Scott Storch who produced a seemingly endless list of smash hits, including Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River,” Beyonce’s “Baby Boy,” Mario’s “Let Me Love You,” Fat Joe’s “Lean Back,” 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop,” Chris Brown’s “Run It!,” and many more, was a founding member of The Roots with Quest Love and Black Thought, Scott Storch left the group in the mid-1990s, but he still contributed to The Roots projects – his name last appears on the group’s 2004 album The Tipping Point.
During a conversation with B-Real in his Smoke Box, Scott Storch detailed his exit from The Roots around 8:00
“In 1992, I joined a group; I was a founding member of The Roots. I was a keyboard player. In those days, I didn’t really [understand my role]. I’m just a keyboard player…[who] happens to be writing all the songs, all the music, this and that. I kinda felt like I was just labeled as this keyboard player—this white guy who played keys. I love The Roots, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a band. I wanted to be a creator and I wanted to be in the studio.”
After catching the attention of Dr. Dre, Scott Storch went on to co-produce Dre’s comeback hit “Still D.R.E.” which was written by Jay Z and the song started Scott Storch’s career.
During an interview with Hot 97, detailing his start as a founding member of the Roots
“It was one too many times that I heard this term ‘Oh, that’s the white boy from The Roots,’” Storch said. “I didn’t have an identity and I was just looked at as some guy who played keys and I was actually the guy writing a lot of the music involved…then I just grew into my passion for writing and producing and I found myself wanting to stay in the studio and not be on the road.”