It's hard to believe, but The Roots [ tickets ] weren't immediately embraced by hip-hop fans back in the early 90's. Thankfully, the members of the group didn't throw in the towel; they just kept growing their fan base organically, gaining fans show by show with their compelling live performances.

This approach began bearing fruit in 1995, after their performance at Lollapalooza. By 2003, The Roots were picked as one of the "20 greatest live acts in the world" by Rolling Stone magazine. Gone are the days of striving for recognition. In addition to their 1999 Grammy for Best Rap Performance, The Roots have received awards from MTV, BET, the NAACP and more.

Currently touring in support of their album "Rising Down," fans can catch The Roots as they tour with Gym Class Heroes [ tickets ] throughout the rest of October. Come mid-November, they will be off to Europe.

Yours truly attended The Roots' show at the Paramount Theatre in
Oakland, CA, this summer and took photos of the action on stage.