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.
Now or Never
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything's changing around me
And I wanna change too
It's one thing I know
It ain't cool being no fool
I feel different today
I don't know what else to say
But I'm-a get my shit together
(Now or never, now or never, now or never, now or never)
I'm sick, sick of waiting in vain
Tired of playing the game
Thinking of making a change
Finally breaking the chains
Every phase, every happening craze
When it's said and done
My head is right back in a haze
I'm ready for the next chapter and page
To start acting my age and part ways
With black thought from back in the days
I'm stargazing from the back of the stage
Questioning if who y'all praise is worthy of praise
What's the phrase--bygones is bygones?
Niggas who used to be the underdog is icons
People say the light shines once in a lifetime
Is this mid-life kind of crisis a little bit like mine?
I'm thinking not now, but right now
I need some kinda sign that the future is bright now
I fuck around, do the right thing like Spike now
The quick and the dead--which is my look-a-like now
I'm moving ahead
[Chorus]
Yo, opportunities lost because I blew 'em
On the sunniest days of my life I cried through 'em
Mom's was out the picture and pops I barely knew him
And I would pray to God, but I'm tired of lying to him
Tired of trying to run from the things inside of us
Got a lot of fam' and a lot of admirers
Who tell me that I should aspire to be changed
But when I think of changing, it's like why even try this shit?
My mind hazy and my thoughts they get distorted
I know my good and bad needs both get recorded
You do right so your soul can last
But my role was cast before I even auditioned for it
So I don't really see an end to my vice
It's just false reclamation, no end of my strife
Feel the evil overpowering
You can go ahead throw the towel in
'Cause, nigga, that's the end of the fight
When you can only see the tunnel at the end of the lights
Like (?) it's the end of your life
And I'm out
[Chorus]
When I look into the mirror and see my own image
It feels like there's something else far off in the distance
Something I wanna see, but something that's resistant
And every day the haunting is growing more persistent
I never noticed it before, but now I can't miss it
And the constant pounding's driving me ballistic
I ran from it for years, but it's still next to me
And it's growing stronger take and leaving less of me
I can't fight it now; I know it's just destiny
And I just wonder what's gonna happen when it catches me
Will it leave me face down in (?)
Or will it just start bringing out the best of me?
But is the best of me really just the worst of me?
And if so yesterday could be my anniversary
In sinners' court it's important to have church with me
I'm trying to get rid of these ghosts that's cursing me
I feel that change is an absolute certainty
'Cause what's going on is a state of emergency
Everything's changing around me
And I wanna change too
It's one thing I know
It ain't cool being no fool
I feel different today
I don't know what else to say
But I'm-a get my shit together
It's now or never
It's now or never
The song 'Now or Never' by The Roots featuring Phonte and Dice Raw talks about the urge to change and move forward in life. The chorus emphasizes the need to change as everything around us is changing too, and it's not cool to be a fool. The first verse by Dice Raw talks about being sick of waiting for things to change and thinking about making a change by breaking the chains that bind them. The verse also reflects on the uncertainty of life and the confusion about who to look up to for guidance. In the second verse by Phonte, we see a reflection of the past and the consequences of missed opportunities, with a constant internal struggle to change for the better. The song ends with a somber tone, with both verses ending on an uncertain note, questioning the future and the decisions made.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything's changing around me
The world is constantly changing and evolving
And I wanna change too
I also want to change and evolve along with the world
It's one thing I know
One thing I am certain of
It ain't cool being no fool
It is not desirable to be ignorant or foolish
I feel different today
I feel a sense of change within myself today
I don't know what else to say
I am unsure of what to say next
But I'm-a get my shit together
I am going to focus and get my act together
It's now or never
The time to take action is either now or never
I'm sick, sick of waiting in vain
I am exhausted and fed up of waiting for something to happen
Tired of playing the game
I am tired of playing a game that leads nowhere
Thinking of making a change
I am considering making a change in my life
Finally breaking the chains
I am breaking free from the limitations that have held me back
Every phase, every happening craze
Every moment, every trend or fad
When it's said and done
When everything is considered and evaluated
My head is right back in a haze
I am once again confused and uncertain
I'm ready for the next chapter and page
I am prepared for the next part of my life
To start acting my age and part ways
To start behaving more maturely and moving on
With black thought from back in the days
To leave behind my old ways of thinking
I'm stargazing from the back of the stage
I am observing from a distance
Questioning if who y'all praise is worthy of praise
I am questioning the worthiness of those who are being praised
What's the phrase--bygones is bygones?
