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 clichรฉs 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 Seeds
The Roots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And what she finna have she don't know
She want neo-soul, this hip-hop is old
She don't want no rock-n-roll
She want platinum or ice or gold
She want a whole lotta somethin' to fold
If you a obstacle she just drop ya cold
Little Mary is bad
In these streets she done ran
E'er since when the heat began
I told the girl look here
Calm down I'ma hold your hand
To enable you to peep the plan
'Cause you is quick to learn
And we can make money to burn
If you allow me the latest game
I don't ask for much, but enough room to spread my wings
And the world finna know my name
[Verse 2: Cody Chesnutt]
I don't ask, for much these days
And I don't bitch, and whine, if I don't get my way
I only wanna fuck another behind my lover's back
I sit and watch it grow standin' where I'm at
Fertilize another behind my lover's back
And I'm keepin' my secrets mine
I push my seed in her bush for life
It's gonna work because I'm pushin' it right
If Mary drops my baby girl tonight
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
Uh-huh
Cadillac need space to roam
Where we headin for she don't know
We in the city where the pros shake rattle and roll
And I'm a gaddang rollin' stone
I don't beg I can hold my own
I don't break I can hold the chrome
And this weighin' a ton and I'm a son of a gun
My code name is The Only One and Black Thought is bad
These streets he done ran ever since when the game began
I never played the fool
Matta fact I be keepin' it cool
Since money been changing hands
And I'm left to shine, but the legacy that I leave behind be the seed
That'll keep the flame
I don't ask for much but enough room to spread these wings
And the world finna know my name
I don't beg
For no rich man
And I don't scream, and kick, when his shit don't fall in my hands, man
'cause I know how to still
Fertilize another against my lover's will
I lick the opposition 'cause she don't take no pill
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-no dear
You'll be keeping my legend alive
I push my seed in her bush for life
Its gonna work because I'm pushin' it right
If Mary drops my baby girl tonight
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
Oh-ooh break it down, break it down, break down beat
I push my seed somewhere deep in her chest
I push it naked 'cause I've takin my test
Deliverin' Mary it don't matter the sex
I'm gon' name it rock and roll
I push my seed in her bush for life
It's gonna work becuz I'm pushin it right
If Mary drop my baby girl, tonight
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll yeah
I would name it Rock-N-Roll
The Roots' "The Seed" is a song that tells the stories of two different characters with different agendas. The first character is a woman who got knocked up 9 months ago, but doesn't know what she's going to have. She wants neo-soul but not hip-hop, and definitely not rock-n-roll. Gold, platinum, and ice are some of the things she's interested in, all of them come with a lot of money to fold. The woman sees any obstacle as something to eliminate because no single thing can stop the show. The other character in the song is a man who pushes his seed in his lover's bush with the hope of having a baby girl that he'd name Rock-N-Roll. He doesn't ask for a lot in life, just enough room to spread his wings and make his name known to the world. Both characters have a desire to achieve fame and fortune in their own way.
The lyrics of the song shed light on the popular culture of the early 2000s, which was focused mainly on fame, fortune, and sex. The song breaks the traditional rules of music by using unconventional and straightforward lyrics that talk about sex, drugs and rock-and-roll. The song has a mix of different music styles such as rock, hip hop, and soul, which makes it a unique masterpiece. "The Seed" is a great song that combines great lyrics, exceptional music, and the vocal prowess of Cody Chesnutt.
