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The HypnoticThe Roots

Released: September 24, 1996

Featuring: D’Angelo

Songwriter: Black Thought ?uestlove Slimkid3

Producer: Slimkid3 John “L.A. Jay” Barnes ?uestlove

The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic...

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
Yo, I knew this girl named Alana with mad persona
She dealt with reality, never fed into the drama
I met her through my nigga named Jermaine Palmer
Who knew her through his peoples by the Baltimore Harbor
Alana was a Marilyn
Thorough and attractive shorty that's relaxed with me
And kickin' back with a phat flick to cool out
Was stressed 'cause the game'll make you wanna pull a tool out
And go the old-school route
But all of that ceased when that piece checkin' the jewel out
A brother was charged, light a spliff and listen to the DeBarge
Let the shorty hit me with a massage to anoint
Lubricatin' my meridian points
That was the summer, easy to remember
Alana was all up on Tariq agenda; how I used to back-bend her
She even told her best friend Belinda from Virginia
Who asked me if I had a cousin I could recommend her
But as time flowed on, we grew more mature and further apart
When I began to do tours, we lost contact and slowly parted
Reminiscin' of when it started
It keep me feelin' heavy hearted
A stolen moment, periodic
Addicted to her presence like a narcotic
Though, I wonder if she ever got it, The Hypnotic
That faded like a dream sequence that persuaded
Beyond bein' infatuated, spiritually intoxicated
Calm, sedated, I concentrated on how to get in touch with her
'Cause the fact of the matter remain that I miss The Hypnotic

[Hook]
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, check it out
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, c'mon
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, check it out
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, c'mon
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, check it out
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, c'mon
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, check it out
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, c'mon

[Verse 2: Black Thought]
I would begin to dial her number
But knowin' it's been a while, it's hard to link
I figure what she'd probably think and soon start to drink
Fightin' the feelin' I'm concealin', apparently at first appeal and
Later revealin' to be deeper, resistance increasingly weaker
The essence of life is more than just mics and puffin' reefer
This universe of Black Thought that I can teach ya
I'm tryin' to touch ya, but only if I can reach ya
I hit this kid Hassan up on his beeper
And asked him if he had a chance to speak to
Jermaine Palmer, whose father's a preacher
To make the story short, me and my man soon ran
Into each other on the humble at a show in San Fran
I said, "Yo, Palmer, when did you last see Alana?"
He offered me a seat in attempts to make me calmer
When he began to break it down, my mind start to wander
Response beyond somber
Incredibly crushed, kinda feelin' on my shoulder that of a boulder
To find out that her life was over, it made the room feel colder
I thought I could get with her when she was a little older
But she a victim of the wicked system that controlled her
It's all chaotic within my life, it's symbolic
Forever shadow on my mental, I never forgot it
Yo, the psychotic, The Hypnotic
Yo, check it out, the most melodic Hypnotic, yeah

[Hook x6, + D'Angelo in the background]
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, check it out
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, c'mon
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, check it out
(Driftin') The Hypnotic, The Hypnotic, c'mon

The Roots

The world’s premiere hip-hop band, The Roots were formed in Philadelphia in 1987 by MC Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and drummer and bandleader Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Since those early days, the band has weathered changes in personnel and record labels while performing hundreds of shows a year and releasing a string of well-regarded (if not always top-selling) albums.

While the musicianship of Thompson and the other band members, as well as their seemingly limitless repertoire, gets most of the attention, real hip-hop fans know that the rapping skills of Black Thought (along with former group member Malik B.) are the group’s hidden weapon. Thought, one of the few MCs brave enough to go toe to toe with Big Pun, handles any groove the band throws at him with aplomb, style, and flash.

Today, The Roots are seen by millions every night as the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a move that has given the group the chance to indulge its not-insignificant comic side.

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