The Roots

Their seventh album, Game Theory, drops at the end of the month, so we'll take it back to when they first burst into national consciousness. Both of these selections are from around 1994, when The Roots recorded their second (and best) album, Do You Want More?!!!??! First is Black Thought alone on New York's WBLS.

Black Thought on WBLS


Next the group visits Stretch and Bobbito. Black Thought is joined on the mic by Malik B. and Dice Raw, and Rahzel provides some beats at the end. The three MCs all go off the top and show some great interplay. It's a little bittersweet to hear all the talent in that room. Since then, Malik B. has had some serious personal problems, Dice Raw (about 15 years old at the time) never lived up to his tremendous potential, and Rahzel apparently left the group on bad terms. Malik and Dice do make appearances on the new album though.

The Roots on Stretch and Bobbito