John Legend & The Roots

The Profile

A collaboration between singer John Legend and hip hop band The Roots, best known for the 2010 album Wake Up, a reinterpretation of classic soul songs with political themes.

John Legend is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. The Roots are an American hip hop band from Philadelphia, led by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson.

The available review praises the 2010 John Legend & The Roots album Wake Up as a passionate revival of soul classics with explicit political resonance. The reviewer highlights the arrangements, guest appearances (Common, Melanie Fiona) and standout extended performances. The album is framed as timely civil-conscious music that reconnects past protest songs with contemporary concerns. The review rates the record very highly.