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.
Proceed
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just think, what if you could just, just blink yourself away?
Jeff X can rock the mic with tooth decay
I be the five foot seven, residing at the Mecca, rest address in south section
Used to cut class in the infinite pursuit of ass
Back in eighty-six
Easy with the chicks, I was a chocolate boy
Walking mega-trife streets to the subway where I lay
'Til the train stop, then a nigga hop
Used to do the pop dance to the Planet Rock
At the block party everybody jocked (who me?)
It's the MC sucka niggas envy
I got my contract in 1993 and
I shall proceed
I shall proceed, and continue to rock the mic
I wake up early in the morning, I mean early afternoon
Break a lyrical hymn of the stem like boom
I'm flyer when I'm higher put my shit up on a tomb
That nigga represented on the 28th of June
I'm representing Philly on the 28th of June
I can make you feel that I'm a surreal cartoon
With my pistol in the face of hip hop, stick it for papes
Because I'm on a paper chase, yes I'm on a paper chase
My Timberlands are fully laced I be the Mr. Boogeyman
With records from 125th to Japan
I let them play like Donny Hathaway and shake a hand, shake a hand
Your lady tried to kick it, but I couldn't play my man
My niggas is my niggas ya see she didn't understand
I shake your hand and shit'll hit the fan, just think
Just think, what? What if you could, just blink, what?
Just blink yourself away?
As I proceed
I shall proceed, and continue to rock the mic
Malik B get on the mic yo there's too much on my mind (say what?)
Malik get on the mic, there's too much on my mind
Johnny on the spot, got the rhythm and the rhyme
Fucking with The Roots, you know them niggas is the dime
I can make a hundred yard line start to dash
I can make a whole lake of fish start to splash
I can make Conan and the Titans clash
And I could Metallica and Guns 'N Roses crash
Used to smash crash parties like I was disturbed
Used to make plots against the herringbone herb
But now, all I do disperse the verb
And like a nerd I can make you say, "He's superb"
Worded perfect, never ever shall you misinterpret
I move styles like bowels so now you know I'm worth it
Direct from Philly, the lands where niggas scheme
So you know I got the sheen in my gleam
I shall proceed, and continue to rock the mic
The song "Proceed" by The Roots reflects the early years of the hip hop genre, when artists faced challenges in being taken seriously, both in the media and among their peers. The lyrics show the band's determination to succeed in a world where hip hop was still seen as an underground movement. In the first verse, Black Thought reminisces about his days as a young MC looking for recognition in the South Bronx, where he grew up. He talks about the struggle to cut class and pursue his dreams while flirting with girls, and the joy of dancing to classic tracks like "Planet Rock" at block parties. Black Thought's delivery is raw and heartfelt, accentuating the honesty of his storytelling, as he declares his intention to keep rocking the mic despite the obstacles.
In the second verse, Black Thought shifts his focus to the present day, describing himself as a seasoned MC with a mature attitude towards the music industry. He raps about his desire to leave a lasting legacy, comparing himself to a "surreal cartoon" who defies reality with his lyrical skills. He also talks about the commercial aspect of hip hop, referencing his "paper chase" and his Timberland boots, the symbol of urban fashion in the 90s. Black Thought's flow is choppy and unpredictable, filled with sudden pauses and unexpected rhymes, echoing the improvisational nature of hip hop.
The third and final verse features Malik B, the other MC in The Roots. Malik's verse is more introspective than Black Thought's, as he reflects on his own state of mind and the challenges he faces as an artist. He talks about his tendency to overthink things and his need for a creative outlet to express his thoughts. He also touches on the theme of friendship, referring to his bond with Black Thought and the rest of the band. Malik's flow is more relaxed than Black Thought's, with a hint of melancholy in his voice that adds emotional depth to his words.
Line by Line Meaning
I shall proceed, and continue to rock the mic
I will keep going and keep entertaining the audience
Just think, what if you could just, just blink yourself away?
Have you ever wished you could disappear in an instant?
Jeff X can rock the mic with tooth decay
Even with bad teeth, Jeff X can still put on an amazing show.
I be the 5 foot 7, residing at the Mecca, rest address in south section
I am a 5'7'' rapper living in the most popular destination for music lovers with my home being in the southern part of this town.
Used to cut class in the infinite pursuit of ass
I used to skip school to try to impress girls.
Back in eighty-six, easy with the chicks, I was a chocolate boy
In 1986, I had an easy time with girls because of my good looks.
