There will never be another group like The Roots. In an industry that’s currently cycling through new artists quicker than Weezy going through a bottle of syrup, Philly’s finest have somehow managed to develop a constantly evolving musical mission that has earned them a following willing to wait in line to buy their albums. Speaking of which, tomorrow The Legendary Roots Crew will drop their eighth studio album, the archaically titled Rising Down. While Rising certainly doesn’t sound like anything they’ve done before, it will still likely be received by the world populace in a now predictable pattern: the TRL/106&Park demographic will largely ignore it, long time fans will buy it with an automated regularity, and hardcore hip-hop heads will starting breaking it down like a new version of the Bible. Well hallelujah my friends, let’s open up the new gospel.
It’s become increasingly rare for a hip-hop album to consist of a theme any more coherent than a simple collection of singles, but Rising Down carries with it a mission statement that can be summed up in one line; the world’s f**ked up, and the future’s not looking bright either. This is easily The Roots darkest album to date, full of brooding bass lines and densely layered synths that could be the soundtrack to the day after the apocalypse. This catalog of destruction style is nothing new, it first reared its awesome head on Phrenology, but Rising Down reaches new depths, and new heights. The title track Rising Down marches to the beat of ?uestlove’s always precise drum work, kept company only by a minimalistic guitar line and electronic static. More importantly, Rising Down features the blazing Mos Def verse we’ve been waiting – and waiting - for, along with tight lyrical work from Styles P (who spends his bars blasting the money-hungry pharmaceutical industry). The cumulative effect isn’t breathtaking by itself, but taken in context it’s a powerful warning for what’s to come.
What’s to come is a barrage of somber production and street poetics that find the always provocative Roots at their most political. On the pounding Lost Desire, Blackthought reflects on Philadephia’s tragically violent streets, spitting, “your funeral they have your 12th grade portrait, pretty corpse and casket, bell shaped orchids.” Similairly, Criminal’s country-music tinged sound sets the stage for Thought to tell the story of a lifelong hustler on the verge of collapse; “Till I’m put up in handcuffs and pissin in cups, if there’s a God I don’t know if he’s listenin or what.” The album’s not all doom and gloom, Chrisette Michelle and Wale help offer the antidote on the celebratory Rising Up, but beneath even Rising Up’s surface level shine is an undercurrent of mourning and loss. Rising Up‘s message is someday we’ll reach the promised land, but that day is not today.
If Rising Down is remembered for anything besides its call to arms message, it will be as the Roots album with an artist list the size of Step Up 2. Blackthought spends an almost shocking amount of time with the mic to himself, most notably going solo on 75 Bars, an unforgiving lyrical barrage that shows once again that Blackthought is the MC for MCs who love the art of MCing (follow that?). But for better or worse nearly every other track is stuffed with alternate rhymers. On the worse side, Common’s contribution to the strangely forgettable The Show is disappointingly flat, and do we really need three songs featuring a man named Porn? But on the better side Dice Raw contributes three verses that will have long time Roots fans reminiscing on the days he was part of the crew, Talib Kweli is lyrically defiant on I Will Not Apologize, and Peedi Crack crushes expectations by dropping one of album’s best verses on Get Busy. So why so many guests? I don’t know, and I wish I didn’t have to ask.
Critics often make the mistake of judging albums on a one size fits all scale, but they should ultimately be measured by how well they accomplish their particular musical mission. I’m not going to criticize Omarion and Bow Wow for ignoring the war in Iraq, and I refuse to subtract points from Rising Down simply because it doesn’t have enough hot joints. This is not music meant to spark a party, this is music meant to spark a fire somewhere inside you, and on that level it deserves some serious rotation on your headphones - lord knows it’s not going to get rotation anywhere else. Which means that the fate of Rising Down is entirely in your hands, where it belongs.
I'm debating if I should cop this album... I know I only expect quality rapping with some intelligent lyrics (an unusual thing these days) but money is not something I have much of these days... any comments?
aspiring dj: How can you be hesitant to purchase an album from The Legendary Roots Crew?! The Roots are only the MOST consistent hip-hop collective around. "Rising Down" displays a new stage in their career with its experimental melodies, subject matters, and overall vibe. You have to listen to this album with an open mind and understand The Roots' underlying intention. Even the album artwork is out-of-the-ordinary for a Roots LP. I still believe that Black Thought is one of the most underrated MCs in the history of hip-hop and time will tell when The Roots finally receive the recognition they deserve (they have never gone platinum in their 20+ year career). After only a couple of listens, I can't say "Rising Down" is a dramatic breakthrough for The Roots, but it is definitely far from a bump in the road. They are eight albums deep and still turning heads.
answer: i'm new to hip-hop still lol. i didn't even know of the roots until djbooth featured one of the released tracks from this album. plus rock is what I dig most, and in 3 weeks i have a cd to buy. I'll cop this tomorrow, I've liked the first 5 tracks.
musically, the Roots have really slipped. some of the sounds and effects, on first listen, were hard on my ears. it's not about being dark, it's about good sounding music. some people praise groups who do different stuff, for different's sake. i praise groups who make good music. aspiring dj, go get Things Fall Apart, you'll be amazed. why is the music so important? well, these guys play their own instruments, and i'm a musician, so yeah it's that important to me. Plus, i won't wanna hear the lyrics if the music isn't enjoyable. Lyrically, these guys still do it. a lil heavy on the guests, but i'll take it to hear some Mos Def. however, i am one who is against too much political overtones. i think for most people, music is entertainment, a form of escape from the daily dulldrums. i don't listen to music to hear how bad the world is on every track. and i'd bet most people don't want to either. Don't believe me? check out some critically acclaimed Latin cinema, which does NOT do well. people don't want to pay to see their crappy lives on the big screen. if anything, this album gave me reason to dust off Things Fall Apart. commence the hating.
I already rated this, banger. Now why exactly did you rate this a 2 man? cuz it's not as musical as former LPs? personally the first thing that came to mind when I heard this cd was how musical this was. Nothing in Hip-Hop compares. Did you rate this bad simply because it focuses on problems that face this society? Your entitled to your opinion, but i disagree. Music is entertainment, and even in the negative tone of this album it is still enjoyable. The delivery and the music make it enjoyable.
Maybe it's because I'm a gigantic roots fan and I had high expectations for this track. It wasn't on track with previous album but it was ok. Top tracks are:
1. rising down (hot track)
2. unwritten (only 1:25 minutes, not cool)
3. rising up (great jazz vibe)
4. lost desire
5. the show (marching band style song)
i rated this a 2 because my expectations of the Roots are very high. perhaps too high? maybe. rating seems unfair? perhaps. maybe it'll grow on me, but i see it as one of their lesser albums, less than the Tipping Point
yeah i guess as someone who didn't know of the roots 'til this year, I had no expectations, just knew it was a spectacular album. Obviously this implies that the other albums are even greater.
I'm a hardcore Roots fan and thisis most def their hardest album to listen to. I think it has to grow on you. Their are some true bangers that you'll like first time listening and others that you'll hafta listen to over and over to like. Hardcore Roots fans: Buy the CD; Everybody else: listen to ya boy's copy , then buy the CD.
Posted on May 06, 2008
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