The Roots, a.k.a. The Legendary Roots Crew, are an influential, Grammy Award-winning American hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. They made their debut in 1993 and have gone on to collaborate with artists from a range of genres, such as Roy Ayers and Cody Chesnutt. Inspired by the "hip-hop band" concept pioneered by Stetsasonic, The Roots themselves have garnered critical acclaim and influenced later hip-hop and R&B acts.

The Roots, also known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Fifth Dynasty, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy winning hip hop group based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. Inspired by the “hip-hop band” concept pioneered by Stetsasonic, the Roots themselves have garnered critical acclaim and influenced later hip-hop and R&B acts. The Roots’ original lineup included Black Thought (MC vocals) and Ahmir “?ues