The Roots, also known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Square Roots and The… Read Full Bio ↴The Roots, also known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy winning hip hop group based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. Inspired by the "hip-hop band" concept pioneered by Stetsasonic, the Roots themselves have garnered critical acclaim and influenced later hip-hop and R&B acts.

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.

How I Got Over
The Roots Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Uh, uh
Uh, uh-huh

Out in the streets where I grew up
First thing they teach us, not to give a fuck
That type of thinking can't get you nowhere
Someone has to care

How I got over where the people come apart
Don't nobody care about you only thing you got is God
Out here in these streets if you get down on your luck
You can stand out with a hand out, but nobody give a fuck
Out here in these streets every man is for himself
They ain't helpin' no one else, it's a hazard to your health
Livin' life in these cold streets
Hey, who's worryin' 'bout you, babe
When you whylin' out, runnin' 'round in these streets?

Out in the streets where I grew up (how I got over)
First thing they teach us is not to give a fuck (how I got over)
That type of thinking can't get you nowhere (how I got over)
Someone has to care

Yo, when you on the corner, it's too much drama
Livin' with the police right behind ya
It's always more than a slight reminder
We livin' in a war zone like Rwanda
Before I go back to the Heavenly Father
Pray for me if it ain't too much bother
Whatever don't break me or make me stronger
I feel like I can't take too much longer
It's too much lyin' and too much flyin'
I'm all cried out 'cause I grew up cryin'
They all got a sales pitch I ain't buyin'
They tryin' to convince me that I ain't tryin'
We uninspired, we un-admired
And tired and sick of being sick and tired
Of livin' in the hood where the shots are fired
We dyin' to live, so to live we dyin'
You just like I am

Out on the streets where I grew up (how I got over)
First thing they teach us is not to give a fuck (how I got over)
That type of thinking can't get you nowhere (somebody, somewhere)
Someone has to care

Somebody's gotta care
And I swear it isn't fair
In suspended animation, we ain't tryin' to go nowhere
Out here in these streets
We're so young and all alone
We ain't even old enough to realize we're on our own
Livin' life in these hard streets
Where it's like they lost they mind
Is there anyway to find
Are we runnin' out of time out here?
Listen
Hey, who's worryin' 'bout you, babe
When you whylin' out, runnin' 'round in these streets?

Out on the streets where I grew up (how I got over)
First thing they teach us is not to give a fuck (how I got over)
That type of thinking can't get you nowhere (somebody, somewhere)
Someone has to care

Out in the streets where I grew up
First thing they teach us, not to give a fuck
That type of thinking can't get you nowhere
Someone has to care
Out in the streets where I grew up
First thing they teach us, not to give a fuck
That type of thinking can't get you nowhere
Someone has to care
Out in the streets where I grew up
First thing they teach us, not to give a fuck

That type of thinking can't get you nowhere
Someone has to care

Overall Meaning

The Roots's "How I Got Over" is a powerful and poignant song about the struggle for survival in disadvantaged communities. The song captures the essence of growing up in the streets, where the first lesson one learns is not to care too much about anything, lest one be hurt. The lyrics convey a deep sense of despair and hopelessness that can be all-consuming, especially when one is young and alone in a world that doesn't seem to care.

The song speaks to an audience that knows firsthand what it means to grow up in difficult circumstances, where the only way to survive is to adopt a tough and uncaring exterior. The repeated refrain, "Someone has to care," is a plea for help that goes unanswered in a world where self-preservation is the only law. The song speaks of the harsh reality of life and death in the streets, where violence and poverty are everyday occurrences that shape a person's character and outlook on life.

The song is an authentic expression of the African American struggle for survival in America, where systemic racism, poverty, and violence are everyday realities for many people. The Roots's "How I Got Over" is a powerful song that speaks to the heart of the human experience, and its message is as relevant today as it was when the song was first written.

Line by Line Meaning

Out in the streets where I grew up
The place where I was raised

First thing they teach us, not to give a fuck
From the onset, we're programmed not to care

That type of thinking can't get you nowhere
Such an attitude is unproductive

Someone has to care
A caring person is needed to effect change

How I got over where the people come apart
A story of how I overcame despite the unruly environment

Don't nobody care about you; only thing you got is God
In such streets, nobody's got your back besides a higher power

Out here in these streets if you get down on your luck
If you're stranded here

You can stand out with a hand out, but nobody give a fuck
Nobody's going to lend a helping hand

Out here in these streets every man is for himself
All are concerned about themselves alone

They ain't helpin' no one else; it's a hazard to your health
Assisting anyone might be detrimental to you

Livin' life in these cold streets
Life here is difficult and unrelenting

When you whylin' out, runnin' 'round in these streets?
Who's looking out for you when you're caught up in these situations?

Yo, when you on the corner, it's too much drama
Being on the street corner brings untold troubles

Livin' with the police right behind ya
Being under constant police surveillance

Before I go back to the Heavenly Father
Before I die and go to heaven

Pray for me if it ain't too much bother
Ask for divine intervention

Whatever don't break me or make me stronger
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger

I feel like I can't take too much longer
Life here is taxing and takes a toll on me

It's too much lyin' and too much flyin'
Too much falsehood and hustle going on

I'm all cried out 'cause I grew up cryin'
I'm exhausted because I've been crying for years

They all got a sales pitch I ain't buyin'
I'm not interested in their schemes

They tryin' to convince me that I ain't tryin'
They insist that I'm not working hard enough

We uninspired, we un-admired
We lack drive and hardly garner any attention

And tired and sick of being sick and tired
We're drained and weary of feeling fatigued

Of livin' in the hood where the shots are fired
Living in the ghetto where gunshots are a common sound

We dyin' to live, so to live we dyin'
We're desperately trying to live, but the environment is killing us slowly

Someone has to care
Someone has to take the initiative and show concern

And I swear it isn't fair
It's unjust

In suspended animation, we ain't tryin' to go nowhere
We're stagnant and not making progress

Out here in these streets
In this environment

We're so young and all alone
We're young and isolated

We ain't even old enough to realize we're on our own
We're too young to understand how alone we are

Where it's like they lost they mind
The place is insane

Is there anyway to find
Is there hope for us?

Are we runnin' out of time out here?
Are we running out of time?