ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN)  -- Yes, they signed with a mega-label and are cashing checks as a late-night show's house band, but sellouts? The Roots? Black Thought and The Roots take a break from their late-night gig to perform at Atlanta's Velvet Room. The Philadelphia hip-hop crew's drummer shakes his head: It's just business, man. ?uestlove said he doesn't appreciate a lot of the labels placed on the band -- underground, alternative -- but he conceded that some of The Roots' moves of late keep their fans curious and he doesn't mind making them say, "OK, I gotta see what happens next." Watch what defines a sellout »
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The Roots became house band for "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" this year
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Drummer ?uestlove says it's only selling out if your music starts "sounding crappy"
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Hip-hop band relies on horns, strings, percussion rather than samples
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Paul Simon, Jay-Z, Etta James, Ghostface Killah among acts they've played with
Hip-hop is not famed for the longevity of its luminaries, but ?uestlove and @placeholder, aka Tariq Trotter, have been performing for crowds since the late 1980s.