The Roots /

The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals. Malik B., Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, and Josh Abrams were added to the band, originally called The Square Roots. The Roots released an independently produced debut album, Organix, in 1993. In 1995, with the label DGC Records, the band released Do You Want More?!!!??!. Two guest performers on Do You Want More?!!!??!, Rahzel and Scott Storch joined the group. Soon after, however, Storch left the band and was replaced by Kamal Gray. Their next album, Illadelph Halflife, was released in 1996. With Illadelph Halflife the band again gained members in Scratch and Dice Raw. The band's next album, Things Fall Apart, was a breakthrough album in that it was their first album to break the top 10 of the Billboard 200 (peaking at 4). Also in 1999, the band released an EP, The Legendary, and a live album titled The Roots Come Alive. Rahzel, Dice Raw, and Malik B. all parted from the band for differing reasons.