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.
Make My
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's what it seems..
Well, in the world of night terrors it's
Hard to dream, they hollerin' cash rules everything
Just call it cream, cause when it rises to the top
You get the finer things
Oceanfronts, rolling blunts with model chicks
And saying grace over lobster and steak
Too busy looking backwards for jackers to pump my brakes
For help signs to symbolize the lives that hunger takes
Addicted to the green, if I don't ball I'll get the shakes
I'd give it all for peace of mind, for Heaven's sake
My heart's so heavy that the ropes that hold my casket breaks
Cause everything that wasn't for me I had to chase
I had to take, I had to take
They told me that the ends
Won't justify the means
They told me at the end
Don't justify the dreams
That I've had since a child
Maybe I'll throw in the towel
Make my (make my)
Make my (make my)
Departure from the world
Tryin' to control the fits of panic
Unwritten and unraveled, it's the dead man's pedantic
Whatever, see it's really just a matter of semantics
When everybody's fresh out of collateral to damage
And my splaying got me praying like a mantis
I begin to vanish
Feel the pull of the blank canvas
I'm contemplating that special dedication
To whoever it concern, my letter of resignation
Fading back to black, my dark coronation
The heat of the day, the long robe of muerte
That soul is in the atmosphere like airplay
If there's a Heaven I can't find a stairway
They told me that the ends
Won't justify the means
They told me at the end
Don't justify the dreams
That I've had since a child
Maybe I'll throw in the towel
Make my (make my)
Make my (make my)
Departure from the world
The Roots’ song “Make My” revolves around the theme of the pursuit of material wealth and the conflicts that come with it. The opening lines of the song lay out the situation clearly, with the singer confessing that they did it all for the money, and that’s what it seems like. The lyrics highlight the struggle of living in a world that prioritizes money and material success above all else, and how it can be hard to stay true to one’s values and beliefs when there is so much pressure to conform.
The chorus of the song reflects the singer’s internal conflict about whether the ends truly justify the means. They have been told that chasing their dreams might not be worth it, and that they might regret it in the end. They consider throwing in the towel and making their departure from the world, suggesting that despite their success, they are still left unfulfilled.
The second verse contains more vivid imagery and metaphors that depict the singer’s mental state. They describe feeling like a dead man whose life is unraveled and splayed out for all to see. They convey a sense of hopelessness and despair as they contemplate their options, ultimately feeling like they are fading back to black and embracing the inevitability of death.
Overall, the lyrics of “Make My” are a commentary on the often harmful pursuit of money and material success, and the toll it can take on an individual’s mental health and well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
I did it all for the money, Lord
I've done everything for money, Lord.
It's what it seems..
That's what it looks like.
Well, in the world of night terrors it's
Well, in the world of scary dreams, it is tough.
Hard to dream, they hollerin' cash rules everything
It is hard to dream when all they talk about is the importance of cash.
Just call it cream, cause when it rises to the top
Just refer to it as cream because when it gets to the top,
You get the finer things
One can enjoy the finer things in life.
Oceanfronts, rolling blunts with model chicks
Living in a fancy house by the sea while weed and models are all around.
And saying grace over lobster and steak
Praying to God while having expensive seafood.
Like please forgive us for riding Benzes with camera plates
Asking for forgiveness for riding around in luxury cars equipped with special plates to avoid getting caught.
Too busy looking backwards for jackers to pump my brakes
I'm too preoccupied looking backwards, trying to avoid carjackers, to slow down.
For help signs to symbolize the lives that hunger takes
I put up help signs for those suffering from hunger.
Addicted to the green, if I don't ball I'll get the shakes
I am addicted to money, and if I don't enjoy the high life soon, I'll get withdrawal symptoms.
I'd give it all for peace of mind, for Heaven's sake
I would give it all away for peace of mind, for heaven's sake.
My heart's so heavy that the ropes that hold my casket breaks
I feel so burdened that even the ropes that would hold my casket would break.
Cause everything that wasn't for me I had to chase
I had to pursue anything that wasn't initially for me.
I had to take, I had to take
I had to take matters into my own hands, and was compelled to do so.
They told me that the ends
People warned me that the result or outcome,
Won't justify the means
Will not make everything right, even if they're done with the best intentions.
They told me at the end
They emphasized to me that eventually,
Don't justify the dreams
My goals or dreams, regardless of how hard or long-standing they are, won't suffice.
That I've had since a child
That I have had since I was a kid.
Maybe I'll throw in the towel
Perhaps, I will quit.
Make my (make my)
To make changes and, consequently,
Make my (make my)
Decide to take action and,
Departure from the world
Leave the world behind, possibly via death.
Tryin' to control the fits of panic
Attempting to regulate and contain bouts of panic.
Unwritten and unraveled, it's the dead man's pedantic
It is meticulous and detailed like a dead person's unfinished work.
Whatever, see it's really just a matter of semantics
Regardless, it is strictly about word usage or interpretation.
When everybody's fresh out of collateral to damage
When everyone has exhausted all the things of value which they could destroy.
And my splaying got me praying like a mantis
My open posture made me feel like I'm praying like a praying mantis.
I begin to vanish
I am starting to disappear.
Feel the pull of the blank canvas
Sensing the attraction of a blank slate or canvas.
I'm contemplating that special dedication
I am considering giving a specific dedication.
To whoever it concerns, my letter of resignation
Writing a letter of resignation to anyone concerned.
Fading back to black, my dark coronation
Going back to the beginning, to darkness or death.
The heat of the day, the long robe of muerte
In the scorching heat of the day, with my death robe on.
That soul is in the atmosphere like airplay
My soul is in the atmosphere, heard like music on the radio.
If there's a Heaven I can't find a stairway
I can't find a way to get to heaven.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TARIK L. COLLINS, JUSTIN LEWIS SCOTT, AHMIR K. THOMPSON, KHARI ABDUL MATEEN, KARL B. JENKINS, RAYMOND SEBASTIAN ANGRY
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!