The Roots

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风格: #后波普　#另类说唱　#东岸说唱　#爵士说唱
地区: United States of America 美国

艺人介绍

出道已达十五年的The Roots乐团是另类说唱的一支重要力量。1987年，美国宾夕法尼亚州费城高中的两个好朋友，原名Tariq Trotter的说唱歌手Black Thought和原名Ahmir Khalib Thompson的鼓手一起用简陋的乐器开始了在学校附近的说唱演出，一段时间之后他们有了一些钱改善装备，并且加入了说唱歌手Malik B和贝斯手Leonard Hubbard。1989年，The Roots乐团在费城正式宣告成立，并且在随后不久便成为了费城和纽约地区出众的地下说唱乐团之一，并且于1993年在一家小唱片公司发行了乐团的首张专辑《Organix》，结果这张专辑让他们成为了一些大唱片公司的宠儿。经过唱片公司的争夺，The Roots乐团签约DGC唱片公司，并且在1995年初发行了他们在主流唱片公司的第一张专辑《Do You Want More?》。

by John Bush

Though popular success has largely eluded the Roots, the Philadelphia group showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonics hip-hop band philosophy of the mid-80s by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio. Though their album works have been inconsistent affairs, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, the Roots live shows are among the best in the business.

The Roots focus on live music began back in 1987 when rapper Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and drummer ?uestlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson) became friends at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts. Playing around school, on the sidewalk, and later at talent shows (with ?uestloves drum kit backing Black Thoughts rhymes), the pair began to earn money and hooked up with bassist Hub (Leon Hubbard) and rapper Malik B. Moving from the street to local clubs, the Roots became a highly tipped underground act around Philadelphia and New York. When they were invited to represent stateside hip-hop at a concert in Germany, the Roots recorded an album to sell at shows; the result, Organix, was released in 1993 on Remedy Records. With a music industry buzz surrounding their activities, the Roots entertained offers from several labels before signing with DGC that same year.

The Roots first major-label album, Do You Want More?!!!??!, was released in January 1995; forsaking usual hip-hop protocol, the album was produced without any samples or previously recorded material. It peaked just outside the Top 100, but was mostly ignored by fans of hip-hop. Instead, Do You Want More?!!!??! made more tracks in alternative circles, partly due to the Roots playing the second stage at Lollapalooza that summer. The band also journeyed to the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Two of the guests on the album who had toured around with the band, human beatbox Rahzel the Godfather of Noyze — previously a performer with Grandmaster Flash and LL Cool J — and Scott Storch (later Kamal), became permanent members of the group.

Early in 1996, the Roots released Clones, the trailer single for their second album. It hit the rap Top Five, and created a good buzz for the album. The following September, Illadelph Halflife appeared and made number 21 on the album charts. Much like its predecessor, though, the Roots second LP was a difficult listen. It made several very small concessions to mainstream rap — the bandmembers sampled material that they had recorded earlier at jam sessions — but failed to make a hit of their unique sound. The Roots third album, 1999s Things Fall Apart, was easily their biggest critical and commercial success; The Roots Come Alive followed later that year.

The long-awaited Phrenology was released in late November 2002 amid rumors of the Roots losing interest in their label arrangements with MCA. In 2004, the band remedied the situation by creating the Okayplayer company. Named after their website, Okayplayer included a record label and a production/promotion company. The same year, the band held a series of jam sessions to give their next album a looser feel. The results were edited down to ten tracks and released as The Tipping Point in July of 2004. A 2004 concert from Manhattans Webster Hall with special guests like Mobb Deep, Young Gunz, and Jean Grae was released in early 2005 as The Roots Present in both CD and DVD formats. Two volumes of the rarities-collecting Home Grown! The Beginners Guide to Understanding the Roots appeared at the end of the year. Game Theory, the groups first album for Def Jam, followed in 2006.

The Roots

艺人介绍

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