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The Roots_GRAMMY rewind

The Roots 

News
Watch The Roots Win Their First GRAMMY grammy-rewind-watch-roots-and-erykah-badu-gleefully-win-their-first-grammy-2000

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch The Roots And Erykah Badu Gleefully Win Their First GRAMMY in 2000

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The hip-hop greats won their first GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for “You Got Me” from 1999’s ‘Things Fall Apart’
Morgan Enos
GRAMMYs
Jan 29, 2021 - 10:44 am

Before the Roots were omnipresent on NBC’s "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," the Philly hip-hop heavyweights led by Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson were a hungry, ambitious crew notable for incorporating live instruments and jazzy textures into an often sample-based form.

For the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind, watch as the crew wins their first GRAMMY for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group at the dawn of the new millennium. The band took home the award for “You Got Me” from their classic 1999 album Things Fall Apart. In the clip, they and their Soulquarians collaborator Erykah Badu elatedly accept the award with smiles visible from space.

Watch The Roots & Erykah Badu Win First GRAMMY

GRAMMY Rewind: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Win For 1991 Bop "Summertime"

Common

Common

Photo: Brian Bowen Smith

News
Common On New Album 'A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2' common-interview-new-album-a-beautiful-revolution-pt-2-social-justice-j-dilla-black-thought

Common Opens Up About 'A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2,' Social Justice In The Mainstream & The Unceasing Spirit Of J Dilla

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These days, Common is visible and praised for a variety of extramusical things, like acting, writing and philanthropy. But his new album, 'A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2' shows he's still as razor-sharp an MC as ever
Morgan Enos
GRAMMYs
Sep 13, 2021 - 1:45 pm

More than a year after the murder of George Floyd, social justice has perforated the mainstream like never before. It's on our bookshelves and shop windows; corporate America hires diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officers; media representation has taken center stage. This might spark suspicion: Where was the POC hiring spree before an innocent man was murdered in public? 

But to Common—a three-time-GRAMMY-winning conscious rapper just as famous for his music as his rallying for social equity—we need not assume the worst of people; it's just human nature. Sure, those posting slogans so as not to get yelled at will always exist, but sometimes it takes gl​​obal trauma for people with busy schedules to open their eyes and take notice.

Read More: One Year After #TheShowMustBePaused, Where Do We Stand? Black Music Industry Leaders Discuss

"Everyone was going about their business, and I've been one who went out about my business," Common tells GRAMMY.com over the phone. "But when things get drastic, sometimes you pay attention to it: 'Man, this can't happen. This is not good. This is inhumane.' The inhumanity of what people saw last year has changed people's thoughts." You can't say we don't live in a different world now, and it all started from within—which Common's new album is all about.

A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2—which follows 2020's Pt. 1 and just arrived September 10—inverts the purview of its call-to-arms predecessor, homing in on how external change flows from within. This understanding permeates its best tunes, like "When We Move," "Set It Free" and "Star Of The Gang." 

When he recently performed the former song on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" with Black Thought and Seun Kuti, an infectious sense of brotherhood radiated through the TV screen. And it's that spirit of conciliation, he says—not yelling and screaming—that will catalyze true change.

Read on for an in-depth interview with Common about how he learned to freestyle, the humanistic vision behind A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2 and how he keeps J Dilla's spirit aflame every day.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Nice to meet you, Common. How are you feeling?

I'm just really inspired and feeling happy and excited about the new album. I just did an L.A. Leakers freestyle on their station. You've got to check it out if you get a chance. It's these DJs and they call themselves the L.A. Leakers. They have a segment where they have people come through and do freestyles. It's getting a lot of buzz, so I'm happy. I'm getting a lot of good calls from friends at home. 

There's nothing like when your friends that you grew up with get inspired and sparked about what you're doing. It's a good feeling.

Do you remember when you learned to freestyle? How did you train your brain in that way?

I don't know if it was training. I guess there's a practice to it, but I really just dove into it and started doing it and realized it's something I love to do and fun in the way it made me and my friends feel—people that were around.

I was actually thinking about it the other day: "When did I start actually freestyling?" I don't know the actual time period, but I do remember being in gym class in high school—probably around my sophomore year—and freestyling with one of my classmates and friends who used to beatbox good. He would always have songs and ideas that were real vulgar. I would kick these other rhymes—and I would say some wild stuff too, sometimes—but it was just fun.

That's when I remember actually freestyling more and more. My name is Rashid, so they'd say, "Rashid, kick a freestyle!" I would get into it, and they'd freestyle with me. That's when I started working on the craft. I don't remember where and when it started.

I imagine it's like unlocking part of your brain, or stopping the overthinking part.

The word "free" is in it because you truly have to have a free mind and spirit to do it. I've been around people who aren't super-great rappers, but they're great freestylers because they're able to be spontaneous and say fun things and not take themselves too seriously. 

I think that was one of the things for me: Understanding that it's OK to mess up. It's OK that it's not perfect. It's OK to have a couple of bars that ain't as dope as the other ones. There's a freedom in letting go and letting your thoughts come out and express yourself in that raw [form]. You don't have a lot of time to think.

Honestly, the things we love about certain aspects of music: James Brown and those guys, some of that was just the feeling of the music. They were playing it and taking in what was in the moment. One of my favorite artists, John Coltrane—what he's doing is improvising in certain moments and just playing what comes to him and what he feels.

I think that's what great vocalists do. Ultimately, that's what freestyling is. It's a feeling.

Read More: ​​'Giant Steps' At 60: Why John Coltrane's Classic Hard Bop Album Is More Than A Jazz-School Worksheet

Now that you mention it, I imagine the roots of freestyling go back to early American folk and work songs—extemporaneous vocalizations.

