The Roots

As a response to people who felt that the Roots' live instrumentation was too gimmicky, the group released Illadelph Halflife in 1996. The outfit resolved to sample itself, looping ?uestlove's solid drum clip and playing up the studio angle. The album manages to capture their intense live dynamic and agility at creating innovative, solid beats.

The roots have never been your average rap crew. Paced by lead lyricist Black Thought
and ?uestlove, the group's drummer, the Roots are to hip-hop culture what Bob Dole
thought he would be to this year's presidential election: a breath of fresh air. When the
Philadelphia-based band first hit the scene, heads weren't really checking for homeys who
could flow with the best freestylers and play real instruments. But the Roots can... More >