The legendary Roots crew is back at it again, with their sixth album dropping among a slew of other projects. While the roster always seems to be changing, the chemistry stays the same.
With Dice Raw gone and Malik B fighting drug addictions, Black Thought is the only emcee left. He always was the most talented, so as long as he doesn't go AWOL, the Roots' high voltage lyrics will never be absent.
Besides touring relentlessly, individual members have been busy as well these past few months. Drummer ?uestlove recently released a '60s soul compilation, "Babies Makin' Babies," while DJ Scratch made a beat-box album titled "Scratch: The Embodiment of Instrumentation." While a Black Thought solo album has been said to be in the works, there is no sign of it happening in the near future.
Many ignorant fans got angry with the Roots Crew for backing Jay-Z on MTV's "Unplugged" series. Underground heads lie in wait to drop the "sell-out" bomb on any hot hip-hop act that gets some mainstream shine. But if you're not really a Roots fan, check out Jay-Z's "Unplugged" album to give you a good taste of the wide ability of the Roots' instrumental talent.
An album named "Phrenology" probably has most heads, like it did me, going to Webster to find out the definition. Phrenology is "the science of the supposed connection between the various faculties of the mind and particular organs in the brain." After a few listens to the album, you'll see all of the different faculties (too many to list here, but check the liner notes) working together on this long-awaited, oft-delayed instant classic.
The first single, "Break You Off," sounds more like an R&B song, but don't expect to hear straight hip hop on a Roots album. D'Angelo was supposed to sing the hook, but since he never showed up, the Roots hooked up with another Philly cat with the name of Musiq Soulchild.
Talib Kweli makes his presence felt on "Rolling With Heat," which also features Dice Raw. Black Thought shines throughout the album, and is probably one of the only emcees, including Kweli, who could hold down a solo album with no guest appearances.
"Thought @ Work" is a signature Roots track with Black Thought doing what he does best over a hot instrumental that was definitely not made with Pro Tools. Following this track is an old-school rock song, "The Seed (2.0)" featuring Cody Chesnutt. Black Thought and Chesnutt feed off each other nicely while meshing with the band, which makes this a song even the hardcore heads can appreciate.
Jill Scott sings beautifully on "Complexity," a song about relationships, and "Rock You" has Black Thought stealing the spotlight with his high-powered wordplay.
What's amazing to probably most fans is that this actually hit the stores. This project has been pushed back more times than Dick Clark's face. Usually when delays happen, the work of the artists dies a slow and painful death on a record label's shelf.
The absence of Malik B, aka Slacks, is felt on this LP, and Black Thought talks about it on "Water." Black Thought chronicles his relationship on this highly personal track: "I met Slacks back in like '91 rappin' / We went to Millersville to get away from gun clappin.'" Besides reaching out to Malik B, Black Thought also talks about drug addiction in general on this socially conscious track.
As a bonus for those of us who don't download the album, a DVD is included which makes the purchase worth it. Two of The Roots' early videos are included, "Distortion to Static" and "Proceed."
Along with those, there are two live songs that the group did for MTV2 ("The Ultimate" and "Double Trouble"). ?uestlove also gives us a behind the scenes look at the Philly crew.
Hopefully including a free DVD with music videos and live performances will become a trend in the industry, because it gives fans more of a reason to support new acts when they feel they're getting their money's worth.
Fans of The Roots won't be disappointed with the recipe that is still followed on their sixth release. Poet Ursula Rucker makes two appearances, while Amiri Baraka speaks on "Something in the Way of Things (In Town)." As usual, there are bonus cuts on the album. They're bangin'. One of them is a newer version of "Rhymes and Ammo" that was on "Soundbombing 3," and Rahzel takes over the second bonus with his beat-boxing.
The wide array of this Philly crew cannot be matched by any other group in hip-hop history. Besides having one of the best emcees, the talent of musicians like ?uestlove, Hub, Kamal and Scratch make the instrumentation of this album much better than the looped drum beats that have taken over hip hop. With great music and the bonus DVD, fans can't go wrong supporting hip hop's hottest phrenologists.
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