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Hip hop legends: The Roots
RnB/Hip Hop | Tuesday 1st May 2012 | Osh
They refer to themselves as the 'legendary Roots crew', and few are more deserving of the accolade. Debuting in 1993 with the modest 'Organix', they have developed for 20 years to create some of the best hip hop records of the 21st century, most notably the excellent 2010 release 'How I Got Over'. They stood out because, unlike traditional sample-based hip hop acts, The Roots are a band in the truest sense of the word, using live instrumentation to great effect. Not that you'd know simply from listening to their albums, which use reserved and repetitive backing, allowing the charismatic and perceptive lyrics of primary rapper Black Thought to be at the forefront. To truly understand their quality as musicians you'll need to check out a live performance, where laid back soulful tracks like 1999's 'You Got Me' are pumped full of frantic drums, tuba jams and rapid-fire guitar solos.
Another notable feature of The Roots is their willingness to collaborate. The Philadelphia-based act have had artists from New York to Iceland featuring on their records, rarely failing to get the best from their wide network of like-minded artists. Never quite having the smash hits their catchy beats and singable choruses deserve, they make a living as the house band on US talk show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, providing live backing whenever a rapper appears as a musical guest. Ever innovative, their most recent release was a concept album called 'Undun', telling the tale of a criminal's downfall. With nearly 20 years active and no signs of slowing (they have released three albums in the last two years) The Roots have been a staple of hip hop for some time, and hopefully shall continue to be so.