Yeah! Now that we're talking about it, it's funny: You're making me want to think about "When did people start coming up with songs right on the spot?"

It is something you see artists in other genres of music do sometimes. PJ, who I worked with on this new album—she worked with me on A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1—I've never seen a vocalist come up with so many songs in a moment. She basically could be a cypher, freestyling. She has that type of ability.

I definitely see people in other genres. I've seen Erykah Badu do it at a performance, but she also raps, too. Erykah can rap. I think PJ can, too. In this era, I think people who do it have some sort of hip-hop connection.

Read More: Didn't Cha Know?: 20 Years of Erykah Badu's 'Mama's Gun'

Before we dive into the new album, I've got to ask: Who do you think is the greatest freestyle rapper of all time?

[Considers the question carefully.] I actually think that Lupe Fiasco is up there.

Oh, wow.

Because I heard him freestyling and I was like, "Yo, this dude is incredible." It's really special what he was doing. I think he's one of the greatest freestylers I've ever heard.

Is the magic of a master freestyler the idea that they can spill out something that seems carefully written? Or does it have more to do with a raw, rough-and-tumble quality that can't be preconceived?

I think it's saying something where it's like "Man, did he write that?" The rawness is going to be there. 

And let's be clear: If we're talking about freestyling in front of a crowd, you want to keep it simple. You want to have something that people can hear. You don't want to go over their heads. But if you're doing it for a radio show or something, you want to have some lines in there because people are going to go back and listen. People that love hip-hop study lyrics. They listen to the lyrics and play it again and say, "What did he say here? What did he say there?"

To me, the highest level of freestyling is being able to not only have the raw element but be able to say something clever where they can feel like, "Damn! How did you come up with that with a nice simile or a good metaphor within the freestyle?" I've been around people who can kick a story in a freestyle, which is amazing.

Even though you've been doing this forever, do you feel like you have a ways to go as a freestyle rapper?

Bro, I definitely feel like I could get better. I have a ways to go. I know that I could get better. I want to evolve and grow and expand. I want to do that only as a freestyle rapper, but as a writer, as an artist, as a musician. I just want to grow.

Let's face it: No artist and musician—or human being, for that matter—has reached perfection. You might have some really divine moments where the song is just exceptional and incredible, but you still get better from there. That's what's inspiring me, to be honest, as a musician and artist: "I could do better." There are things I don't know in music, obviously. There are things that I'm learning and places I haven't gone musically.

Listen Up: From Aretha Franklin To Public Enemy, Here's How Artists Have Amplified Social Justice Movements Through Music

As I listened to the new album, I mulled over the word "revolution." We hear it all the time these days, as well as similar ones like "reckoning," but it's been commodified and commercialized over the decades. What does it connote to you right now?

I think it means radical change. That was a word that always stuck with me. It's a go-to saying for me: "It's a revolution."

I heard the song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" when I was young. One of my best friends used to play it. Even though I didn't know everything Gil Scott-Heron was talking about, I heard the word. Basically, as I started to discover Bob Marley and KRS-One and Public Enemy, my interpretation of "revolution" began to expand and I started to discover what it meant to me at that time, or what they may have meant by it.

My definition of a revolution has now opened up even more because I used to think of the revolt aspect of revolution. The overthrowing of systems and things that have not been beneficial to people—the people. To Black people. To brown people. I thought about overthrowing and changing those systems. But the more I started to learn things about life, I started to understand that a revolution was even beyond that.

To be really clear with you, I even thought of using the title A Beautiful Revolution because one of my heroes, a woman named Assata Shakur who was a Black Panther and was exiled in Cuba, had a quote about how revolution is love and treating your partner well. Revolution is honoring yourself. She was saying all these beautiful things.

At one point, she said "Revolution has beauty in it." I was like, "Ah, yes! Yes! Yes!" It's still a radical change for me, but the radical change may be the way I treat myself. Changing the way I approach my mornings. Changing the ways that I talk to my daughter or listen to her. Changing the way I think about my diet.

I think about revolution now not only as "We've got to dethrone the system!" It's more like, "Man, how did that change happen within me, within myself? How do I issue that change to other people—people close to me and strangers?" That's what makes revolution palatable and valuable for me now. That's what my definition of it is right now.

You're interested in internal revolution first. Perhaps cleaning your yard before you offer to clean your neighbor's.

Yes. Within this project, A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2, I felt like that was the mission. The intention is to put out energy that's like, "What's love? What's self-empowerment? Where can we find joy? How do we create hope for ourselves in times where things have been difficult?"

There's been a lot of hurt out there. There's been a lot of loss and a lot of the unknown. A lot of change for us. But I still believe in the power of human beings and the power of God. We can be positive and put good things out there and create happier days and times.

It starts inside. There could be a lot of things going on outside and, depending on how I approach them and look at them and receive them, it'll determine the way I look at them and what my mind-state is. I'm talking about the internal revolution first and then looking outside and seeing what we could do to change them.

Can I get your opinion on how social justice has perforated the mainstream lately?

There's definitely a commercialization of social justice out there. A lot of companies we see are making it like that's what they're about and that wasn't what they were about two years ago, three years ago, or 10 years ago.

But you know what? I feel like it's OK. Because I would rather you start doing some things, even though it's not for the right reason at first. If you're helping some people, it's still healthy and you're benefiting some lives. In the course of that, you will feel like "Man, this is the right thing to do." Maybe it becomes more of a practice.

I don't know if you've ever heard the saying "Fake it 'til you make it"? People will tell you, "Man, just say you're great until you become great." I don't mean you don't put in the work until you get there, but I'm saying it's a great step if people are even putting it out there. I see Black women in a lot of commercials now. Or kids getting opportunities in Hollywood. Film studios are like, "We've got to get some Black creators in this, and brown creators and people of color and women."

