The Roots in Osaka

The Roots are an American hip-hop band formed in Philadelphia in 1987 by drummer Questlove and rapper Black Thought. Known for performing rap with a full instrumental lineup, they have built a catalogue that includes the albums Things Fall Apart, Phrenology and Game Theory, as well as the songs “You Got Me” and “The Seed (2.0).” In 2001, The Roots backed Jay-Z for an MTV Unplugged performance that was released as a live album. They later performed at Dave Chappelle’s Block Party in Brooklyn, backed several of its guests and founded the annual Roots Picnic at Festival Pier in 2008. Television then made live performance a nightly part of their work: they became the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2009 and moved with him to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2014.