"The Root" is a song by American recording artist D'Angelo. It is the eighth track on his second studio album, Voodoo, which was released on January 25, 2000, by Virgin Records. "The Root" was recorded and produced by D'Angelo at New York's Electric Lady Studios during sessions for the album.

The song was composed by D'Angelo, guitarist Charlie Hunter, and Luther Archer, D'Angelo's brother. "The Root" features intricate musical arrangements and its theme concerns a vengeful lover's effect on the song's narrator whose lament is depicted in the lyrics. It was well received by music critics, who commended its music and lyrical content.

"The Root" was recorded and produced by D'Angelo at Electric Lady Studios in New York City during sessions for his sophomore funk studio album, Voodoo (2000), which took place during 1998 to 1999. The song was composed by D'Angelo, guitarist Charlie Hunter, and Luther Archer, D'Angelo's brother. According to Voodoo's co-producer and drummer, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots, the track serves as part of the album's "virtuoso part", along with "Spanish Joint" and "Greatdayndamornin' / Booty". It features intricate technical arrangements and no overdubbing of live instrumentation or vocals.

Charlie Hunter simultaneously plays a bass line and guitar solo for the song. Hunter came up with the song's guitar and bass parts after being inspired by his jamming with D'Angelo to Jimi Hendrix songs. He played the guitar and bass sections on "The Root" with a custom 8 string guitar/bass combo, which features the upper three strings as bass and the lower five as guitar. It also had separate pickups for each set of strings, along with separate outputs for each pickup.

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