The Roots
Wins
3
Nominations
14
Category
Biography
"I think the music comes first, then comes the fashion, and thus, the lifestyle." — Questlove
- Members: Black Thought (Tariq Luqmaan Trotter), Questlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson), Kamal Gray, F. Knuckles (Francis Nicholls), Captain Kirk Douglas, Tuba Gooding Jr. (Damon Bryson), James Poyser, Mark Kelley
- Formed 1987 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- The band's second album, Do You Want More?!!!??!, was produced without any samples and became a hit with alternative music fans, earning them a spot at Lollapalooza. The song "You Got Me" helped bolster sales of their fourth album, Things Fall Apart.
- "You Got Me," recorded with Erykah Badu, earned them their first GRAMMY win for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for 1999. Collaborating with John Legend garnered two more GRAMMY Awards — Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album — for 2010. Five of the band's albums have been nominated for Best Rap Album.
- The band went by several different names before settling on the Roots, including Radio Activity and Black To The Future.
- Legend and the Roots discussed their collaborative covers album Wake Up! at the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live in 2010. They later performed selections from the album for an intimate audience of 200. The band also performed a tribute to Lionel Richie at the singer's MusiCares Person of the Year ceremony in 2016.
- Questlove performed at a benefit concert for Artists for a New South Africa in 2007. The drummer also raised money for Harlem Village Academies in 2010.
All Grammy Awards and Nominations for The Roots
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Best Rap Album
Undun
Mark Kelley, Frank "Frankie Knuckles" Walker, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, The Roots, Kirk "Captain Kirk" Douglas, Damon Bryson, Questlove, Kamal Gray, James Poyser
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Best Traditional R&B Performance
Surrender
The Roots, Kirk Douglas, Owen Biddle, Questlove, James Poyser, Betty Wright
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Best Traditional R&B Performance Winner
Hang On In There
The Roots, Kirk "Captain Kirk" Douglas, Owen Biddle, Questlove, James Poyser, John Legend
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R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Shine
The Roots, Kirk "Captain Kirk" Douglas, Owen Biddle, Questlove, James Poyser, John Legend
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Best R&B Album Winner
Wake Up!
Jimmy Douglass, The Roots, Kirk "Captain Kirk" Douglas, Owen Biddle, Alex Venguer, Questlove, James Poyser, John Legend
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Best Melodic Rap Performance
Wake Up Everybody
Common, The Roots, Kirk "Captain Kirk" Douglas, Owen Biddle, Questlove, Melanie Fiona, James Poyser, John Legend
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Best Rap Album
How I Got Over
Frank "Frankie Knuckles" Walker, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, The Roots, Kirk "Captain Kirk" Douglas, Owen Biddle, Damon Bryson, Questlove, Carl "Dice Raw" Jenkins, Kamal Gray, James Poyser
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Best Rap Album
Game Theory
Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, Frank "Frankie Knuckles" Walker, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, The Roots, Kirk Douglas, Questlove, Kamal Gray
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Rap Duo/Group Performance
Don't Feel Right
Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, Frank "Frankie Knuckles" Walker, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, The Roots, Kirk Douglas, Questlove, Kamal Gray
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Rap Duo/Group Performance
Don't Say Nuthin'
Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, The Roots, Questlove, Kamal Gray
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Urban/Alternative Performance
Star
Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, The Roots, Questlove, Kamal Gray
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Best Rap Album
Phrenology
Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, Ben Kenney, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, The Roots, Questlove, Keith McPhee, Kyle "Scratch" Jones, Kamal Gray
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Rap Duo/Group Performance Winner
You Got Me
Malik "Malik B" Abdul-Bassit, Rozell "Rahzel" Brown, Eve, Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, The Roots, Questlove, Erykah Badu, Kyle "Scratch" Jones, Kamal Gray
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Best Rap Album
Things Fall Apart (Album)
Malik "Malik B" Abdul-Bassit, Rozell "Rahzel" Brown, Keith Cramer, Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, Melvin "Chaos" Lewis, Richard Nichols, Kenyatta "Kelo" Saunders, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, The Roots, Scott Storch, Questlove, David Ivory, Kyle "Scratch" Jones, Kamal Gray, Karl "Dice Raw" Jenkins, James Poyser, Axel Niehaus, Grand Wizzards
