The roots redefine hip-hop's past - Back To the Future

Ebony, June, 2003 by Kimberly Davis

JUST over a decade ago, the Roots were considered something of a novelty in the hip-hop nation. Described by some as the godfathers of neo-soul/neo-hip-hop, the Philadelphia-based ensemble attracted packed houses at self-promoted shows night after night, but struggled to achieve commercial success.

That all changed in 1999 with the success of the Grammy Award-winning CD, Things Fall Apart. And with the 2002 disc, Phrenology, a blitz of well-timed TV appearances, a Coke TV ad and heavy tour schedule, the group has established itself as one of hip-hop's most popular, versatile and critically acclaimed acts, with skyrocketing record sales and sold-out shows across the globe.

The band's newest offering (phrenology is the study of the bumps on the outside of the skull) is an homage to and elevation of hip-hop history and subculture. More lyrical, musical and rock-influenced than the jazzy and soulful clips from their last studio album, this sixth disc is a bit of a departure from what fans of neo-soul/neo-hip-hop have come to expect. While some of those neo-defining elements are still present, the Roots ended up drawing much of their inspiration from the soul classics.

"I'm pretty sure that most people didn't expect us to make record like this," says the group's leader and drummer, Ahmir (?uestlove) Thompson, from a tour stop in Los Angeles. "We wound up turning our back on neo-soul because we think it's more important to show the range of the group than cash in on a genre. We took it way back."

Planted in 1987, the Roots formed when Thompson met Tariq (emcee Black Thought) Trotter, while both were students at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. Because the two couldn't afford expensive DJ equipment, they improvised with Trotter rapping over Thompson's grooves on a drum kit. They later added bassist Leonard (Hub) Hubbard, rapper Malik B. and Rahzel, a "human beat box," to the mix.

With their unique look, the Roots drew a core group of diehard followers but failed to break through in the hard-core hip-hop music industry defined by gangsta' rap, bling-bling and the Benjamins.

So in 1993, the group packed up and headed to Europe. But a funny thing happened while they were overseas. The market began to catch up to them, and the Roots rode a burgeoning wave of what they and other artisans of the genre call "The Next Movement," a style characterized by a fusion of "Old school" rap, funk and soul, and fueled by a desire to inform audiences without glorifying bullets, buying and selling dope, and spending money. The Roots, along with The Fugees and singers such as Maxwell, D'Angelo and Erykah Badu (the Roots served as co-producers on Badu's first CD, Baduizm, and shared a Grammy with her for their hit "You Got Me") filled the void left by gangsta' rap and birthed other movers such as Musiq, Common, Jill Scott, Talib Kweli and Mos Def.

But legitimacy comes with a price. The sextet has had to make some concessions. Recently, the band appeared in a Coke commercial aimed at the urban audience and performed with Eminem on the Grammy Awards. While Thompson says both of those performances were mainly about artistic expression, he also knows it's about gaining an audience and marketability.

Unlike many hip-hop groups, live shows are the band's main medium--they perform upward of 150 shows a year. The band's latest incarnation includes keyboardist Kamal, guitarist Ben Kenney, and "vocal turntablist" Scratch. Rahzel and MC Malik B. are no longer in the group.

While they're on the road, the band (Kamal is married with two children and the rest are single, with five other kids among them) spends their spare time keeping up with the latest toys, gadgets and technology. Aside from developing a Web site, okayplayer.com, the newest adventure involves spending hundreds of dollars to "trick out" remote control cars and trucks and race them in parking lots. "We have held up shows to finish a race!" says Thompson, the self-professed "big kid" of the group. "Everyone is addicted to the cars."

As for the Roots' place in hip-hop history, it's too early to tell. Even Thompson has admitted he doesn't know where they'll stand 25 years from now. Right now, the Roots play an important role, says Murray Forman, assistant professor of communication studies at Northeastern University in Boston. Not only is their music breaking new ground, but they also are doing their part to preserve the history and the culture that has made them famous.

"They show a versatility and a flexibility that's impressive and somewhat unique," says Forman, author of The 'Hood Comes First: Race, Space and Place in Rap and Hip-Hop. "They continually remind their listeners and their audience of the brilliant, masterful, artistic tradition of hip-hop."