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.
Din Da Da
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Over here)
She got da money
She on da money
She on da money yeah
She on da money
On da money
(All the money)
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
Come on come on come on
The way she grooves for me
The way she makes me feel uh
She got da best
She got da best
She got da best of me
The way she moves for me
The way she makes me feel
She got da best
She got da best
She got da best
oh no no no no
She got da best of me
Come get da rest of me
She got da best
She got da best
She got da best of me
She got the best of me
Come get the rest of me girl
(She got da money)
She on da money yeah
You know this groove is on da money
(She on da money)
Do you need me to prove it to you honey?
(She got da money)
You know this groove is on da money
Do you need me to prove it to you honey?
(All the money)
She's on da money yeah
Come on, come on, come on uh
The way she moves for me
yeah the way she moves for me
She got da best
She got da best
She got da best of me
The way she moves
The way she grooves
The way she moves for me
She got da best
She got da best
(She's got da Money!)
She got the best of me
Come get the rest of me
(Oh yeah)
She's got the best of me
Come get the rest of me girl
(That girl is on da money man !)
You know this groove is on the money
(Shes on da money yeah)
Do you need me to prove it to you honey?
(She's got da Money)
You know this groove is on the money
(Shes on da money)
Do you need me to prove it to you honey?
(All the money)
You know this groove is
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
On da money
The way you move girl
Come on
Can I talk to you ?
Can I talk to you ?
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
She is got the best of me
Come get the rest of me
She's got the best
She's got the best
She's got the best of me
She is got the best of me
Come get the rest of me girl
She's got the best
She's got the best
She's got the best of me
For real, nah what I mean?
(Oh yeah yeah)
You know this groove is on money
Do you need me to prove it to you honey?
(She got da money)
You know this groove is on the money
Do you need me to prove it to you honey?
(Shes on da money man)
You know this groove is on the money
(Come on, come on, come on)
Do you need me to prove it to you honey?
(Your my twin flame)
You know this groove is on the money
(Nothing will be the same)
Do you need me to prove it to you honey?
(She got da money)
You know this groove is
On da money
(She on da money yeah)
On da money
On da money
On da money
(She got da money)
On da money
On da money
On da money
(She on da money)
On da money
On da money
On da money
(She blows my mind)
On da money
Money,money, money, money, money
The lyrics to The Roots' "Din Da Da" are repetitive and mostly revolve around a woman who is "on da money." The song starts with the chorus, where the singer repeats that the woman in question is on the money. The verses follow the same structure, with the singer proclaiming that the woman has got the best of him and the way she moves for him is unparalleled. The bridge is a call-out to the listener, asking if they need the singer to prove that "this groove is on the money." The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and a few additional lines about the woman blowing the singer's mind.
While the lyrics to "Din Da Da" are not particularly deep or complex, they convey a playful and upbeat mood that is characteristic of The Roots' style. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that the woman is the focus of the song and the center of attention. The use of the phrase "on da money" implies that she is successful and financially well-off, adding to her allure.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm
(Over here)
Asserting presence
She got da money
She is wealthy
She on da money yeah
She is focused on making money
She on da money
She is successful in generating financial gain
On da money
Doing something with great accuracy or success
All the money
Amassing a large amount of money
Come on come on come on
Urging action or progress
The way she grooves for me
The way she dances for me
The way she makes me feel uh
She makes me feel good
She got da best
She is the best
She got da best of me
She has brought out the best in me
oh no no no no
Expressing surprise or disbelief
Come get da rest of me
Inviting closeness or intimacy
She got the best of me
She has given me the best experience
Come get the rest of me girl
Asking to be physically close with the girl
You know this groove is on da money
This music is really good
Do you need me to prove it to you honey?
Asking if the person needs convincing
She's on da money yeah
She is really good at making money
The way she moves for me
The way she dances for me
She got da best of me
She is the best thing that has happened to me
She's got da Money!
She has a lot of money
That girl is on da money man !
That girl is really good at making money
The way you move girl
The way you dance girl
Can I talk to you ?
Asking for communication
She is got the best of me
She has brought out the best in me
She's got the best of me
She has given me the best experience
For real, nah what I mean?
Asking for confirmation or agreement
Your my twin flame
You are my perfect match
Nothing will be the same
Expecting big changes
(She blows my mind)
She amazes or impresses me
Money,money, money, money, money
Expressing the desire to have more money
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alexis Farshi, Dan Bowskill
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!