The Albums Behind Our Designs

A lot of our merch starts with a record. Here are the albums and artwork behind the designs in our shop, and where each one sits in our story.

Which albums have we made?

We've made eleven studio albums: Organix (1993), Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995), Illadelph Halflife (1996), Things Fall Apart (1999), Phrenology (2002), The Tipping Point (2004), Game Theory (2006), Rising Down (2008), How I Got Over (2010), Undun (2011) and ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014). On stage, The Roots Come Alive followed in 2000, and The Roots Come Alive Too: DYWM30 Live at Blue Note NYC! in 2025.

Which covers are on the merch?

Do You Want More?!!!??! The blue cover from 1995: three of us in caps and leather jackets under a bridge, with THE ROOTS in big letters and do you want more?!!!??! across the top.

Things Fall Apart. Our 1999 album, the one that broke through. The design keeps the black-and-white photo of two people running down a street, with THE ROOTS and things fall apart above it.

Blue Note. Type designs that read THE ROOTS, 30th year Anniv., Do you want more? and BLUE NOTE; one adds hand-drawn letters on the back: I SHALL PROCEED & CONTINUE and ANNIVERSARY RESIDENCY, BLUE NOTE NYC.

What else is in the collection?

The Legendary Roots. A collage of cut-out stage photos in red, blue, yellow and green blocks, between the words THE LEGENDARY and ROOTS.

Questlove sketch. A black line drawing of Questlove, with his name in graffiti letters behind him.

Let's heal the roots. A smiling daisy in a flower pot, a raised fist and Let's heal the roots. in big gold-and-black letters.

How do you pick one?

Start with the record that means the most to you. Every design comes on tees, long sleeves, crewnecks and hoodies, so the album you love works for every season.

Browse every album design in the shop.