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.
Good Music
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the Brother Question, broadcasting live
Via satellite, from the Never Never Tunnels
Now dig the rituals for today, is good music
So sit back, relax and dig the groove
Yo bust it, I digs hip-hop, and rocks for hip-hop
Not R&B because to me that's not my style and
The ones that's hip won't change the dial and
I remember one morning at the Soul Shack, coolin'
In the outback, on the songwritin' ship
Blizz a five, off a Bob Marley spliff
On the cloud I be relaxin' from last night and shit
In studio today but hey Brother Question
Was on the Westside asleep without a clue when
I hollered down to Crumbs to pick up the phone
And tell him to get ready (Question, what ya doin'?)
(Ain't no thing) Yeah
Buttered chicken wings, so I met him in the West
Where we had to 'lax and wait for Rubber Band and Bes'
Bassey broke down on the other side of town
Yo you know what it's about, The Roots is out
To the subway
Does anybody like real music?
Sweet music, soul music?
You know The Roots is a group that'll choose it
Just to use it, to make you move it, yeah
Does anybody like real music?
Sweet music, soul music?
You know The Roots is a group that'll choose it
Just to use it, to make you move it, yeah
From the subway to the studio
Gots to break fast if we want to get, to the bus
Runnin' like a Mex for the border
(Um, yo, oh um, was it a bunch of yas?)
Nah, just the four of us
Nuff nappy sweets on the transit, two fine
(Three fine) fo' five mo' fine, uhh!
A girl says, "Hey ain't y'all The Square Roots?"
And I'm like, "Heh, word,"
And then the shorty passed the sign
Now we got to make out exit (where?)
To the pavement (to what?) Crushin' trail mix
(Oh word man, yo look out) Say what? (look out!)
Question dropped a whole bag of drumsticks
(Ain't no thing) but a chicken wing, so
He bends down to pick up the sticks
And his pants fall down (dang!)
In my face, Question didn't frown, turned around
And thought he felt a draft, so I laughed
(Hahaha)
Does anybody like real music?
Sweet music, soul music?
You know The Roots is a group that'll choose it
Just to use it, to make you move it, yeah
Does anybody like real music?
Sweet music, soul music?
You know The Roots is a group that'll choose it
Just to use it, to make you move it, yeah
Here comes the Crumbs, from the chums of the P.O.
Sprouted from The Roots and I was added to the trio
Now I'm in cahoots and got a reason for my ego
In the words of, Los Lobos, adios, amigo
At the Rat Cave, mic I'm hand, I'm flowin'
Tellin Question, to keep it, goin'
What I'm doin', I'm not really knowin'
But umm, to me see it sounds oh-and-kay'n (it sounds OK)
Layin', to the sounds playin'
Um, hi to hoe and, yeah, hey to hay'n (uh-huh)
Trippin', I'm tryin', not to laugh, bust it
It's the last paragraph, and I'm done half
But Question's jokin', and I'm like hopin'
That nobody comes in and opens, the door
(Ah man, what is up with you man?
I'm leavin', what why you scratchin' your face like that man?
Look ugly, self-righteous, do-gooder)
Does anybody like real music?
Sweet music, soul music?
You know The Roots is a group that'll choose it
Just to use it, to make you move it, yeah
Does anybody like realmusic?
Sweet music, soul music?
You know The Roots is a group that'll choose it
Just to use it, to make you move it, yeah
In “Good Music,” the first song on The Roots' fourth studio album, “Do You Want More?” the band introduces itself in a funky way. Questlove, the drummer, begins the song by introducing himself and broadcasting live, before inviting listeners to relax and groove along to some good music, indicating that the song is called “Good Music.”
Later, Questlove raps a verse about his love for hip-hop, his refusal to play R&B, and his affinity for lesser-known soul records. The other rappers in the group, Black Thought and Malik B, also make appearances on the song, rapping about their love for different kinds of music and the importance of keeping it real. Despite each person's personal preferences, they all come together to create “Good Music.”
The song ends with the group laughing and joking around in the studio, sampling music and having a good time. The song serves as an introduction to the band and their musical philosophy, which is based on a love for all sorts of music and the idea that good music can bring people together.
Line by Line Meaning
Peace to all the hip cats, all the nappy sweets
Greetings to all the cool people, especially those with natural hair
This is the Brother Question, broadcasting live
I am Brother Question, and I'm speaking to you live
Via satellite, from the Never Never Tunnels
I am speaking from an underground location, transmitted via satellite
Now dig the rituals for today, is good music
Listen to the music we're playing today, it's great
So sit back, relax and dig the groove
Just relax and enjoy the music
Yo bust it, I digs hip-hop, and rocks for hip-hop
Listen, I love hip-hop and I play it well
Not R&B because to me that's not my style and
I don't like R&B, it's not my thing
The are-double-O-quotes ain't for radio, but major soul
I don't play explicit music on the radio, but I do play soulful music for big audiences
The ones that's hip won't change the dial and
The cool listeners won't switch to another station
I remember one morning at the Soul Shack, coolin'
I recall relaxing one morning at a place called the Soul Shack
In the outback, on the songwritin' ship
It was a remote location where we were working on some songs
Blizz a five, off a Bob Marley spliff
I took a five-minute break to smoke a Bob Marley joint
On the cloud I be relaxin' from last night and shit
I'm still feeling great from partying last night
In studio today but hey Brother Question
I'm in the studio today, but my colleague Brother Question
Was on the Westside asleep without a clue when
was asleep on the west side and didn't know what was happening
I hollered down to Crumbs to pick up the phone
I shouted to Crumbs to answer the phone
(Question, what ya doin'?) (Ain't no thing) Yeah
(Question, what are you doing?) (It's nothing much)
Buttered chicken wings, so I met him in the West
We decided to have some chicken wings, so I went to the west side to meet him
Where we had to 'lax and wait for Rubber Band and Bes'
We had to relax and wait for Rubber Band and Bes' to arrive
Bassey broke down on the other side of town
Our friend Bassey's car broke down on the other side of the town
Yo you know what it's about, The Roots is out
You know what we're like, we're The Roots and we're on the move
To the subway
We're taking the subway
Does anybody like real music?
