Erykah Badu May 4, 2008

Erykah Badu established herself as a musical force with her 1997 debut album 'Baduizm' and its hit single 'On and On' which found its way to both the Pop and R&B charts. She has since followed up with the albums 'Mama's Gun' and 'Worldwide Underground.' The Philadelphia based group, The Roots, showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonic's "hip-hop band" philosophy of the mid-'80s, by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio. Although their album work has been inconsistent, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, The Roots' live shows are among the best in the business.