Line by Line Meaning
Knocked up 9 months ago
She became pregnant nine months ago
And what she finna have she don't know
She does not know what the result of the pregnancy will be
She want neo-soul, this hip-hop is old
She prefers neo-soul over old hip-hop music
She don't want no rock-n-roll
Rock and roll is not her preferred genre
She want platinum or ice or gold
She desires expensive and luxurious things
She want a whole lotta somethin' to fold
She wants to have a lot of money to keep
If you a obstacle she just drop ya cold
If someone gets in her way she will dismiss them
'Cause one monkey don't stop the show
No one obstacle can prevent her progression
Little Mary is bad
The girl in the story is rebellious
In these streets she done ran
She has run around in the streets
E'er since when the heat began
Since the problems started
I told the girl look here
I tried to get her attention
Calm down I'ma hold your hand
I will try to help you manage the situation
To enable you to peep the plan
So you can understand the plan
'Cause you is quick to learn
You have the ability to learn quickly
And we can make money to burn
Together we can make a lot of money
If you allow me the latest game
If you let me play my latest music
I don't ask for much, but enough room to spread my wings
I am not asking for a lot, just the freedom to perform
And the world finna know my name
And the world will soon know who I am
I don't ask, for much these days
I do not ask for a lot these days
And I don't bitch, and whine, if I don't get my way
I do not complain if things do not go my way
I only wanna fuck another behind my lover's back
I only want to cheat on my lover
I sit and watch it grow standin' where I'm at
I watch my infidelity grow while doing nothing about it
Fertilize another behind my lover's back
I have impregnated someone else while still being in a relationship
And I'm keepin' my secrets mine
I am keeping my secrets to myself
I push my seed in her bush for life
I have impregnated someone and plan to be a father for life
It's gonna work because I'm pushin' it right
My impregnation plan will work because I am doing it correctly
If Mary drops my baby girl tonight
If the girl I have impregnated gives birth to a baby girl
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
Cadillac need space to roam
My car, a Cadillac, needs space to move around
Where we headin for she don't know
She does not know where we are going
We in the city where the pros shake rattle and roll
We are in the city where the professionals are living it up
And I'm a gaddang rollin' stone
I am like a rolling stone
I don't beg I can hold my own
I do not beg, I can take care of myself
I don't break I can hold the chrome
I can handle a gun without breaking down
And this weighin' a ton and I'm a son of a gun
This is heavy and I am a jack of all trades
My code name is The Only One and Black Thought is bad
My nickname is The Only One and Black Thought is also good at what he does
These streets he done ran ever since when the game began
He has been hustling in these streets since the beginning of the game
I never played the fool
I am not foolish
Matta fact I be keepin' it cool
In fact, I am calm and collected
Since money been changing hands
Ever since money became involved
And I'm left to shine, but the legacy that I leave behind be the seed
I am left to shine but my legacy is important to me
That'll keep the flame
That will keep my spirit alive
I don't ask for much but enough room to spread these wings
I am not asking for a lot, just the freedom to spread my talents
And the world finna know my name
And the world will soon know who I am
I don't beg
I do not beg for anything
For no rich man
I do not beg from rich people
And I don't scream, and kick, when his shit don't fall in my hands, man
I do not throw a fit when things do not go my way
'cause I know how to still
I know how to be calm and composed
Fertilize another against my lover's will
I have impregnated someone even though my lover did not approve
I lick the opposition 'cause she don't take no pill
I have unprotected sex with someone who does not take birth control pills
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-no dear
Oh no, my lover will not be pleased
You'll be keeping my legend alive
You will keep my memory and legacy alive
I push my seed in her bush for life
I have impregnated someone and plan to be a father for life
Its gonna work because I'm pushin it right
My plan will work because I am doing it correctly
If Mary drop my baby girl, tonight
If the girl I have impregnated gives birth to a baby girl
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
Oh-ooh break it down, break it down, break down beat
Break it down musically
I push my seed somewhere deep in her chest
I have impregnated someone deeply and passionately
I push it naked 'cause I've takin my test
I have had unprotected sex because I have been tested for STIs
Deliverin' Mary it don't matter the sex
It does not matter if the baby is a boy or a girl
I'm gon' name it rock and roll
I will name the baby Rock-N-Roll
I push my seed in her bush for life
I have impregnated someone and plan to be a father for life
It's gonna work becuz I'm pushin it right
My plan will work because I am doing it correctly
If Mary drop my baby girl, tonight
If the girl I have impregnated gives birth to a baby girl
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll
I would name her Rock-N-Roll yeah
I would name her Rock-N-Roll, yeah!
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRADLEY JAMES NOWELL, ERIC JOHN WILSON, FLOYD I. GAUGH IV
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@section8managementteam793
I've been listening to this song for 14 years and never knew it had a video until today..... What a pleasant surprise. 2024
@courtneyst.julian8192
This song is an absolute masterpiece. Every aspect from the lyrics, the vocals, to the rhythm is absolute perfection. I can't believe YouTube would tamper with this excellence by censoring this song!
@a.taylor8294
Yeah, those of us that got to jam to it during original release know this wasn't getting censored back then, LOL!
@williamdumas9715
As a lifetime rock fan... This song is in my top 10 songs of all time... Perfect blend of rock, soul, hip hop and more
@elsasegid963
Love love love this song
@ffokcuf761
No Rock in this track.
@jaysgotjokesofficial
@@ffokcuf761 you trying to be goofy.
@AllOuttaBubblegum123
Supporting the mighty chili peppers
@palapadadouwa807
Terrible.
Basta ๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ฅ
@lisak19614
I'm 61 years old and this song still rocks me. One of my favorites....โคโคโคโค