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.
Sleep
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down from the trees
There goes my honey bee
I've lost a lot of sleep to dreams
And I do not miss them yet
I wouldn't wish them on the worst of enemies
Let them burn, go from here
Like when autumn leaves
To catch a thief, who stole the soul I prayed to keep
Insomniac, bad dreams got me losing sleep
I'm dead tired, my mind playing tricks, deceit
A face in the glass, unable to admit defeat
All that I am, all that I was is history
The past unraveled, adding insult to this injury
I'm fighting the battle for the soul of the century
Destiny is everything that I pretend to be
Look, and what I did came back to me eventually
The music played on, and told me I was meant to be awake
It's unresolved like everything I had at stake
Illegal activity controls my black symphony
Orchestrated like it happened incidentally
Oh, there I go, from a man to memory
Damn, I wonder if my fam will remember me
I've lost a lot of sleep to dreams
And I do not miss them yet
I wouldn't wish them on the worst of enemies
Let them burn, go from here
Like when autumn leaves
The Roots' song Sleep is a complex exploration of a person struggling with insomnia and the accompanying bad dreams that come with it. The first verse compares the loss of a loved one to the falling of autumn leaves, and the pain and difficulty of moving on. The chorus, "I've lost a lot of sleep to dreams, and I do not miss them yet" describes the singer's battle with recurring nightmares and exhaustion. The second verse delves deeper into the underlying reasons behind the insomnia, exploring themes of regret, guilt, and the consequences of one's actions. The singer questions their own identity and purpose, and struggles to reconcile their past actions with who they are today.
The music video for Sleep features black and white visuals, with close-ups of various body parts - a hand, an ear, an eye - emphasising the importance of the senses in the experience of insomnia and dreams. The video also features a snippet of Nina Simone's song "Four Women", highlighting the song's themes of survivorship and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
Like when autumn leaves fall
Just as leaves fall from a tree during autumn, something very important seems to have left the singer's life.
Down from the trees
This thing that left the singer's life is gone from high above where it once was like a tree's leaves.
There goes my honey bee
The thing that has left is being referred to as a term of endearment, like a loved one or cherished memory.
I've lost a lot of sleep to dreams
The artist has been unable to sleep because of dreams that have plagued them, perhaps related to the loss they feel.
And I do not miss them yet
The artist does not miss the dreams that have kept them from sleeping, and suggests they could be likened to a negative experience.
I wouldn't wish them on the worst of enemies
The singer would not desire anyone to experience the kind of dreams that have troubled them so terribly.
Let them burn, go from here
The singer is ready for the dreams to be gone, eliminated, and out of sight.
To catch a thief, who stole the soul I prayed to keep
The artist feels that their soul, something they hold dear, has been taken away or lost, possibly leaving them feeling vulnerable and preyed upon.
Insomniac, bad dreams got me losing sleep
The artist has been experiencing insomnia, which can make you feel like you're losing your mind, and bad dreams have been contributing to the problem.
I'm dead tired, my mind playing tricks, deceit
The artist is exhausted, possibly both mentally and physically, and feels like their mind is conspiring against them with illusions.
A face in the glass, unable to admit defeat
The singer is staring at their reflection apparently, and refuses to let themselves give up, even if it means pretending that they haven't lost.
All that I am, all that I was is history
Everything the artist has ever been or done is in the past and unchangeable, suggesting a sense of loss and finality.
The past unraveled, adding insult to this injury
The past has apparently come undone, making the present even more unbearable.
I'm fighting the battle for the soul of the century
The singer is having an internal battle for something they refer to as the 'soul of the century,' possibly indicating a sense of gravity and significance.
Destiny is everything that I pretend to be
The singer feels like destiny is something they're pretending to have control over, possibly indicating that despite their inner struggles, they believe that their path is predetermined.
Look, and what I did came back to me eventually
The artist reflects, seemingly with regret, that past decisions have or may come with consequences.
The music played on, and told me I was meant to be awake
The artist seems to find a sort of comfort in music, even though it has kept them from sleeping, perhaps indicating that they feel like staying awake is necessary for some reason.
It's unresolved like everything I had at stake
The singer seems to have unresolved issues that are somehow related to the problem they're experiencing, as though there were something at stake that they failed to protect.
Illegal activity controls my black symphony
The singer is doing something illegal, which may have something to do with the issue they're having, and this activity seems to have a kind of power or significance to them (which they refer to as a 'symphony').
Orchestrated like it happened incidentally
The situation is seemingly orchestrated without the artist's direct involvement--as though things have just happened to them, even though they played a role in them too.
Oh, there I go, from a man to memory
The artist has gone from being a person with agency to someone whose memories will be left behind, suggesting a sense of mortality.
Damn, I wonder if my fam will remember me
The artist expresses a concern about being remembered by their family, suggesting perhaps that they feel like there's been some sort of disconnect there or like they're running out of time.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AARON LIVINGSTON, AHMIR K. THOMPSON, NICOLAS BRIA KOENIG-DZIALOWSKI, 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!