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.
Complexity
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been wondering about the complexity
Of what we have it shouldn't be
More
Just can't see
More
You're physically in this, but how could we tell
This energy you're sending me is tricky as hell
Usually it's like a 50/50, we could take a L
Before we start things, at this point being apart brings
The feeling of somebody plucking at your heart strings
I know it probably shouldn't feel like this
But any other woman I see is in your likeness
It's from your cheekbones
Yo your lips, to your curves, to your deep moans
To that walk, to your words
You love feeling like a breakdown on the verge
First we on good terms, then you on my last nerves
Got my back just aching, my shoes is all tight
It's too complex when we choose to do it right
It's wrong, one minute you a soldier strong
Then you trying a route talking about it's over and gone
[Chorus]
When your boyfriend's in town, it's bound to be trouble, Love
His name Black, and he known to be a lover of
Getting it on with my smoker's jacket on
Eyes racing back and forth listening to Chaka Khan
Trying to figure the cause why you always acting off
like I'm slacking off
Maybe our signal's getting crossed
For the case Love, you feel like you making a waste of
Your precious time you need to get a taste of
Some space to breathe, a moment as friends
We should've felt ourselves slipping into it again
'Cause it's like off and on, on and off
Passion, lost and found, found and lost
Clashing, asking for nothing but understanding
Your hearts made of glass, use care when handling
Girl, all in all I never leave you stranded
'Cause my respect you commanded, you figure it out
[Chorus]
I used to come into the party and stand around
'Cause I was kinda too shy to really get down
I used to play the corner and watch the scene
Deep down knowing I wanted to find me a queen
And I could feel that in my stomach and up in my chest
Because I knew a lot of women, and some was fresh
But then I found you girl, and just like me
You had a heart that was yearning to be set free
Now listen, see you and me we need to take the time
To erase any doubt that's inside your mind
It's not a mountain that I'm ever too tired to climb
And who's counting, but I know at least a thousand times
I let you know I'm here for you, care for you, and confide in you
Break bread, share with you, and provide for you
And that's full time, it's no 9 to 5 with you
That's why I'm trying to work it out with you, it's gonna work
[Chorus]
In "Complexity," The Roots explore the mixed emotions and difficulties that come with relationships. The song's chorus speaks to the complexity of the relationship in question, which shouldn't be as difficult as it appears to be. The energy between the two partners is described as "tricky as hell," with the push-and-pull of their dynamic causing stress and confusion for both parties. The verses delves deeper into the nuances of the relationship – feeling like a breakdown on the verge, experiencing love and hate in quick succession, and struggling to communicate effectively.
Through the verses, it becomes clear that while there is a lot of love and respect between the two partners, there is also a lot of tension and misunderstanding. They are both physically present in the relationship but not always mentally, causing confusion and hurt. Despite the challenges, the singer is committed to working through it with the other person, even if it means climbing mountains and putting in full-time effort.
Overall, "Complexity" serves as a reminder that relationships are complex and require a lot of hard work and communication to make them succeed. The Roots capture the emotional rollercoaster of love, and the constant balancing act required to keep a relationship going.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been wondering about the complexity
I have been thinking about how complicated our relationship is
Of what we have it shouldn't be
Our relationship should not be this complicated
Just can't see
I cannot understand why it is so complicated
You're physically in this, but how could we tell
You are physically present in our relationship, but it is unclear if you are emotionally invested
If we was meant to be in bliss if you're not mentally as well?
If you are not mentally engaged, can we truly be happy in our relationship?
