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.
The Dark
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
足取り弾むままに
夢にさえ嫌われ いざ眠れぬ街まで
(寝覚め顧みず) だけが約束
鳴り物入りで就任のアフターワーク
朝には任期満了 命短し
嘘をついたの?
「九時五時定時」言ったじゃない
苦味の溢れる 現代社会の自由
これほどにも儚いのです
ハウトゥ厭世観
忌まわしく素晴らしき日々に
パウダーシュガーほどの反抗期を
理由 頂戴なんて言わないの
明日に会いたくないだけ
こうして 夜を歩く
街行く恋とか嘘とかラヴィダヴィを
尻目にふらり一人旅
あらまぁ露わなモンキィビジネス
憐れ皮剥がれ またビジィです
甘い響き くらりらり
関係ないけど
嘘くさくって照れくさくて
他人の色恋 愛らしいジェラシィ
ひとり貪り食らってはにかんだ
売れ残りでなんだか
寂しげに見えた
シュークリームのいのち奪う
日常 隙間の「なにか足んない」を
満たす私にとっての幸福論
ハウトゥ楽天観
忌まわしく素晴らしき日々に ひとつ
レモン一滴ほどの刺激を
こうして 夜は歩くのです
これほど忌まわしく素晴らしき日々は
考えるだけバッド入りそう
だから付かず離れずでなあなあに
死ぬまでよろしくね 人生
そうして 夜は明ける
明日起きれるかな
The Roots's song "The Dark" is a powerful reflection on the complexities of modern life, and the struggles that people face as they try to find meaning and purpose in the world around them. The lyrics are full of dark, poetic imagery, touching on themes of isolation, disillusionment, and the search for truth in a world full of lies and illusions.
The song opens with the lines "ふわりふわり 足取り弾むままに 夢にさえ嫌われ いざ眠れぬ街まで" which translates to "With light steps, and a bouncing gait, even my dreams reject me as I walk through sleepless streets." These lyrics set the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer describes their feelings of alienation and distance from the world around them.
The chorus of the song features the lines "ハウトゥ厭世観 忌まわしく素晴らしき日々に" which roughly translates to "How to have a pessimistic view of a world that is both terrible and wonderful." This captures the central paradox that the song is exploring, the idea that even in the darkest moments of life, there is still beauty and hope to be found.
Overall, "The Dark" is a deeply introspective and thoughtful song that explores the complexity of the human experience in a powerful and moving way.
Line by Line Meaning
ふわりふわり
Lightly, merrily
足取り弾むままに
With bouncing footfalls
夢にさえ嫌われ いざ眠れぬ街まで
Rejected even by dreams, to a sleepless city
(寝覚め顧みず) だけが約束
Without looking back at waking up, only promises
鳴り物入りで就任のアフターワーク
Celebratory after-work of the inauguration with fanfare
朝には任期満了 命短し
Term expires in the morning, life is short
甘い響き くらりらり
Sweet sound, tralala
嘘をついたの?
Did you lie?
「九時五時定時」言ったじゃない
Didn't you say '9-5 regular hours'?
苦味の溢れる 現代社会の自由
Bitter overflowing freedom of modern society
これほどにも儚いのです
It is so fleeting
ハウトゥ厭世観
How to enjoy pessimism
忌まわしく素晴らしき日々に
In the disgustingly wonderful days
パウダーシュガーほどの反抗期を
A rebellion like powdered sugar
理由 頂戴なんて言わないの
I don't ask for reasons
明日に会いたくないだけ
I just don't want to see tomorrow
こうして 夜を歩く
So, I walk at night
街行く恋とか嘘とかラヴィダヴィを
Love, lies and livin' it up on the streets
尻目にふらり一人旅
Glancing back, a solo trip
あらまぁ露わなモンキィビジネス
Oh my, an exposed monkey business
憐れ皮剥がれ またビジィです
Pity, peeling skins, and busy again
甘い響き くらりらり
Sweet sound, tralala
関係ないけど
It's irrelevant, but
嘘くさくって照れくさくて
It's a lie and it's embarrassing
他人の色恋 愛らしいジェラシィ
Others' love, lovely jealousy
ひとり貪り食らってはにかんだ
Devoured alone, blushed
売れ残りでなんだか
It's like leftovers
寂しげに見えた
It looked lonely
シュークリームのいのち奪う
Stealing the life of a cream puff
日常 隙間の「なにか足んない」を
The 'something missing' in the gaps of everyday life
満たす私にとっての幸福論
The theory of happiness for me to fulfill
ハウトゥ楽天観
How to enjoy optimism
忌まわしく素晴らしき日々に ひとつ
In the disgustingly wonderful days, one thing
レモン一滴ほどの刺激を
A stimulus as small as a drop of lemon
こうして 夜は歩くのです
So, I walk at night
これほど忌まわしく素晴らしき日々は
Days that are disgustingly wonderful to this extent
考えるだけバッド入りそう
Just thinking about it seems to have bad luck
だから付かず離れずでなあなあに
So, I'm not too close or too far away, just so-so
死ぬまでよろしくね 人生
Nice to know you until I die, life
そうして 夜は明ける
And so, the night becomes morning
明日起きれるかな
Can I wake up tomorrow?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Root, Toku, Matsu
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!