Even if, at the beginning of it, it was just because they got forced to do it and there was a society-wide wave going on, it's still a good wave. This can actually benefit us. And the more we do it, it becomes who we are—a reality to us. You also, by doing it, are going to invite and attract people who are sincere about it. They can help change the real scope of it.

After George Floyd was killed, I had a director I worked with on a commercial call me. He said, "Man, listen: I own one of the biggest commercial studios in the country. Do you know any young Black directors that I can help develop? Even if they haven't directed commercials, do you know anybody?" And I gave him a list of some people. 

I don't know if he used the people I knew, but he found some directors and got them working. To me, that was a sincere thing. He used the platform that he had and really had been affected enough to say, "This is how I'm contributing to bettering the world and changing things. I have power and I have this privilege and I've been paying attention, so I'm going to do it now."

My long answer to that is: Yes, social justice has been commercialized, and giving Black people a fair shake, that's been part of the wave. But I think it's a great wave and it can become part of the DNA of our society at some point, the more we do it. I'm happy to see the opportunities coming.

While what your friend did is beautiful and commendable, stories like that can also invite cynical readings: "Why weren't those opportunities being extended back when an innocent man wasn't being slaughtered on the news?"

Well, listen, listen. Let's face it. I've been guilty of this too. There are certain things that go on in the world that we just don't pay attention to. Some of the struggles that Black people have been experiencing in this country, some people didn't pay attention to.

Man, the life of George Floyd is something special. To many, he was an average human being, but him losing his life in the way he did really opened a lot of people's eyes. It really changed things. Some people, by seeing that—years ago, like I said, they weren't on that. They weren't thinking. Everyone was going about their business, and I've been one who went about my business.

I was doing work for a lot of inner-city youth and Black people, but there were issues going on that I may not have paid attention to. But when things get drastic, sometimes you pay attention to it: "Man, this can't happen. This is not good. This is inhumane." The inhumanity of what people saw last year has changed people's thoughts.

That's a really compassionate take on it. It's just human nature: We're busy. We can't grasp all the ills in the world at the same time. What I'm getting from what you're saying is that it's OK to respond to a stimulus. It doesn't make you a bandwagon-jumper, necessarily.

It is. If you're doing it from the intention of "Listen, I've got to do this because it's for my business. This business has to work and if I don't say anything about Black people at this point, our business will fall," the truth will come out at some point and it won't last long what you're doing. It will be revealed at some point.

But it's OK to be like, "I didn't even know much about this struggle, but now I'm seeing this has changed me." To be honest, that's what life offers you. Life gives you that gift, in a way. People don't need to lose their lives for certain experiences to change us, but that's what happened, in many ways. If somebody says "Man, I didn't know anything about this and I didn't care and was just going about my business but now I do," I respect 'em because we're all human.

There was a time I was sitting there doing a documentary on Black America and this author was like, "Man, do you ever think about the plight of women?" I was like, "Man, I talk about it sometimes, but I haven't been involved in the fight in a way I could be!" It was a wake-up call.

So, my point is: We all sometimes need to be awakened to things going on with other peoples' struggles. There's somewhere in my humanity where I say "If there's something to contribute towards helping this cause, I'm going to do it."

Let's talk about the new album a little bit. What did you feel you wanted to say with A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2, that you didn't necessarily get to on Pt. 1? Or is it all kind of one thing, just divided in half?

I think, on Pt. 2, I got to look at the hopeful side of the struggle. Pt. 1 was written while we were dealing with the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The election was going on. There was a lot of dissension and conflict and hurt and angst and it was a charged era. I consider that music movement music.

But Pt. 2 is, "What is the next step in the revolution?" As you spoke to earlier, I said, "You know, we use that word a lot, but what's the next step in it? What's the progression in the revolution?" In Pt. 2, I felt like I was saying, "Man, having a good time is the revolution." That's part of the revolution, to find places where you enjoy life. Also, giving yourself self-love is a revolution.

That's why, in this song I've got called "Set it Free," I'm telling a woman, "Don't let anybody—this guy—determine your happiness. You create that and then you can bring your happiness to them. But don't let somebody else outside of you determine your happiness. You've got it in you."

Common

Common. Photo: Brian Bowen Smith

Is there a part in revolution where we may have to interact with or even dignify people whose views we find reprehensible? We're in the era of "distancing yourself" from others, but I have my doubts about that. You may have to have a heart-to-heart with them.

Man, you and I think alike in certain ways. I truly believe that people who think like me—or may think the total opposite—I still don't mind sitting down and dealing with them. I like to deal with them. And we might come out still not agreeing, but I heard you, you heard me. It gives you a better understanding, and hopefully gives room for me to be me and you to be you.

Now, if the person is consistently not going to listen or give you the time of day, at a certain point, you've got to make a choice. Like, "Man, this ain't going nowhere. I've sat down with this person five times. I've sat down with this organization five times." 

But otherwise, I remember being on the campaign trail doing some canvassing. We were in Jacksonville and there was this woman hollering out how she was basically pro-Trump. I went over there and talked to her. She was talking about abortion and how she'd never vote Democrat. I was just listening to her, and I didn't even try to convince her too much. I was just trying to be respectful and nice to her.

I think one of the things we overlook is just listening to the other side or somebody who doesn't think like you. Just listening to them is something. It's paying respect. It's necessary. I believe heart-to-hearts are necessary. That's where growth comes in. If I sit down with people who always think like me, I'm not even learning anything new!

And the change I want to see: I ain't changing them. The church members who need to hear the preacher are the people in the streets. Now, I'm using church as a metaphor, but I think the real messages should go out into the hoods and places where people don't want to hear what you're talking about. You hear them out and you give them [a new way] to think about things.

