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artist ■■ the roots
release ■■ things fall apart
year ■■ 1999
genre ■■ hiphop
label ■■ mca
catalogue ■■ mcd-11948
website ■■ www.theroots.com
date ■■ 02-apr-2006
quality ■■ --alt-preset standard
source ■■ compact disc
■■ tracklist ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
01 act won (things fall apart) 0:54
02 table of contents (parts 1 & 2) 3:37
03 the next movement 4:10
04 step into the relm 2:49
05 the spark 3:53
06 dynamite! 4:46
07 without a doubt 4:15
08 ain't sayin' nothin' new 4:34
09 double trouble 5:51
10 act too (the love of my life) 4:55
11 100% dundee 3:54
12 diedre vs. dice 0:47
13 adrenaline! 4:28
14 3rd acts: ? vs. scratch 2... electric boogaloo 0:51
15 you got me (featuring erykah badu) 4:19
16 don't see us 4:30
17 the return to innocence lost 11:55
18 (bonus track) 0:05
playtime ■■ 01h 10m 33s
■■ comment ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
very few hip-hop groups make it to their fourth full-length
recording, and perhaps only the roots have made it to that level
while still ascending. although lyrical and musical vision is
sorely lacking from most hip-hop (as puff and master p have
proved, vision isn't necessary to bum-rush the mainstream
goldmine), such qualities are cornerstones of the roots' music.
their second recording, 1995's do you want more?!!!??!, and its
follow-up, 1996's illadelph halflife, intelligently linked hip-hop
to its musical forebears funk and jazz, and their lyrics provided
unique, postnationalist hip-hop critiques. on things fall apart
(named for the chinua achebe novel) the sextet takes on a more
somber tone, but at no cost to their musical innovations. "if we
had to depend on black people to eat, we'd starve to death," says
denzel washington, sampled from mo' better blues, at the outset of
the recording. it's not self-pity--rather, the group frequently
returns to the theme of how many african americans confuse
uniformity with unity. musically, the group is at its best with
guests like mos def and talib kweli from black star contributing
some old-school fun and technique to "double trouble." erykah
badu's supple vocals on "you got me" are offset by innovative
percussion, including an organically developed jungle beat. at a
point when most rappers are running on fumes, the roots are
synthesizing new ideas.
■■ visit #miso on efnet