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.
Concerto of a Desperado
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
R-double-O-T-S check the flow
If you know like I know then you know the motto
That's all the fake shit gots to go
In the glow of the moon, over the melancholy metro
My poetry is set like a U.F.O.
The maestro, the lyricist concerto
The level of my lyrics law manifesto
My thoughts wrestle and attack with the killer instincts
of a gorilla stronger than Samson
Without vanilla my soliloquoy profess my ability to just
stimulate you like the best sensimilla
The halflife the Illadel-L-P-O-phila proceed
hither is my death flower blow your tower to smithereens
to fiends catch another rhyme gripper
Deeper than the meditations of a Hindu worshiper
Unorthodox, hip-hop, minister
Than a Serengeti cheetah my thoughts swifter
you lose your balance when the sound hits ya
So check for the, Fifth Militia
A poet's under pressure stressin' that you get the picture
Even if it means you gotta hang over the banister
I pull a microphone on any pistol brandisher
And take advantage of ya because you amateur
Styles gunning down your sound man and manager
What? This how we do it in the year for nine-six
With this delivering attack on pointless rap shit
Breakin MC's down to fractions, tell your squadron
It's time to go to war, reaction
The concerto, of the desperado
R-double-O-T-S check the flow
If you know like I know then you know the motto
That's all the fake shit gots to go
The concerto, of the desperado
R-double-O-T-S check the flow
If you know like I know then you know the motto
That's all the fake shit gots to go
The implorer, the universe explorer
Treat MC's like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
Leavin these niggas open like a box of Pandora
With styles that's newer than the world order
Approximately three quarters of y'all are water
I straight deport ya
Then orchestrate your torture with roots of culture
The pill brimmage to the line of scrimmage up against your image
Where life is a heist, and the strong get a percentage
It's ill as a war and within it I'm the Lieutenant
that surrounds you like a peninsula to snatch the pennant
You fold like Japan's futons and fans
While I design a plan to make a rapper step like a pedestrian
I crush a mountain into grands of sand
Your pain stains the hand that held the mic inserted to the stand
The desperado, that refuse to follow
The Fifth afficianado, break you up into parts like vibrato
I deep like the dark of the night
Niggas is sweet and sound silly when they talk on the mic
They use the simple back and forth the same
old rhythm that's plain
I'd rather UltraMagnetize your brain
It's the hip-hop purist, that leave you lost like a tourist
inside the chorus, niggaz is bringin' nothin' for us
As we breakin' 'em down to fractions, tell your squadron
It's time to go to war, reaction
The concerto, of the desperado
R-double-O-T-S check the flow
If you know like I know then you know the motto
That's all the fake shit gots to go
The concerto, of the desperado
R-double-O-T-S check the flow
If you know like I know then you know the motto
That's all the fake shit gots to go
The Roots's song "Concerto of a Desperado" is about the importance of authenticity in hip-hop. The song opens with the line "The concerto, of the desperado," which sets the stage for the idea that the song is an orchestration of honesty and truth in a world of falseness. The lyrics call out those who perpetuate "fake shit" and insist on staying true to their own unique style, even when it may not conform to mainstream expectations.
The second verse features the line "The implorer, the universe explorer," which suggests that the singer is interested in exploring and pushing boundaries with their music. They treat their fellow MCs like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, leaving them open and vulnerable with their raw and honest verses. The song ultimately advocates for hip-hop purism, encouraging listeners to reject unoriginal and generic rap styles in favor of something more genuine and creative.
Overall, "Concerto of a Desperado" challenges listeners to think critically about the music they consume and the messages it sends. It encourages artists to stay true to themselves and create something unique and meaningful, rather than relying on tired cliches and formulaic structures.
Line by Line Meaning
The concerto, of the desperado
The song is a musical masterpiece by a rebel who refuses to follow the norm.
R-double-O-T-S check the flow
The Roots are checking and perfecting the rhyme and flow of the song.
If you know like I know then you know the motto
If you are aware of the same facts as me, then you know the code to live by.
That's all the fake shit gots to go
All inauthenticity must be eliminated from the scene.
My poetry is set like a U.F.O.
My writing is out of this world and hard to comprehend.
The level of my lyrics law manifesto
My words have the power to influence people and create a movement.
My thoughts wrestle and attack with the killer instincts
of a gorilla stronger than Samson
My ideas are powerful, and my delivery is impactful like a wild animal or a biblical hero.