If you want to change people's hearts, the worst possible way is to insult them and call them names. They'll never listen to you after that.

That never works for anybody. It takes some work because we all have feelings. If our feelings are hurt and somebody says something or we feel emotional about something, we want to spew out what we feel. I'm saying that to say: You've got to be slow to anger. 

If you want to get a point across, you're never heard when you're yelling at someone. The person you're yelling at won't respond, "Oh, man, I actually hear you. That was powerful what you said. I receive your message," because they've been screamed at. How can they receive it if you're screaming at them? You're already attacking them. Anyone who's being attacked is going to defend themselves in some way.

On the topic of community and connection, tell me what you appreciate about your collaborators on A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2—their individual artistic voices and what they brought to the table.

Well, Brittany Howard is one of the most gifted, individualistic, talented and true-to-her-artistic-tastes artists that I've been able to be around or even, honestly, listen to. She knows what her voice is and ain't going to let that be diluted.

She's so true to what she believes is quality. When we did the song "Saving Grace," she was like, "This is what grace is to me." We talked it through and worked through some more ideas. I was like, "I want to say something about grace," and she was talking to me about how grace is power. I was like, "Keep that part. Just make sure grace is in there. That's what I want the song to be about." Her perspective needed to be heard. I really appreciated it and think it's super dope.

Man, I love her. And then Marcus King is so soulful. What he brought to the song "Poetry" was grit. We wanted to feel like somebody was sitting on the porch singing, and he did that. I just love his music and think he's a really special vocalist.

PJ is featured on a lot of songs. As I mentioned earlier, she's one of the dopest songwriters and one of the most stylish vocalists I've been around. The way she styles with her vocals is just unique and fresh. She can do a lot of different things.

Then: Black Thought! Black Thought is one of the most prolific and incredible MCs to ever exist. He's been an inspiration for me forever. I've worked with him forever. But when I heard the song "When We Move," I was like, "I wanted something that sounds like a Fela Kuti kind of hook." Black Thought introduced me to Fela Kuti's music back in '96. 

So I was like, "Man, Tariq, can you give me a hook? I want to talk about how we move—the way we as Black people move. I want to celebrate our Blackness and the influence we've had on the planet." He came in with that hook and he brought Seun Kuti to the table, who is Fela's son. It tied everything together and also made it international to me. It made it a global-sounding song to me. I was geeked about it—excited!

And then the poets I have—Jessica Care Moore and Morgan Parker—I mean, they're incredible writers. The poem at the beginning, "Push Out the Noise," says so much. We had a conversation and I was telling her about how this album is about being still and what I've found in that stillness. What I found is the joy and happiness and power within me and different things that are positive for me in being quiet. She took that and wrote a beautiful piece.

Morgan Parker's the poet who ended the album. She's an inspiration to me because I read her poetry and then I want to go write. I love poets who do that for me, like James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni or Dr. Maya Angelou.

Those are some of the collaborators, and I've got to give it up for the collaborators who produced it. Karriem Riggins produced this album and it's co-produced by Isaiah Sharkey, who plays guitar and other instruments and is one of the [greatest] cats around. He's from Chicago. Boom Bishop is the bass player, who also came up with some of the tunes. 

Collaborating with him, I feel like the music goes to so many places, and this album has taken me to places I've never been before musically. That feels incredible for me, because I've been making music professionally for some years now. I've never rhymed to a beat like "Get it Right" or "Set it Free" and I've definitely never rhymed to a beat like "Poetry."

I remember doing "When We Move" on "Jimmy Fallon" and Jimmy was like, "What sample is that?" I was like, "That's not a sample, man! Those cats are playing that!"

Read More: GRAMMY Rewind: Watch The Roots And Erykah Badu Gleefully Win Their First GRAMMY in 2000

Speaking of: How did it feel to play on "The Tonight Show"? That must have been like a family reunion since you've worked with the Roots and Soulquarians so much.

Dude, that was so much fun, man. I was so excited. The Roots are my family and Black Thought is my brother, man. I love him. We wanted to present something that was fresh. We videoed Seun Kuti in Nigeria. We also had a director work on some visuals for us.

I felt like we were rocking that joint. I felt excited to be there. I think you can see the excitement on my face. My mother was like, "Man, that song is incredible! You rocked that!" so it's always good to have a little love from Mom.

I've been revisiting Like Water For Chocolate, which turned 20 last year. When you think of those times, what immediately comes to mind?

Being around some of the greatest musicians and artists that the planet has ever seen. D'Angelo is timeless and incredible. Erykah Badu. Questlove is a genius. We see that not only with his music,  but the movie Summer of Soul is a masterpiece, man. Being able to go from one studio and work with Mos Def to working with Bilal, and then Jill Scott coming to rock with us. Talib [Kweli] had been around; Dave Chapelle came through the studio, just hanging out.

Read More: I Met Her In Philly: D'Angelo's 'Brown Sugar' Turns 25

Everybody loved J Dilla and wanted him [to participate]. He was in Detroit, so he would come out to work with us. Electric Lady was the place we worked, and then I just remember flying out to Detroit and creating with Dilla—really developing a sound that was inspired by Fela Kuti and Slum Village. I came up with my own thing, but these producers gave me the best music.

We were going to do a 20-year celebration, but things couldn't happen with that. So I'm grateful that that album exists. Some people come to me and be like, "Like Water For Chocolate is my favorite of your albums!" and a lot of musicians who play say, "Man, I was digging into that album."

And that's one of the things I want to say: I'm a hip-hop artist, but I'm also a musician. I don't really play any instrument at a professional level yet, but the point is, I love when musicians tell me they love my music.

Can you reflect on J Dilla a little bit? I'm sure he still feels like a presence in your life.

