Why they matter: No one has done more to
show how versatile hip-hop can be
Jazz and experimentation are the
musical calling card for the Roots, whose records mix styles and genres in ways
as inventive
... moreas they are cohesive. Headed up by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter,
the band is best-known for 1999's "Things Fall Apart," which took on political
issues and brilliantly combined soul and R&B within hip-hop. Their latest
record, this year's "Rising Down," features guest appearances by Mos Def, Styles P and Common.
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