The Roots, also known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Square Roots and The… Read Full Bio ↴The Roots, also known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy winning hip hop group based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. Inspired by the "hip-hop band" concept pioneered by Stetsasonic, the Roots themselves have garnered critical acclaim and influenced later hip-hop and R&B acts.

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 Unlocking
The Roots Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I the voyeur, peer, as she begins her, ritual
Paying sexual ties for few and untrue
Words of admiration, translation:
Sucker ass, lines, of trash
Spewing from First One's unskilled lips
That beg for pussy tricks that make his dick go quickly limp
She pimps her innocence as Second One demands entrance
Through the back door

"Bend over bitch, you know this is what you were born for;
To dig those soft and lotioned knees into the floor
And take it in, that sweetly spread ass like a real pro whore"
Her subsequent screams seemed to praise
Sent messages of pleasure and pain to his fuck tainted brain
But her screams masked laughs at his dumb ass
As he quicker comes, then Third and Fourth One just as dumb
Invite themselves to join in
Third One wants to hit the skins old-fashioned style
While Fourth One says,
"Don't she got some DSL's, make a nigga joint just swell,
To think? I want to sink my inches, into that bitch's,
Berry-framed mouth"
So one goes North, the other South
To sanctified places where in-house spirits
Will later wash away all traces, of their ill-spoken words
And complacent faces
And then, like their Minutemen, predecessors
Lude, aggrandized sexual endeavors, end up rough
Cause neither one of them could keep that weak shit up
Corrupt, Fifth One steps to her
Hip-Hop clothed just to, think he gonna impress her
"Hey Slim, I heard you was a spinna, sit on up
Top this thing, black dick, and work it like a winner"
With the quickness he got his pseudo-thickness all up in her
But suddenly he, stops mid thrust

Seems she nameless to 'cause, got his stuff in a death cunt clutch
He fast falls from the force of her tight pussy punch
Just like the rest of that sorry ass bunch
Now here comes Six ready to add his inactive shit to the mix
Talkin' smack at that
Saying, "Girl, I'ma wax that ass, and stick that slit so hard,
You gonna be calling me God"
So he proceeds to poke and prod
With clumsy finger and wack sex slinger
"Condoms make me last longer," wrong, cause her
Motions of snatch, however detached from the situation
Cause his pre pre PRE-ejaculation
It seems she just wastin'
Good pussy and time on dudes like Number Seven
Who ain't learned their lesson
He wants to enter the flesh divine
By dropping a kind of semi-sweet line
"Your honey hole so fine and mile deep; I'm gonna leap
Into you like an ocean do you right and make your head spin"
So he jumped in and then, he drowned
Got lost and found in her Tart Canal
Slave to the waves, made him cum for days
Eighth and Last One turn arise
Plys her with familiar lies
Even more familiar still, cause
Him she used to love
But he never could quite see above, her mound
A pound of flesh is all she was, no name no face or even voice
So poised, she rises, Phoenix from the flame
Finally bored with their feeble fuck games
She smooth reaches behind her and takes straight aim
At eight shriveled up cocks with a fully loaded Glock
Parts lips, not expressly made for milding dicks
And then, she speaks:

Your shrieks of horror bring me bliss, I must admit
The thought that I could shred your tips with eight quick flips
Excites me, see y'all fuck with the pussy
But I fuck with your minds

Lack of soul and respect is the crime
This, was a set up, now tell me what, what's my name?

Overall Meaning

The song "The Unlocking" by The Roots presents a vivid and graphic description of a group sexual assault scene and its aftermath. The lyrics talk about a group of men engaging in what seems like consensual sex acts with a woman, but upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that she is being taken advantage of, manipulated, and objectified. The woman, referred to as "she," is coerced into performing sexual acts in exchange for flattery that is revealed to be insincere and disparaging. The men are portrayed as shallow, weak, and unskilled, driven by their vanity and their egos. The woman is depicted as a victim, but also as a survivor who exposes the true nature of her attackers and takes her revenge.

The song is a poignant commentary on rape culture, toxic masculinity, and the dehumanization of women. It exposes the ways in which men use power, privilege, and violence to assert their dominance and degrade women's bodies and minds. It also highlights the resilience, agency, and strength of women who resist their oppressors and reclaim their dignity. The song's lyrics are brutally honest and unflinching in their portrayal of sexual violence and its repercussions. They demand that we as a society take responsibility for our actions, confront our biases and prejudices, and work towards creating a more equitable and just world.

Line by Line Meaning

I the voyeur, peer, as she begins her, ritual
The singer is watching as a woman begins a ritual, possibly of a sexual nature.

Paying sexual ties for few and untrue
The woman is engaging in sexual activity with men who are dishonest.