J Dilla will always have a presence in my life. He was the most gifted musician that I had worked with. His music hit people in ways I had never seen music influence. People reacted to him. I walked into a studio with J Dilla and Pharrell got down on his knees and was like, bowing down to him: "You the god!" James Poyser, Questlove and D'Angelo used to call him "the god": "That's the god right there!"

And his spirit: He was a good dude, man. He was dynamic, meaning he was a Detroit dude who entertained and drove around in a Range Rover. But he was sampling Gentle Giant and Herbie Hancock and Dave Brubeck. He was so, so musically gifted and just a wonderful friend in his soul.

I love him and will keep his presence. It's around. It's here. It will continue to impact me. At times, I feel that presence influencing and inspiring me and I'm grateful for it.

Do you feel that your best work is ahead of you?

Yes. Yes. I do feel my best work is ahead of me. I feel that I'm learning more and more about music and life, and that's allowing me to be my highest self and creative self.

Common Tells The Stories Behind 'Like Water For Chocolate' For Its 20th Anniversary

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The Roots

Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images

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On 'Things Fall Apart,' The Roots Deepened Hip-Hop things-fall-apart-roots-deepened-hip-hop

On 'Things Fall Apart,' The Roots Deepened Hip-Hop

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'Things Fall Apart' is not the Roots' masterpiece, but rather the beginning of them making masterpieces
Dan Weiss
GRAMMYs
Mar 4, 2019 - 11:21 am

We joke about it — there's that "J. Cole went platinum with no features" meme—but some of rap's overachievers end up doing just that. The Roots were perhaps one of the first acts in hip-hop history where maybe it wasn't immediately clear what the song was about. And while rap had always been built on borrowing and homage and one-upping, all sorts of open-source tools and watching a chant or catchphrase evolve into something else in real time, the Philadelphia group felt like its first meta commentators, deconstructing the medium as a whole and its tropes within their work itself. Lord knows they didn’t condescend to their peers (which matters when your lead vocalist is named Black Thought), though they occasionally indulged their bratty side (see the 1996 "rap video manual" "What They Do").

But just by existing, the Roots are often viewed as a fount of respectability politics: "They're rappers who play real instruments!" you’ve surely overheard one exasperated white rock fan say to another. Actually, let's zoom out entirely. How they're really viewed in 2019 is as Jimmy Fallon's house band and their elastic ability to perform on any guest's song, no matter the genre, possibly diminishes their artistic identity rather than augmenting it. Despite the fact the Roots tie Jay-Z as rap’s most consistent album artists for 20 years now, they’re rarely part of The Conversation.

You could say people so take the Roots' greatness for granted that whatever amazing thing they're currently saying or doing exists in a different universe than the one engaging luminaries from Drake to Nicki Minaj to Future to Juice WRLD. Or you could say they aren’t considered great at all. Black Thought is often referred to as an "MC's MC," which by definition means he’s undervalued by the audience. No one doubts Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson is a world-class drummer, but he's treated more as the Dave Grohl of rap, a genial everydude who’s friends with everybody and checks in with a predictable new album every few years. Sure, but only if greatness in itself is boringly predictable.

Things Fall Apart, which just turned 20, is rightfully celebrated as a groundbreaking collection of music; it courted real sales, and had a real hit. "You Got Me," a Jill Scott co-write that Erykah Badu's hook curled around like smoke, won a real GRAMMY in 1999. And 2002's expansive, almost psychedelically varied follow-up, Phrenology, continued the hit streak with "The Seed 2.0," though it was a larger staple of alt-rock stations' playlists than rap ones. And then quietly, respectfully, their next six studio albums were damned with strong reviews and consistent sales in the five-to-six digits without threatening radio or year-end lists ever again. This was particularly unjust for the incredible hot streak of Game Theory, Rising Down, and How I Got Over from 2006 to 2010, but the quality of The Tipping Point, undun, and …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin is also taken for granted.

Things Fall Apart is not the Roots' masterpiece, but rather the beginning of them making masterpieces. Its unforgettable cover art aside, with two terrified black people fleeing white police on foot, most of the album's depth is musical. Before Genius existed, Questlove was happy to fill the Roots' CD booklets with footnotes to help any listener place the cymbal-heavy opener "Table of Contents (Parts 1 & 2)" as a tribute to the "sloppy tambourine" of Marley Marl and "horrible mixing" of the Jungle Brothers. The drums on "Step Into the Realm" keep fading out as an homage to the breaks our heroes had to loop as kids from the ends of other songs where the only isolated drum sounds they could grab would fade out. The backing track of "Without a Doubt" is built entirely from a sample of their fellow hometown hero Schoolly-D.

Old-school rap was the foundation of Things Fall Apart, down to the back-and-forth mic-trading between Black Thought and Mos Def on "Double Trouble." But the hyper-time drum-and-bass that Questlove lays under the final chorus of "You Got Me," J Dilla's creaky deep-crate jazz on "Dynamite!" and the Jazzyfatnastees' hocketing vocals on "The Next Movement" were all expanding the sonic palates of millennial rap fans. The group embraced their progressivism visually, too, building on the subversive "What They Do" with two more Charles Stone III-directed videos: "You Got Me" remixed Radiohead's infamously open-ended "Just" clip, while the mini visual marvels of “The Next Movement,” rival anything Spike Jonze directed in the '90s.

The album cover and title of the Roots' third album were perhaps better suited to their darker later work, which became crucially political, but at least it established an urgency for the group, one they deserve to get back. Because the true theme song of Things Fall Apart is the centerpiece "Act Too (The Love of My Life)," whose titular inamorata is hip-hop itself, and that song's own music sounded like a successor to "The Cosby Show" theme, which at one time was another example of Philly pride. Making an album about how much you love what you do doesn’t sound like a radical concept, necessarily. But it’s an uplifting one, and when it busts open the doors that permit you to do so much more of it, well, that’s the beginning of a revolution, no?

