Why The Roots Remain One of Hip-Hop’s Most Groundbreaking Acts: ‘The Curiosity Is Still There’
The Roots, the influential hip-hop collective anchored by Questlove and Black Thought, have marked 2026 as a career pinnacle through a series of significant cultural moments. The group hosted their 16th annual Roots Picnic festival headlined by Erykah Badu and Jay-Z, premiered an Earth, Wind & Fire documentary, returned to the Montreux Jazz Festival after more than three decades, and performed at the Obama Presidential Center opening—accomplishments achieved alongside their ongoing 17-year commitment as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon's house band.
The partnership between Questlove and Black Thought has remained steady across four decades through their shared commitment to creative exploration, a connection formed when they were teenagers at Philadelphia's School for the Creative and Performing Arts. The group, which earned three Grammy Awards following their 1999 breakthrough album, plans to release their first studio album in over a decade titled Endgame, positioning the project as a deliberate return to the free-flowing improvisational approach that characterised their earlier creative endeavours.
- The Roots completed a historic summer in 2026, hosting their 16th annual festival and performing at major venues including Montreux Jazz Festival and the Obama Presidential Center opening
- The longtime hip-hop collective is preparing their first studio album in over a decade, called Endgame, returning to improvisational jam session methods that defined their early work
- Questlove and Black Thought attribute their 37-year partnership's durability to the creative curiosity and sense of discovery they've maintained since meeting as teenagers in Philadelphia