Today marks nineteen years since the release of their sophmore album, Do You Want More?!!? Over the last two decades we've seen  The Roots grow from small stage shows & open mics in the streets of Philly all the way to headlining their own festival & the Late Night show with Jimmy Fallon.  

As they proceeded to continue to rock the mic, their impact to Hip-Hop was immediate. From the jump, they displayed an expertly mixed combination of lyricism and live musicianship which amazed fans and influenced their peers alike.
We hope today's reminiscent reflection and tribute of Hip-Hop's greatest live rap band will help you understand the complexity of seeds planted by The Roots.

Thank You Philly.
1. Proceed I -Produced by: AJ Shine and The Grand Negas
2. Distortion To Static (Bob Power Bass Version) - Produced by: AJ Shine and The Grand Negas
3. Proceed II feat. Roy Ayers - Produced by: The Grand Negas
4. Distortion To Static (At Ease Mix) - Produced by: AJ Shine
5. Proceed III feat. Bahamadia - Produced by: AJ Shine and The Grand Negas
6. Silent Treatment (Da Beatminerz Remix) - Produced by: Da Beatminerz
7. Proceed IV (AJ Shine's Proceed w/o Pause Mix) - Produced by: AJ Shine
8. The Lesson Part 2 (Q's Flava Groove) - Produced by: Questlove, Kelo, and AJ Shine
9. Proceed V (Da Beatminerz Remix) -Produced by Da Beatminerz
10. Distortion To Static (Freestyle Mix feat Dice Raw) - Produced by: AJ Shine and The Grand Negas


Words & Mix by @UNITEDCRATES

The Roots: From Trees To Branches - Do You Want More?!?! Mix [Mixed by @UNITEDCRATES]

VICTORY

Stress

Angelic

Victory Intro

Another Great Adventure

Notes From The Underground

SWAT (J Rawls Ridin' Remix) [feat. Coast Contra]

One of hip-hop’s true legends, Slick Rick helped lay the blueprint for rap when he signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1986. Known as one of the most sampled hip-hop artists of all time, Slick Rick returns to the arena as a solo artist with ‘Victory,’ his fifth studio album and first since 1999. In this exclusive commentary, the critically acclaimed rapper and producer talks about tracks from ‘Victory,’ and how he let his imagination run wild. There’s “Another Great Adventure,” which is co-produced by A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip, and “Documents,” a James Bond-style yarn with special guest rapper Nas. Hear more from Slick Rick, only on SoundCloud.

Voice Notes: Slick Rick on "Stress"

Voice Notes: Slick Rick on "Another Great Adventure"

Voice Notes: Slick Rick on "Come On Let's Go"

Raekwon, one of the Wu-Tang Clan’s original founders, drops his eighth solo album, ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes,’ following the group’s farewell tour, The Final Chamber. In this exclusive commentary, Raekwon discusses the making of album tracks and his star-studded collaborations. He sat with the beat for “Bear Hill” for some time before coming up with an appropriately hard-hitting lyric: “It made me feel like I was an animal in the wild,” he says. Fellow rap legend Nas conspires on “The Omerta,” as Rae reflects, “When we heard it, he loved it automatically.” Swizz Beatz contributes the production for “600 School,” which features Method Man and Ghostface Killah, and sounds to Raekwon like “some new fresh 2025 triumph s***.” And “1 Life” is Raekwon’s message to the next generation: “Be smart. Take it from the OGs.” Listen now.

Voice Notes: Raekwon on "Bear Hill"

Voice Notes: Raekwon on "1 Life"

SoundCloud Stories elevates artists’ creative journeys, spotlights vibrant music communities and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the defining sounds of today and tomorrow. Original content includes the Sound Advice interview series, exclusive track-by-track artist commentary on Voice Notes, and the Weekly Download playlist, which highlights essential scenes and groundbreaking artists.