On September 27, Things Fall Apart will be reissued in a 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition in different formats. The standard 3xLP gatefold edition with a new full disc of bonus tracks and a 24-page booklet featuring rare photos and new essays from Black Thought and Questlove (along with new liner notes from Questlove), as well as a Collector's Edition on clear vinyl with a die-cut slipcase.

GRAMMYs

Bob Dylan's Time Out Of My Mind

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40th GRAMMYs: Who Won Album Of The Year? 40th-grammys-who-won-big-four-categories

40th GRAMMYs: Who Won The Big Four Categories?

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Bob Dylan wins Album Of The Year and Shawn Colvin scores two sunny wins against these nominees
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

Music's Biggest Night, the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards, will air live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

In the weeks leading up to the telecast, we will take a stroll through some of the golden moments in GRAMMY history with the GRAMMY Rewind, highlighting the "big four" categories — Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist — in 10-year increments before capping off with a look at the last five years. In the process, we'll discuss the winners and the nominees who just missed taking home a GRAMMY, while also shining a light on the artists' careers and the eras in which the recordings were born.

Join us as we take an abbreviated journey through the trajectory of pop music from the 1st Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1959 to this year's 53rd telecast. Today, the GRAMMY Awards celebrates its 40th anniversary.
 

40th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Feb. 25, 1998

Album Of The Year
Winner: Bob Dylan, Time Out Of Mind
Babyface, The Day
Paula Cole, This Fire
Paul McCartney, Flaming Pie
Radiohead, Ok Computer

The venerable Dylan edged out a diverse field in claiming his second Album Of The Year award for Time Out Of Mind, produced by Daniel Lanois. (His first came in 1972 for his participation on The Concert For Bangla Desh.) Dylan's unforgettable performance on the telecast included an encounter with a stage crasher bearing the words "Soy Bomb" on his torso. Smooth R&B songwriter/producer Babyface made the cut with The Day, which featured the touching title track written about the day his then-wife Tracey Edmonds told him she was pregnant with their first child, Brandon. Babyface won back-to-back Producer Of The Year awards in 1995 and 1996. Singer/songwriter Cole, who impressively scored nods in all four General Field categories, was recognized for her sophomore album. Current MusiCares Person of the Year honoree McCartney, who won Album Of The Year 30 years prior with his friends from Liverpool, was cited for Flaming Pie, a stripped-down song cycle inspired by the then-recent GRAMMY-winning The Beatles Anthology. Though Radiohead would lose out in this category, the British alternative rockers won their first GRAMMY for Best Alternative Music Performance.

Record Of The Year
Winner: Shawn Colvin, "Sunny Came Home"
Paula Cole, "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?"
Sheryl Crow, "Everyday Is A Winding Road"
Hanson, "MMMbop"
R. Kelly, "I Believe I Can Fly"

"Sunny Came Home," which depicts the tale of a woman who sets her home ablaze in an attempt to escape her haunting past, was Colvin's highest-charting single (No. 7) on the Billboard Hot 100, and paved the way for her long-standing career. Cole's "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?"— which name-drops the Duke, John Wayne — marked her only charting single in the Top 10. Coming off three GRAMMYs the year prior, Crow was shut out twice in 1997, but would pick up awards in 1998 and 1999. The brother trio Hanson, who literally emerged out of the Middle Of Nowhere, was recognized with the smash "MMMbop," which soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Kelly's inspirational anthem "I Believe I Can Fly" would miss the cut here, but it racked up three GRAMMYs, including Best Rhythm & Blues Song. "I Believe…" just missed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 2.

Song Of The Year
Winner: Shawn Colvin, "Sunny Came Home"
Paula Cole, "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?"
R. Kelly, "I Believe I Can Fly"
No Doubt, "Don't Speak"
LeAnn Rimes And Trisha Yearwood, "How Do I Live"

It was a big year for the South Dakota-born Colvin and "Sunny Came Home," which she penned with John Leventhal. Cole and Kelly also reprised their Record Of The Year nods. "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?" was written by Cole, whose album showed a lyrical depth similar to contemporaries such as Jewel and Sarah McLachlan. "I Believe I Can Fly," with its elements of R&B and soul, was written, produced and performed by Kelly. Hailing from Anaheim, Calif., No Doubt made the grade with their heartbreaking ballad "Don't Speak," written by vocalist Gwen Stefani and her brother Eric. The alt-ska outfit would win their first GRAMMY five years later. Country teen sensation Rimes, who won Best New Artist in 1996, and Yearwood were each nominated for "How Do I Live," which was penned by Diane Warren. This marked a GRAMMY first, with two artists representing the same song in a category. Rimes' version would chart higher, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, but Yearwood's rendition won a GRAMMY for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

"Sunny Came Home" Wins Song of the Year

Best New Artist
Winner: Paula Cole
Fiona Apple
Erykah Badu
Hanson
Puff Daddy

Emerging from a genre-rich pool, the Massachusetts-native Cole would not walk away empty-handed in securing the coveted Best New Artist award. Apple, who had been a bad, bad girl throughout 1996, was good enough to get a nomination, and also a win for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Criminal." While R&B/soul songstress Badu would not win for Best New Artist, she won two awards in 1997, including Best R&B Album for her debut Baduizm. Marking the beginning of his empire-to-be, hip-hop all-star Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, now simply known as Diddy, lost out but would not walk away empty-handed by scoring a GRAMMY for "I'll Be Missing You," a tribute to the fallen Notorious B.I.G. containing samples of the Police's GRAMMY-winning "Every Breath You Take." The brothers Hanson, whose sunny pop sound contrasted with the murky sounds of grunge in the mid-'90s, rounded out the nominees.