Is it true that the past should be left in the past?
Niggas who used to be the underdog is icons
People who were once overlooked are now celebrated
People say the light shines once in a lifetime
Some believe that opportunities only come once
Is this mid-life kind of crisis a little bit like mine?
Could this be a crisis similar to the one I am experiencing?
I'm thinking not now, but right now
I am thinking that action needs to be taken immediately
I need some kinda sign that the future is bright now
I require some indication that the future is promising
I fuck around, do the right thing like Spike now
I will take action and do the right thing like Spike Lee
The quick and the dead--which is my look-a-like now
There are only two outcomes, succeeding or failing
I'm moving ahead
I am moving forward with determination
Yo, opportunities lost because I blew 'em
I have missed out on opportunities due to my own mistakes
On the sunniest days of my life I cried through 'em
Even on the happiest days, I still felt sadness
Mom's was out the picture and pops I barely knew him
My mother was absent and my father was also absent in my life
And I would pray to God, but I'm tired of lying to him
I would pray, but I feel like I am lying to God because I am not taking action
Tired of trying to run from the things inside of us
I am weary of trying to escape from my own issues and problems
Got a lot of fam' and a lot of admirers
I have many family members and fans
Who tell me that I should aspire to be changed
Those people encourage me to change and improve myself
But when I think of changing, it's like why even try this shit?
However, when I attempt to change, I wonder if it is even worth the effort
My mind hazy and my thoughts they get distorted
My thoughts are unclear and confused
I know my good and bad needs both get recorded
I acknowledge that both my good and bad actions will be remembered
You do right so your soul can last
Doing what is right will ensure that your soul is remembered positively
But my role was cast before I even auditioned for it
My destiny was predetermined, even though I did not choose it
So I don't really see an end to my vice
I do not see an end to my bad habits
It's just false reclamation, no end of my strife
Trying to overcome my issues feels fake, there is no end in sight to my struggles
Feel the evil overpowering
I feel like I am being consumed by negative thoughts and actions
You can go ahead throw the towel in
I could give up and surrender
'Cause, nigga, that's the end of the fight
But that means I have lost the battle
When you can only see the tunnel at the end of the lights
When all you see is darkness and despair ahead
Like (?) it's the end of your life
It feels like it is the end of the world
And I'm out
And I'm done with this struggle
When I look into the mirror and see my own image
When I look at myself in the mirror
It feels like there's something else far off in the distance
I feel like there is something I am missing or lacking
Something I wanna see, but something that's resistant
Something I desire, but seem unable to attain
And every day the haunting is growing more persistent
Every day, this feeling becomes more intense and persistent
I never noticed it before, but now I can't miss it
I never noticed this feeling before, but now it is impossible to ignore
And the constant pounding's driving me ballistic
This constant feeling is driving me insane
I ran from it for years, but it's still next to me
I tried to escape from this feeling, but it still remains
And it's growing stronger take and leaving less of me
This feeling is becoming stronger and more consuming
I can't fight it now; I know it's just destiny
I am unable to resist this feeling, as it is my fate
And I just wonder what's gonna happen when it catches me
I wonder what will happen when this feeling finally consumes me
Will it leave me face down in (?)
Will I be defeated and overwhelmed by this feeling?
Or will it just start bringing out the best of me?
Or will it somehow help me become a better person?
But is the best of me really just the worst of me?
I question whether my better qualities are actually my worst qualities
And if so yesterday could be my anniversary
If my good qualities are actually bad, then perhaps I should celebrate my bad qualities
In sinners' court it's important to have church with me
In tough times, I need spiritual guidance and support
I'm trying to get rid of these ghosts that's cursing me
I am trying to exorcise my demons and overcome my struggles
I feel that change is an absolute certainty
I am certain that change is necessary and inevitable
'Cause what's going on is a state of emergency
The current situation is dire and requires immediate action
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AHMIR K. THOMPSON, JEREMY JAMES GRENHART, KARL B. JENKINS, PHONTE LYSHOD COLEMAN, RICK FRIEDRICH, TARIK L. COLLINS
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!