old Desoto to a Caddie
I been gladly servin, any y'all cats want to act determined
I'm willing to serve anyone who is willing to work hard
Spit pesticides for rats and vermin
I rap about relevant issues and call out the fake ones
Seem like none of y'all chumps is learning
None of you seem to be learning
Y'all hopeless, and I'm a little better than dope is
You all are hopeless, and I'm better than just being good
Far from a brand new kid to show biz
I'm not new to the music industry
Tryna hold on, maintain my focus
Trying to hold on and stay focused
Coming out a room with a could of smoke
I'm leaving a room with smoke
Smokers rolling with the punches
I'm taking everything in stride
I survive and rock
I continue to make music and perform
Cause I keep the crowd alive
Because of my ability to engage and entertain the audience
And the texture of my voice
The sound of my voice
Is course and kind of hoarse and cut
My voice is rough and raspy
Like I'm throwing a thousand knives
My delivery is sharp and impactful
Party people gather round what we have here is a brand new sound
Everyone come listen to our new style of music
Reach for my waist you hit the ground
Don't mess with me or you'll regret it
You better duck when that awful sound goes
Be prepared for the powerful sound I'm about to produce
Boom
The sound that we're creating
That's what's happenin in the parking lot
People are enjoying our music in the parking lot
That's what's happenin on stage
People are enjoying our performance on stage
The man at hand that rule the school
I'm the one in charge here
And reach and teach the blind and find a way from A to Z
I'm able to educate and guide those who need it
And be the most to boast I'm load and proud
I have every reason to be proud of who I am
The game and reign that remain
I continue to be successful and in control
The heat is on so feel the fire come off the empire or the
The pressure is on, but I'm still able to produce impressive work
More higher level of depth one step beyond dope
My work is deeper and more meaningful than just being 'good'
To suckers all scope and hope to cop a note
Those who are lesser than me try to imitate my style
Cause I could never let em on top of me
I won't let anyone else outshine me
I play em out like a game of Monopoly
I'm able to outsmart and defeat my opponents
Let it speed around the board like an astro
Let them keep trying to win
And send them to jail for tryna pass go
I'll stop them from succeeding
Shaking them up
I'm causing people to be uncomfortable
Breaking them up
I'm separating them
Taking no stuff
I'm not tolerating any nonsense
But it still ain't loud enough
I'm still not satisfied with how impactful my sound is
So quest love let the fire roast
Let's turn up the heat and get even better
So I can flow and we can kill the whole show cause
I want to perform at my best and really impress everyone
I'm live
I'm currently alive and performing
Design a finer rhyme that's right on time
I'm constantly working to improve and perfect my craft
One step beyond and not behind the line
I'm always pushing myself to be better than the rest
That separates thought from divine
Divine inspiration and original thought set me apart
You can take it as a caution or a warning sign
Take what I'm saying seriously as a warning or advice
Look for antonyms
Pay attention to the opposite of what I'm saying
Words I'm sending em
I'm delivering my message through my lyrics
Homonyms, synonyms good like M&M's
My use of similar-sounding words is clever and entertaining
You know the time when it's Riq Gees slicing
You know it's time for me to shine when I'm performing
I turn a Mic's last name into Tyson
I'm able to dominate and overpower the microphone
My brain like a factory constantly creating
I'm constantly coming up with fresh ideas
Materials stitch by stitch for decoration
I'm carefully crafting each line for maximum impact
My lyrics one fabric the beat is a lining
My lyrics and the beat work together to create a cohesive piece
My passion of rhyming is fashion designing
My love and skill for rapping is comparable to a fashion designer's passion
Now it get sorted cause people want to sport it ya bought it
My music is becoming popular and in-demand
If you didn't then you couldn't afford it
If you haven't listened to my music, you're missing out
Poetry full of surprises it's like a game show
My poetry and lyrics are unpredictable and entertaining
And my brain go
My mind is constantly coming up with new ideas
I do my thing yo
I'm doing what I do best
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GILBERTO BETTINI, GINA WILMA KUSCHKE, LEE WILLIAMS, MICHAEL MCKINLEY
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!