Come back to GRAMMY.com on Feb. 2 as we revisit the 45th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

Follow GRAMMY.com for our inside look at GRAMMY news, blogs, photos, videos, and of course nominees. Stay up to the minute with GRAMMY Live. Check out the GRAMMY legacy with GRAMMY Rewind. Explore this year's GRAMMY Fields. Or check out the collaborations at Re:Generation, presented by Hyundai Veloster. And join the conversation at Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

 

Boyz II Men smile with GRAMMYs in hand

Boyz II Men

Photo credit: Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

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Watch Boyz II Men Win GRAMMY For "End Of The Road" grammy-rewind-watch-boyz-ii-men-win-best-performance-duo-or-group-end-of-the-road-1993

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Boyz II Men Win GRAMMY For Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group For "End Of The Road" In 1993

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In the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind, Boyz II Men accepts their second back-to-back GRAMMY win for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Taj Mayfield
GRAMMYs
Dec 10, 2021 - 9:22 am

"We came into this music industry with one dream, and that was to get one," Boyz II Men founder Nathan Morris says while holding up the GRAMMY Award for Best R&B Performance By A Group Or Duo With Vocal. "And now we got two."

In the latest episode of GRAMMY Rewind, travel back to 1993 to capture Boyz II Men's GRAMMY win for their 1992 hit record "End of the Road." Watch the Philly foursome accept GRAMMY number two below.

Watch Boyz II Men Win GRAMMY For "End Of The Road"

After spending a then record-breaking 13 weeks as the Billboard Hot 100 number one track, "End of the Road" ranked number one on Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles and finished sixth on the publication's most successful songs of the decade list. The track was written by GRAMMY winners Babyface, L.A. Reid and Darly Simmons.

Evidenced by the popularity of "End of the Road," Boyz II Men were one of the biggest R&B acts of the '90s, winning four GRAMMYs and earning 11 nominations during what many consider the heyday of the genre.

Relive more moments from the GRAMMY Rewind archive below.

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GRAMMY Rewind
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Artwork for GRAMMY Rewind episode on Arrested Development for Best New Artist GRAMMY win at the 35th GRAMMY Awards in 1993
Arrested Development at the 35th GRAMMY Awards in 1993
Archive Photos/Getty Images

Watch Arrested Development Win Best New Artist

Juan Luis Guerra smiles and holds up two Latin GRAMMYs
Juan Luis Guerra
Photo: GERARD BURKHART/AFP via Getty Images

Watch Juan Luis Guerra Win Latin GRAMMY In 2005

Juanes smiles while holding five GRAMMY awards
Juanes
Photo credit: Scott Gries

Watch Juanes Win Album Of The Year In 2003

Luis Fonsi smiles while holding Latin GRAMMY award
Luis Fonsi
Photo credit: Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Watch Luis Fonsi Win Latin GRAMMY For "Despacito"

Alicia Keys holding GRAMMY Award in front of microphone
Alicia Keys
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Watch Alicia Keys Win GRAMMY For "No One" In 2008

Alejandro Fernandez smiles and holds up Latin GRAMMY award
Alejandro Fernandez
Photo: Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Images
Latin GRAMMYs

Watch Alejandro Fernandez Win Latin GRAMMY in 2000

GRAMMY Rewind: Alejandro Sanz
Alejandro Sanz
Photo: GERARD BURKHART/AFP via Getty Images

Watch Alejandro Sanz Win Latin GRAMMY In 2005

Jesse & Joy smiling with two Latin GRAMMYs each
Jesse(L) & Joy(R)
Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Latin Recording Academy

Watch Jesse & Joy Win Latin GRAMMY For "¡Corre!"

Vicente Fernandez smiles while holding Latin GRAMMY
Vicente Fernandez
Photo: Robert Mora/Getty Images

Watch Vicente Fernandez Win Person Of The Year

GRAMMY Rewind: Aerosmith
Aerosmith

Watch Aerosmith Win A GRAMMY In 1994

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis pose with their GRAMMY backstage at 1987 GRAMMYs
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis at the 29th GRAMMY Awards in 1987
Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Win Their First GRAMMY

No Doubt pose backstage with GRAMMY at 2003 GRAMMYs
No Doubt at the 45th GRAMMY Awards in 2003
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

Watch No Doubt Excitedly Win First GRAMMY In 2003

GRAMMY Rewind: Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves

Watch Kacey Musgraves Win Best Country Album

Photo of Young MC at the 32nd GRAMMY Awards in 1990
Young MC at the 32nd GRAMMY Awards in 1990
Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Watch Young MC Win Best Rap Performance In 1990

 U2 pose with GRAMMYs backstage at the 43rd GRAMMY Awards in 2001
U2 at the 43rd GRAMMY Awards in 2001
Photo: David McNew/Newsmakers

Watch U2 Win ROTY For "Beautiful Day" In 2001

rob thomas and santana
Rob Thomas And Carlos Santana
Photo: Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images

Watch Santana & Rob Thomas Win ROTY In 2000

Artwork for GRAMMY Rewind episode on Amy Winehouse Record Of The Year For "Rehab"
(L) Amy Winehouse

Watch Amy Winehouse Win ROTY For "Rehab" In 2008

GRAMMY Rewind: Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Photo: Ken Sax

Watch Aerosmith Win Best Rock Performance In 1991

Artwork for GRAMMY Rewind episode with Beck
Beck
Photo: JON LEVY/AFP via Getty Images

Watch Beck Win GRAMMY For "Where It's At" In 1997

GRAMMY Rewind: Coldplay
Coldplay
Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Watch Coldplay Win ROTY For "Clocks" In 2004

ellen degeneres
Ellen DeGeneres 

Watch Ellen DeGeneres Jam With All-Star Band

GRAMMY Rewind: Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Frank Micelotta Archive / Contributor

