Consisting of (L-R) guitarist Ben, drummer ?uestlove, MC Black Thought, keyboard player Kamal, human beatbox Scratch and bassist Hub, The Roots are one of the pioneers of live hip hop, and could be called an 'alternative' hip hop band in that, unlike the mainstream, they get their sound organically... in fact... the only comparison I can think of is Rage Against The Machine, but with The Roots, the incredible human beatbox vocals of Scratch offer, dare I say it, even more room for expression than Tom Morello's avant-garde guitar abuse!

Hailing from Philadelphia (re-named Illadelphia!), with it's rich traditions as one of the birthplaces of soul, it's looking like their sixth album, 'Phrenology', might be the one to take them from being ultra credible and underground to being ultra credible and big. We watch with baited breath....