Does anyone appreciate authentic music?
Sweet music, soul music?
Do you like music that's relaxing and soulful?
You know The Roots is a group that'll choose it
The Roots will choose it if you're into that kind of music
Just to use it, to make you move it, yeah
They just want to use that music to make you dance
From the subway to the studio
We're traveling from the subway to the recording studio
Gots to break fast if we want to get, to the bus
We need to hurry if we want to catch the bus
Runnin' like a Mex for the border
Running very fast, like someone trying to cross the Mexican border
(Um, yo, oh um, was it a bunch of yas?) (Nah, just the four of us)
(Um, was there a group of people with you?) (No, just us four)
Nuff nappy sweets on the transit, two fine / (Three fine) fo' five mo' fine, uhh!
There are plenty of good-looking people on the train, several of whom are very attractive
A girl says, "Hey ain't y'all The Square Roots?"
A girl recognizes us and asks if we're The Square Roots
And I'm like, "Heh, word,"
I respond positively, saying "yeah, that's us"
And then the shorty passed the sign
She passes a sign that's related to us
Now we got to make out exit (where?)
We need to leave soon (but where are we going?)
To the pavement (to what?) Crushin' trail mix
We're headed outside to walk on the pavement and eat some trail mix
(Oh word man, yo look out) Say what? (look out!)
(Hey watch out) What do you mean? (Watch out!)
Question dropped a whole bag of drumsticks (Ain't no thing)
Question accidentally drops a bag of drumsticks
but a chicken wing, so / He bends down to pick up the sticks / And his pants fall down (dang!)
He doesn't care and simply picks up the drumsticks. While doing so, his pants fall down
In my face, Question didn't frown, turned around
Question's butt ends up right in my face, but he just laughs and turns around
And thought he felt a draft, so I laughed (Hahaha)
He thinks he feels a draft, and I find it funny
Here comes the Crumbs, from the chums of the P.O.
Crumbs is arriving from his postal worker buddies
Sprouted from The Roots and I was added to the trio
Crumbs joined our group, which started from The Roots
Now I'm in cahoots and got a reason for my ego
Now I'm part of the group and have a reason to be proud
In the words of, Los Lobos, adios, amigo
As Los Lobos would say, goodbye, my friend
At the Rat Cave, mic I'm hand, I'm flowin'
I'm now at the Rat Cave, holding a mic and rapping
Tellin Question, to keep it, goin'
I'm encouraging Question to keep the music flowing
What I'm doin', I'm not really knowin'
I'm not really sure what I'm doing, or what's happening in general
But umm, to me see it sounds oh-and-kay'n (it sounds OK)
But I'm okay with it, it sounds okay to me
Layin', to the sounds playin'
I'm just relaxing and enjoying the music
Um, hi to hoe and, yeah, hey to hay'n (uh-huh)
I greet everybody, both the women and the men
Trippin', I'm tryin', not to laugh, bust it
I'm trying not to laugh, but I'm finding it difficult
It's the last paragraph, and I'm done half / But Question's jokin', and I'm like hopin'
I'm almost done rapping, but Question is still making jokes and I hope that it doesn't ruin the recording
That nobody comes in and opens, the door
I hope that nobody comes inside and interrupts our recording
(Ah man, what is up with you man? / I'm leavin', what why you scratchin' your face like that man? / Look ugly, self-righteous, do-gooder)
(What's wrong with you? I'm leaving. Why are you scratching your face like that? You look ugly and self-righteous)
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MELBOURNE MILLER, DONALD DENNIS, HOPETON LINDO, RICHARD BAILEY, MICHAEL RUSSELL, PAUL CROSSDALE, ROHAN SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Downtown Clay Davis
I kind of like how little this song is known. This is a hidden gem for only the purist of hip hop fans.
randomquentin
Damn you got pipes on that fly song and yea just found this song right now damnnnnn good
Downtown Clay Davis
@randomquentin Aw damn thank you! I forgot I uploaded that lol
HomZGee
Best from The Roots
world wide
Real hiphop
Khiron Ashton
❤
Tim Pede
Only 151 likes...apparently not many people like real music.
Mike S
133 likes. SMMFH. This the TRUtH. Pure good music
Jack Rayan
i dont mean to be offtopic but does any of you know a trick to log back into an instagram account??
I was stupid forgot the password. I would appreciate any assistance you can offer me
world wide
RIP malik b