Watch Lauryn Hill Win Best New Artist In 1999

Kalani Pe'a
Kalani Pe'a

Watch Kalani Pe'a Win Best Regional Roots Album

Photo of Outkast
Outkast

Watch Outkast Win Album Of The Year In 2004

GRAMMY Rewind: The Bee Gees
The Bee Gees

Watch The Bee Gees Win AOTY In 1979

GRAMMY Rewind: Maroon 5
Maroon 5

Watch Maroon 5 Win Best New Artist In 2005

GRAMMY Rewind: Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder

Watch Stevie Wonder Win AOTY For 'Innervisions'

GRAMMY Rewind: Adele
Adele

Watch Adele Win The Best New Artist GRAMMY In 2009

Oscar Peterson_GRAMMY Rewind
Oscar Peterson  

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Oscar Peterson's Jazz Win

Al Jarreau
Al Jarreau      

GRAMMY Rewind: Jazz Singer Al Jarreau Wins In 1982

GRAMMY Rewind: Bobby McFerrin
Bobby McFerrin

GRAMMY Rewind: Bobby McFerrin Wins In 1987

GRAMMY Rewind: Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Spalding

GRAMMY Rewind: Esperanza Spalding Wins In 2011

GRAMMY Rewind: Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson

Watch: Nancy Wilson Wins Best Jazz Vocal Album

Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse

Watch Amy Winehouse Win Best New Artist

Eminem | GRAMMY Rewind
Eminem

Watch Eminem Win Best Rap Album In 2001

Boyz II Men in 1995
Boyz II Men

Watch Boyz II Men Win A GRAMMY In 1995

Bob Dylan & Jack Nicholson
Bob Dylan (L), Jack Nicholson (R)

Bob Dylan's Lifetime Achievement Award

Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald
Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald

Watch Kenny Loggins And Michael McDonald Win A GRA

Shakira at 2001 GRAMMYs
Shakira at 2001 GRAMMYs

Watch Shakira Win Her First GRAMMY In 2001

The Roots_GRAMMY rewind
The Roots 

Watch The Roots Win Their First GRAMMY

DJ Jazzy Jeff at 1992 GRAMMYs
DJ Jazzy Jeff at 1992 GRAMMYs

Watch: The Fresh Prince & Jazzy Jeff Win A GRAMMY

Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige Wins Best R&B Album In 2007

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at 2014 GRAMMYs
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Watch Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Win Best New Artist

Ella Fitzgerald at 1977 GRAMMYs
Ella Fitzgerald at the 1977 GRAMMYs  

GRAMMY Rewind: Ella Fitzgerald Wins GRAMMY In 1977

Christina Aguilera at 2000 GRAMMYs
Christina Aguilera at 2000 GRAMMYs

Christina Aguilera Wins Best New Artist In 2000

Culture Club at 1984 GRAMMYs
Culture Club at the 1984 GRAMMYs  

Watch Culture Club Win Best New Artist In 1984

JAY-Z & Rihanna at the 2008 GRAMMYs
(L-R): JAY-Z & Rihanna at the 2008 GRAMMYs  

GRAMMY Rewind: Rihanna & JAY-Z Win For "Umbrella"

Mariah Carey at the 1991 GRAMMYs
Mariah Carey at the 1991 GRAMMYs

Watch Mariah Carey Win Best New Artist In 1991

Vicente Fernández at 2002 Latin GRAMMYs
Vicente Fernández at 2002 Latin GRAMMYs

Watch Vicente Fernández Win His First Latin GRAMMY

GRAMMYs

Celia Cruz Wins At The 1st Latin GRAMMYs In 2000

B.B. King at 1971 GRAMMYs
B.B. King at 1971 GRAMMYs

Watch B.B. King Win His First GRAMMY In 1971

Madonna at the 1999 GRAMMYs
Madonna at the 1999 GRAMMYs

Madonna Wins Best Pop Album In 1999

GRAMMYs
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Photo: Larry Busacca/WireImage

GRAMMY Rewind: "Weird Al" Yankovic Wins

Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack at the 1974 GRAMMYs

Roberta Flack Wins Record Of The Year In 1974

GRAMMYs

The Carpenters Win Best Contemporary Vocal In 1971

Will Smith at the 1999 GRAMMYs
Will Smith at the 1999 GRAMMYs

Will Smith Dedicates His 1999 GRAMMY To Son

GRAMMYs
Kenny Rogers    

GRAMMY Rewind: Kenny Rogers Wins For "Lucille"

GRAMMYs

Bruce Hornsby & The Range Win Best New Artist

GRAMMYs
LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes Win Best New Artist In 1997

GRAMMYs

Dave Brubeck Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

GRAMMYs

Tina Turner Wins Best Pop Vocal Performance

GRAMMYs

David Foster & Whitney Houston Win ROTY In '94

GRAMMYs

Will Smith Wins Best Rap Solo Performance In 1998

GRAMMYs

Watch Isaac Hayes Win At The 14th GRAMMY Awards

Living Colour at 1991 GRAMMYs
Living Colour at the 1991 GRAMMYs

Living Colour Win 1991 Best Hard Rock Performance

GRAMMYs
John Mayer at the 45th GRAMMY Awards

John Mayer Wins Best Male Pop Vocal In 2003

Whitney Houston at 1987 GRAMMYs
Whitney Houston at 1987 GRAMMYs

Watch Whitney Houston Sing "Greatest Love of All"

Remembering Biz Markie: 5 Signature Songs From The Hip-Hop Legend​

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy and its Affiliates. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy and its Affiliates lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy and its Affiliates.