Raised in the cellar with the rhythm like Ella
I developed my musical talent in the basement with the same rhythm as Ella Fitzgerald.
Walking mega-trife streets to the subway where I lay, til the train stop, then a nigga hop
I used to walk through dangerous streets to sleep on the subway.
Used to do the pop dance to the Planet Rock, at the block party everybody jocked [who me?]
I used to dance to Planet Rock and everyone at the block party noticed me.
It's the MC sucka niggas envy, I got my contract in 1993 and
I'm the MC that other rappers envy, and I signed my record deal in 1993.
I wake up early in the morning, I mean early afternoon, break a lyrical hymn of the stem like boom
I wake up very late, but when I wake up, I use the power of words in my song like a thunderous explosion.
I'm flyer when I'm higher put my shit up on a tomb, that nigga represented on the 28th of June
I am more creative when I am under the influence of drugs, and I commemorate myself every 28th of June.
I can make you feel that I'm a surreal cartoon, with my pistol in the face of hip hop, stick it for papes, because I'm on a paper chase, yes I'm on a paper chase
I am an artist whose art is so surreal that it feels like a cartoon. I'll do anything to earn more money.
My Timberlands are fully laced I be the Mr. Boogeyman, with records from 125th to Japan
I have my shoes fastened and laced, and I am known as the boogeyman of the rap genre. My music is popular from the streets of New York City to Japan.
I let them play like Donny Hathaway and shake a hand, shake a hand, your lady tried to kick it, but I couldn't play my man
I inspire people to dance like Donny Hathaway and shake their hands. Your girlfriend wanted to have a fling with me, but I refused to cheat on my friend.
My niggas is my niggas ya see she didn't understand, I shake your hand and shit'll hit the fan, just think
I am loyal to my friends, and your girlfriend failed to understand that. Shaking your hand can have consequences that you cannot predict.
Malik B get on the mic yo there's too much on my mind [say what?], Malik get on the mic, there's too much on my mind
My friend Malik needs to express his thoughts on the mic because he has a lot on his mind.
Johnny on the spot, got the rhythm and the rhyme, fucking with The Roots, you know them niggas is the dime
Our MC Johnny has the talent to match his timing and lyrics. If you mess with The Roots, you're messing with the best.
I can make a hundred-yard line start to dash, I can make a whole lake of fish start to splash, I can make Conan and the Titans clash, And I could Metallica and Guns 'N Roses crash
My music can motivate people so much that they will move quickly, and even cause the environment to change. I can make even the greatest of things clash.
Used to smash crash parties like I was disturbed, used to make plots against the herringbone herb, but now all I do disperse the verb
I used to crash parties like a wild person and plan things against people who smoked weed. However, now I focus on making my lyrical talent known to the world.
And like a nerd I can make you say, "He's superb", worded perfect, never ever shall you misinterpret, I move styles like bowels so now you know I'm worth it
I may be a nerd, but I'm superb in my lyricism. I use words perfectly so you can never misinterpret the meaning behind them. I change styles like a digestive system, so you know my music is valuable.
Direct from Philly, the lands where niggas scheme, so you know I got the sheen in my gleam
I'm from Philly, a place where people plot and plan, so you can see the gleam in my eye and know that I am a talented artist.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Tarik L. Collins, Leonard N. Hubbard, Ahmir K. Thompson, Malik Smart, Scott Spencer Storch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rome3603
Rest In Power Malik, used to recite these lyrics all day everyday. You will be missed. Prayers to your family, friends and loved ones.
@anthonytruman
I recite these lyrics every day to this day. RIP Malik B. Gonna keep on playing these amazing songs
@formzino
I bought this album as a 13 year old white boy from suburban London. Opened my ears to real hip hop and jazz. RIP MALIK B
@santosdellior6917
That's Dope 💯🎯
@stantoncagle8185
Lmao same a middle school white kid from Texas and just stumbled upon this album at a record store with a Christmas gift card. My life was changed. Black Thought still my favorite MC of all time
@myeyeswentdeaf6213
@stantoncagle8185 Haha! Look at all us white boys up on the real HipHop. I was like 14 in Brooklyn NY when this came out. This and Nas illmatic. 2 best albums
@facemobbnation
Americans teach y’all brits about hip hop 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 PEACE PHILLY
@roger8654
I miss those 90s tri-state jazzy melodies. So nostalgic
@improvisewitme
My dude! You have an ear for music.
@waltbcouncil4786
90s Northeast Corridor Hop Hop Jazz.
J Dilla and NO ID did the same for the Great Lakes in the 90s