what year?
what song?
how you'd find out about them?

i first heard the roots on the radio in '96. julio g on 92.3 the beat had a show called the nine o'clock bomb. he played "what they do" and i taped it. i didn't know who the song was by (or the name of the song), i just knew that i like that song. one day i was listening to the wake up show with sway and tec, and they played "clones." after the song was over, the mentioned it was by the roots, and off illidelph halflife. i went and bought the album. i started listening and soon realized that "what they do" was the song i had taped. the next day i went and bought dywm. it was so different, i didn't like it at first (didn't hate it though). after a few listens, i got accustomed to it. it's now my fav. rap album.