The Roots February 14, 2007

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 the group's album work has been inconsistent, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, The Roots' live shows are among the best in the business.