Editing The Roots (section)

== Commercial Breakthrough ==

The Roots' commercial breakthrough came with "Things Fall Apart" (1999), which won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and achieved gold certification. The album's title, borrowed from Chinua Achebe's novel, signaled the group's literary ambitions, while tracks including "You Got Me" (featuring Erykah Badu) demonstrated their ability to create radio-friendly music without compromising artistic integrity. The album established The Roots as critical favorites while proving that their approach could reach mainstream audiences.<ref name="charnas"/>

Subsequent albums including "Phrenology" (2002), "Game Theory" (2006), and "Rising Down" (2008) continued the group's musical evolution while maintaining the live instrumentation and thoughtful lyrics that defined their sound. Each album explored different sonic territories—from rock influences to electronic experimentation—while retaining the core identity that fans expected. The Roots' willingness to evolve, rather than repeating successful formulas, earned respect from critics even when commercial returns varied.<ref name="questlove"/>