The Roots CD review

The Roots
Rising Down
Def Jam

Being a married, lame, white guy who lives out in the suburbs of Lee's Summit, I don't often listen to much hip hop for fear of re-creating that character in “Office Space.”  But good music is good music, and The Roots’ charisma cannot be denied. Between Black Thought's lyrical stylings and ?uestlove's insane beats, you cannot get any better soul music than this. The fact that they play all of their own instruments and don't rely on fancy machines and producers in some back room making them sound crisp and clean is a bonus.

“Rising Down” finds The Roots in a darker, somber mood than previous efforts. It's funny how eight years of George W. Bush and five years of constant war seems to take it's toll on the soul. Never content with being associated with mainstream rap stars, the Roots have strived to stay relevant and keep the sounds of early hip hop alive and well in a culture of "Get Crunked Up" and "Bling Bling."  (While Master P and Puff Daddy were blinging out their album covers, The Roots were putting photographs from the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s on theirs.)

Throughout “Rising Down,” Black Thought rhymes about the subjects of war, poverty, even global warming. These are subjects most in the music industry, aside from legends like Bruce Springsteen, wouldn't even attempt to tackle. Let's face it, it's hard to write a song about serious issues that make most people uncomfortable. Even harder is making said song damn catchy. Yet, time and time again, The Roots are able to deliver both on the promise of hard-hitting subject matter and ass-shaking beats.

Before you start thinking The Roots have gone all Rage Against The Machine on us and don't still have some sly lines sprinkled in with a wink and a nod, listen to "75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)," where Black Thought spits out, "I'm in the field with a shield and a spear / I'm in your girl with her heels in the air" among the 73 other bars with no chorus. It’s tracks such as these that showcase the true talents The Roots have to offer.

Other standout songs include "Criminal," which focuses on the media's portrayal of the African-American culture and has the amazing chorus, "Monday they predict the storm / Tuesday they predict the bad / Wednesday they cover the grass / And I can see it's all about cash / And they got the nerve to hunt down my ass / And treat me like a criminal." 

"I Will Not Apologize" is probably one of the best tracks the band has laid down. It’s a fitting tribute to Fela Kuti that also shows the lengths you have to go to in the hip-hop industry to keep your integrity and rise above the fray. The Roots know about that all too well.
— Travis Fox { special to ink }