Words of admiration, translation: Sucker ass, lines, of trash
Men use lines of admiration to manipulate women into sex, but they are actually just worthless lies.

Spewing from First One's unskilled lips That beg for pussy tricks that make his dick go quickly limp
The first man is inept in bed and relies on the woman to do all the work, which causes him to lose his erection quickly.

She pimps her innocence as Second One demands entrance Through the back door
The second man wants anal sex with the woman and she allows him to do it, even though it is painful for her.

"Bend over bitch, you know this is what you were born for; To dig those soft and lotioned knees into the floor And take it in, that sweetly spread ass like a real pro whore"
The second man treats the woman like a prostitute and demands that she submit to his desires.

Her subsequent screams seemed to praise Sent messages of pleasure and pain to his fuck tainted brain But her screams masked laughs at his dumb ass As he quicker comes, then Third and Fourth One just as dumb Invite themselves to join in
The woman tries to hide her displeasure with the situation by screaming, but she is actually laughing at the men's incompetence. Two more men join in after the second man finishes.

Third One wants to hit the skins old-fashioned style While Fourth One says, "Don't she got some DSL's, make a nigga joint just swell, To think? I want to sink my inches, into that bitch's, Berry-framed mouth"
The third man wants to have vanilla sex with the woman while the fourth man is fixated on her lips and wants her to perform oral sex on him.

So one goes North, the other South To sanctified places where in-house spirits Will later wash away all traces, of their ill-spoken words And complacent faces
The third man goes towards her head while the fourth man goes towards her feet. The men plan on drinking alcohol later to forget the experience.

And then, like their Minutemen, predecessors Lude, aggrandized sexual endeavors, end up rough Cause neither one of them could keep that weak shit up
The men are unable to sustain an erection and the situation becomes rough and unenjoyable, similar to the experiences of their predecessors (soldiers in the minutemen army).

Corrupt, Fifth One steps to her Hip-Hop clothed just to, think he gonna impress her "Hey Slim, I heard you was a spinna, sit on up Top this thing, black dick, and work it like a winner"
The fifth man thinks he can impress the woman with his hip-hop clothing and rapping skills. He demands that she pleasure him orally.

With the quickness he got his pseudo-thickness all up in her But suddenly he, stops mid thrust Seems she nameless to 'cause, got his stuff in a death cunt clutch He fast falls from the force of her tight pussy punch Just like the rest of that sorry ass bunch
The fifth man penetrates the woman, but he immediately stops and falls because her vagina is too tight. He is unable to continue the sexual activity, like the other men.

Now here comes Six ready to add his inactive shit to the mix Talkin' smack at that Saying, "Girl, I'ma wax that ass, and stick that slit so hard, You gonna be calling me God" So he proceeds to poke and prod With clumsy finger and wack sex slinger "Condoms make me last longer," wrong, cause her Motions of snatch, however detached from the situation Cause his pre pre PRE-ejaculation It seems she just wastin'
The sixth man brags about his sexual abilities but is actually clumsy and inept. He tries to use a condom but prematurely ejaculates because the woman's disinterest causes his penis to lose its erection.

Good pussy and time on dudes like Number Seven Who ain't learned their lesson He wants to enter the flesh divine By dropping a kind of semi-sweet line "Your honey hole so fine and mile deep; I'm gonna leap Into you like an ocean do you right and make your head spin" So he jumped in and then, he drowned Got lost and found in her Tart Canal Slave to the waves, made him cum for days
The seventh man is also inexperienced but tries to woo the woman with flattery. He jumps into the sexual activity but quickly loses his stamina and becomes addicted to the pleasure.

Eighth and Last One turn arise Plys her with familiar lies Even more familiar still, cause Him she used to love But he never could quite see above, her mound A pound of flesh is all she was, no name no face or even voice So poised, she rises, Phoenix from the flame Finally bored with their feeble fuck games She smooth reaches behind her and takes straight aim At eight shriveled up cocks with a fully loaded Glock Parts lips, not expressly made for milding dicks And then, she speaks:
The eighth man is someone the woman used to love, but he never valued her beyond her body. She has now had enough of the men's sexual games and pulls out a gun, indicating that she will now take control of the situation.

Your shrieks of horror bring me bliss, I must admit The thought that I could shred your tips with eight quick flips Excites me, see y'all fuck with the pussy But I fuck with your minds Lack of soul and respect is the crime This, was a set up, now tell me what, what's my name?
The woman takes pleasure in watching the men react to her power over them. She has been deliberately leading them on in order to demonstrate their lack of respect for her. She challenges them to remember her name as a form of asserting her identity and worth beyond her body.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: URSULA DESIRE RUCKER, AHMIR K. THOMPSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS