The Roots are an American hip-hop band formed in Philadelphia in 1987 by rapper Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. Rather than relying primarily on turntables and programmed beats, the group built its identity around live instrumentation, combining hip-hop with jazz, funk, soul, rock, and socially conscious lyricism. That approach made The Roots one of the most distinctive and respected bands in rap.
Trotter and Thompson met while attending the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. The duo initially performed under names including Radio Activity, Black to the Future, and The Square Roots. Rapper Malik B. and bassist Leonard "Hub" Hubbard later joined the lineup, helping turn the project into a full band. After dropping "Square" from their name, The Roots released their independent debut album, Organix, in 1993. Recorded during the group's early touring years, the album established its emphasis on musicianship, improvisation, and extended live performance.
The Roots signed with DGC Records and followed Organix with Do You Want More?!!!??! in 1995. The album's sample-free production, intricate arrangements, and loose jazz influence distinguished it from much of the commercial rap of the period. Its success brought the group to a wider alternative and college audience, including an appearance on the Lollapalooza touring festival. Illadelph Halflife, released in 1996, continued the group's development through denser production and increasingly focused social commentary.
The band's breakthrough came with Things Fall Apart in 1999. Named after Chinua Achebe's acclaimed novel, the album balanced intricate rhymes with soulful, accessible songs. Its standout single, "You Got Me," featured Erykah Badu and Eve and became The Roots' first Grammy-winning recording in 2000. The album also included contributions from artists such as Mos Def, Common, and Jill Scott, reflecting the group's role as a central meeting point for Philadelphia's hip-hop and neo-soul communities.
The Roots pursued a more experimental direction on Phrenology in 2002, followed by The Tipping Point in 2004. Their later work became more politically urgent. Game Theory, released in 2006, addressed grief, violence, and political disillusionment, while Rising Down in 2008 presented an even darker portrait of contemporary America. How I Got Over, issued in 2010, combined reflections on endurance with an unusually warm and communal sound.
In the same year, The Roots collaborated with John Legend on Wake Up!, an album of socially conscious soul and protest songs. The project won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, while the collaboration also earned the group another Grammy for traditional R&B performance. The concept album Undun followed in 2011, presenting the fictional life and death of a young man caught in cycles of poverty and crime. The group's fourteenth studio album, ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin, appeared in 2014 and extended its interest in theatrical storytelling and systemic injustice.
Beyond recording, The Roots became a major television presence. They served as the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014 and continued in that role when Fallon moved to The Tonight Show. Their television work introduced the band to a broad audience without erasing its musical identity, as performances frequently incorporated hip-hop, classic soul, rock, and contemporary pop.
The Roots also established the Roots Picnic, an annual Philadelphia music festival that reflects the group's collaborative spirit. With Black Thought and Questlove as its enduring creative core, The Roots remain notable not simply as a rap act that plays instruments, but as a long-running musical institution whose records, concerts, production work, and cultural projects have expanded the possibilities of hip-hop.