The Roots are an American hip hop band, formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, having served in the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014. The Roots are known for a jazzy and eclectic approach to hip-hop featuring live musical instruments and the group's work has consistently been met with critical acclaim. ThoughtCo ranked the band #7 on its list of the 25 Best Hip-Hop Groups of All-Time, calling them "Hip-hop's first legitimate band." In addition to the band's music, several members of the Roots are involved in side projects, including record production, acting, and regularly serving as guests on other musicians' albums and live shows.
| Also known as | The Legendary Roots Crew, The Fifth Dynasty, The Square Roots |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, alternative rap, progressive soul |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Def Jam, DGC, GOOD, Interscope Geffen A&M, MCA, Okayplayer |
| Associated acts | Betty Wright, Elvis Costello, Jaguar Wright, Jazzyfatnastees, Jill Scott, Jimmy Fallon, John Legend, Nouveau Riche, Soulquarians, Ursula Rucker |
| Members | Black Thought, Questlove, Kamal Gray, Captain Kirk Douglas, Damon "Tuba Gooding Jr." Bryson, Ray Angry, James Poyser, Mark Kelley, Stro Elliot, Jeremy Ellis, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Dave Guy |
| Past members | Josh "Rubberband" Abrams, Malik B, Owen Biddle, Kid Crumbs, Dice Raw, F. Knuckles, Hub, Ben Kenney, Martin Luther, Rahzel, Scratch, Scott Storch, Nikki Yeoh |
About The Roots
Best known as one of hip-hop's original bands. They won Best R&B album for Wake Up! at the Grammys in 2011. They joined The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as the official band in 2014.
Achievement of The Roots
Tariq Trotter and Questlove are the only members of the band to remain since their creation in 1987.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About The Roots
The Roots Category.. Hip hop groups from Philadelphia.. DGC Records artists.. Radio and television house bands.. The Tonight Show Band members.. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.. Geffen Records artists.. Def Jam Recordings artists.. Alternative hip hop groups.. American funk musical groups.. Musical groups from Philadelphia.. MCA Records artists.
