I've heard many great things about the Roots but my exposure to them is mostly limited to their gig on Jimmy Fallon. So, where should a newbie start? Just get the first album and go from there or are there one or two albums that stand above their other work that I should get first? I just bought a copy of Home Grown! The Beginners Guide to Understanding The Roots, Vol. 2 very cheap but I probably won't get my hands on it for a couple of weeks.

Any help/recommendations would be very much appreciated.

Definitely check out Things Fall Apart, Phrenology, Illadeph Halflife, Do U Want More?, Game Theory, and especially their newest project, How I Got Over. They are definitely the hardest-working band in America right now.

see if you can find the Proceed remix from the Do You Want album. Classic!!

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I'd pretty much start at Do You Want More and work my way from there.

I think Phrenology might be there most consumer accesible record.

Illadelph Halflife is a great record.

Things Fall Apart is probably their best and most critically acclaimed album.

You also should definitely pick up their Live Album "The Roots Come Alive".

How I Got Over was the best Hip-Hop Album of Last Year, IMO.

They consisently put out good material. Black Thought is probably the most underrated M.C. in Hip-Hop.

They're amazing live.

I read an article in I think either Rolling Stone or Blender that called The Roots not just the best band in Hip-Hop, but one of the best bands, period. I think that's true.

Paris9748430 said:

I'd pretty much start at Do You Want More and work my way from there.

I think Phrenology might be there most consumer accesible record.

Illadelph Halflife is a great record.

Things Fall Apart is probably their best and most critically acclaimed album.

You also should definitely pick up their Live Album "The Roots Come Alive".

How I Got Over was the best Hip-Hop Album of Last Year, IMO.

They consisently put out good material. Black Thought is probably the most underrated M.C. in Hip-Hop.

They're amazing live.

I read an article in I think either Rolling Stone or Blender that called The Roots not just the best band in Hip-Hop, but one of the best bands, period. I think that's true.

I agree with most of this post.

Musicslave said:

Paris9748430 said:

I'd pretty much start at Do You Want More and work my way from there.

I think Phrenology might be there most consumer accesible record.

Illadelph Halflife is a great record.

Things Fall Apart is probably their best and most critically acclaimed album.

You also should definitely pick up their Live Album "The Roots Come Alive".

How I Got Over was the best Hip-Hop Album of Last Year, IMO.

They consisently put out good material. Black Thought is probably the most underrated M.C. in Hip-Hop.

They're amazing live.

I read an article in I think either Rolling Stone or Blender that called The Roots not just the best band in Hip-Hop, but one of the best bands, period. I think that's true.

I agree with most of this post.

Yeah The Roots Come Alive is one of the best modern live albums. Black Thought, Quest and the crew put it down on that one. I think my favorite Roots album was Phrenology. It was recorded during the Soulaquarians era (Mama's Gun, Like Water For Chocolate, Black Star, Electric Circus, Voodoo). They were at the peak on that one.

Hmm, the consensus appears to be to dive in wherever and just go from there. I do have a copy of Phrenology coming my way and I think I'll try the live album too.

Thanks for the feedback.

rialb said:

Hmm, the consensus appears to be to dive in wherever and just go from there. I do have a copy of Phrenology coming my way and I think I'll try the live album too.

Thanks for the feedback.

Good. Phrenology will blow you away. "Water" is unlike any record that The Roots ever made and hip-hop has ever envisioned. That whole album is like magic...

For a newbie, I'll recommend "Things Fall Apart" and "Phrenology", their most accessible/mainstream album... If you like their organic sound, Black thoughts deep lyricsn your 3red album should be either "Illadelph Life" or "Rising Down"...

silverchild said:

rialb said:

Hmm, the consensus appears to be to dive in wherever and just go from there. I do have a copy of Phrenology coming my way and I think I'll try the live album too.

Thanks for the feedback.

Good. Phrenology will blow you away. "Water" is unlike any record that The Roots ever made and hip-hop has ever envisioned. That whole album is like magic...

Phrenology was my first Roots album. I also bought Game Theory. I wanted to

get the last two but never got around to it.