The Roots

Grammy Award-winning hip-hop band The Roots was formed in 1987 and has released a number of albums, though they are perhaps best-known as the house band for the TV show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

The Roots are known for a non-traditional hip-hop style in their music, regularly incorporating jazz, soul, live instruments, and other eclectic styles.

The band’s current members are Tariq Trotter, Ahmir Thompson, Malik B., Leonard Hubbard, Kamal Gray, F. Knuckles, Kirk Douglas, Damon Bryson, James Poysner, and Mark Keller.

The Roots have released nearly a dozen albums. Their 1996 album, Illadelph Halflife, was the first to make it into the Top 40 Billboard 200 charts, with the tracks “What They Do” and “Clones” both making it into the Top 5 rap charts.

Other albums include Things Fall Apart in 1999, which went gold and hit the number four slot on the Billboard 200. The track "You Got Me" from Things Fall Apart earned the group a Grammy that same year. The Roots went on to win three other Grammies from 10 nominations.

More recent albums include The Tipping Point (2004), Game Theory (2006), Rising Down (2008), How I Got Over (2010), and Undun (2011). Several of their songs and collaborative tracks have been featured in movies and TV shows.