Without vanilla my soliloquoy profess my ability to just
stimulate you like the best sensimilla
Without adding anything unnecessary, I can impress and excite you like the highest quality marijuana.
Unorthodox, hip-hop, minister
Than a Serengeti cheetah my thoughts swifter
My style is unconventional and unique, and my ideas are sharp and swift like a cheetah.
A poet's under pressure stressin' that you get the picture
As a poet, I am under pressure to convey my message clearly.
Even if it means you gotta hang over the banister
I will do whatever it takes to make sure you understand.
It's time to go to war, reaction
The time has come to make a move and take action.
Then orchestrate your torture with roots of culture
I will use my rich cultural background and heritage to punish and defeat my enemy.
They use the simple back and forth the same
old rhythm that's plain
I'd rather UltraMagnetize your brain
Other rappers use a basic and uninspired flow, but I prefer to captivate and fascinate your mind.
It's the hip-hop purist, that leave you lost like a tourist
inside the chorus, niggaz is bringin' nothin' for us
As a hip-hop purist, I will challenge and confuse those who are not true fans, and I refuse to settle for inadequate performers.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LIONEL BART, TARIK L COLLINS, JIMMY GRAY, KENYATTA SAUNDERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pavarik
The concerto, of the desperado
R-double-O-T-S check the flow
If you know like I know then you know the motto
That's all the fraud shit got to go
In the glow of the moon, over the melancholy metro
My poetry is set like a U.F.O.
The maestro, the lyricist concerto
My physical play the role of a vessel
The level of my lyrics law manifesto
My thoughts wrestle and attack with the killer instincts
of a gorilla stronger than Samson
Without vanilla my soliloquoy profess my ability to just
stimulate you like the best sensimilla
The halflife the Illadel-L-P-O-phila proceed
hither is my death flower blow your tower to smithe-
-reens to fiends catch another rhyme gripper
Deeper than the meditations of a Hindu worshiper
Unorthodox, hip-hop, minister
Than a Serengeti cheetah my thoughts swifter
you lose your balance when the sound hits ya
So check for the, Fifth Militia
A poet's under pressure stressin that you get the picture
Even if it means you gotta hang over the banister
I pull a microphone on any pistol brandisher
And take advantage of ya because you amateur
Styles gunning down your sound man and manager
What?? This how we do it in the year for nine-six
With this delivering attack on pointless rap shit
Breakin MC's down to fractions, tell your squadron
It's time to go to war, Respond/React
[Chorus 2X]
The implorer, the universe explorer
Treat MC's like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
Leavin these niggaz open like a box of Pandora
With styles that's newer than the world order
Approximately three quarters of y'all are water
I straight deport ya
Then orchestrate your torture with roots of culture
The pill brimmage to the line of scrimmage up against your image
Where life is a heist, and the strong get a percentage
It's ill as a war and within it I'm the Lieutenant
that surrounds you like a peninsula to snatch the pennant
You fold like Japan's futons and fans
While I design a plan to make a rapper step like a pedestrian
I crush a mountain into grands of sand
Your pain stains the hand that held the mic inserted to the stand
The desperado, that refuse to follow
The Fifth aficionado, break you up into parts like vibrato
I deep like the dark of the night
Niggaz is sweet and sound silly when they talk on the mic
They use the simple back and forth the same
old rhythm that's plain
I'd rather UltraMagnetize your brain
It's the hip-hop purist, that leave you lost like a tourist
inside the chorus, niggaz is bringin nothin for us
As we breakin em down to fractions, tell your squadron
It's time to go to war, Respond/React!
@darylbrown199
Illadephalflife. One of the greatest rap albums ever. Yeah i said it!
@toddricfryson972
No lies here....
@chet732003
Agreed. It's in my top 5
@leedclinton5026
Indeed
@ThePezstar
Wow what a hot take
@shawnperico7221
That shit blew my mind!!!the first joint was nice but that second joint took shit by storm
@arturomartes8696
"Life is a heist...and the strong get a percentage.." Truer words never spoken.
@TNT_12
Easily one of the best lyrics I've ever heard. Only a true lyricist can think of something like that
@vincentwashington4106
The Roots are the most creative, innovative, and authentic Hip Hop group...ever!
@mawandemdutywa2571
RZA was crazy with the Wu movement too thoug