This energy you're sending me is tricky as hell
Your behavior is unpredictable and difficult to understand
Usually it's like a 50/50, we could take a L
It is usually a balanced relationship, but now it feels like we are taking a loss
Before we start things, at this point being apart brings
Before we continue, being apart seems more appealing
The feeling of somebody plucking at your heartstrings
Being separated feels like someone is pulling on the strings of your heart
I know it probably shouldn't feel like this
I know it should not feel this emotionally draining
But any other woman I see is in your likeness
I see similarities in other women that remind me of you
It's from your cheekbones
I can tell it's you from your distinctive facial features
Yo your lips, to your curves, to your deep moans
I recognize you from your lips, your figure, and your unique vocalizations
To that walk, to your words
Even the way you walk and speak stands out to me
You love feeling like a breakdown on the verge
You enjoy the feeling of being close to an emotional outburst
First we on good terms, then you on my last nerves
Our relationship is unpredictable, one minute we are good and next minute we are fighting
Got my back just aching, my shoes is all tight
Our issues are causing me physical discomfort and stress
It's too complex when we choose to do it right
Our relationship is too complicated even when we try to make it work
It's wrong, one minute you a soldier strong
It is not right that you can be so strong one minute and then want to give up the next
Then you trying a route talking about it's over and gone
Then you try to end it, saying that it's all over
When your boyfriend's in town, it's bound to be trouble, Love
Whenever your boyfriend is around, it causes problems in our relationship
His name Black, and he known to be a lover of
Your boyfriend's name is Black and he is known for his love of causing trouble
Getting it on with my smoker's jacket on
He is hooking up with you while I am wearing my jacket
Eyes racing back and forth listening to Chaka Khan
I am nervously looking around while listening to music
Trying to figure the cause why you always acting off
I am trying to understand why you are always acting strange
like I'm slacking off
Like I am not doing enough to make you happy
Maybe our signal's getting crossed
Maybe there is a miscommunication between us
For the case Love, you feel like you making a waste of
You feel like our relationship is a waste of time and energy, my love
Your precious time you need to get a taste of
You need to spend time on yourself and experience other things
Some space to breathe, a moment as friends
We need to take a break and have some time as just friends
We should've felt ourselves slipping into it again
We should have recognized that we were getting too involved again
'Cause it's like off and on, on and off
Our relationship feels like it constantly switches between being on and off
Passion, lost and found, found and lost
Our passion for each other comes and goes
Clashing, asking for nothing but understanding
We argue and fight, but all we really need is better communication and understanding
Your hearts made of glass, use care when handling
You are emotionally fragile and need to be handled with care
Girl, all in all I never leave you stranded
I will always be here for you, no matter what happens
'Cause my respect you commanded, you figure it out
I respect you and your decisions, but you need to figure things out for yourself
I used to come into the party and stand around
I used to be shy and not participate in social events
'Cause I was kinda too shy to really get down
I was too scared to really let loose and have fun
I used to play the corner and watch the scene
I used to observe from the sidelines and not participate
Deep down knowing I wanted to find me a queen
Secretly, I wanted to find a special woman
And I could feel that in my stomach and up in my chest
I could feel the excitement and anticipation in my body
Because I knew a lot of women, and some was fresh
I had met many women, but none of them felt special
But then I found you girl, and just like me
But then I found you and realized we were meant for each other
You had a heart that was yearning to be set free
You had been looking for someone to help you break free from your past
Now listen, see you and me we need to take the time
Now listen, we need to take time for each other
To erase any doubt that's inside your mind
We need to work on building trust and eliminating any doubts
It's not a mountain that I'm ever too tired to climb
I am always willing to work on our relationship and overcome any obstacles
And who's counting, but I know at least a thousand times
I have committed to working things out with you hundreds of times
I let you know I'm here for you, care for you, and confide in you
I want you to know that I am here for you, I care about you, and I share my thoughts with you
Break bread, share with you, and provide for you
I want to share my resources with you and take care of you
And that's full time, it's no 9 to 5 with you
I am committed to our relationship full-time and not just during working hours
That's why I'm trying to work it out with you, it's gonna work
That is why I am committed to making our relationship work, it will work
[Chorus: x2]
Refrain from the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AHMIR K. THOMPSON, LEONARD N. HUBBARD, TARIK L. COLLINS, JILL H. SCOTT, JAMES GRAY, OMAR EDWARDS KINDRED
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!