I fucking love The Roots. If you never heard of them, they’re basically an alternative rap group, meaning they are a band. Members of The Roots include Black Thought (MC), Questlove (drums), Kamal (keyboard), Frank Knuckles (percussion) (also a former Protégé of Questlove), and Cap’n Kirk (guitar). Recently, they have toured with sousaphonist Damon Tuba Gooding Jr.(guys got a great name), Bryson and Game Theory as well as producer and current bassist Owen Biddle. For their performance on the Jimmy Fallon Show, keyboardist James Poyser contributes additional keyboards…they don’t produce mediocre beats, like Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, and Rick Ross- although rick ross’s grunts are fucking bossly. The guy can make a song that’s 3 minutes of him only grunting and not only would I take the time to listen to it everyday of my life, but I would actually buy the song on iTunes. And I don’t fucking buy stuff on iTunes, except for this Roots albums.
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That’s all beside the point though. Questlove has a ballin afro and is SICK on the drums. Black thought is a better rapper than any mainstream shit you hear today. You can actually enjoy the music and its mad chill most of the time. The Roots are unheard of in the bubble of Manhasset (unless you watch the Jimmy Fallon show) but outside of that, everyone in the hip hop/rap/rock industry has a great deal of respect for them because they have made a big impact on music. The Roots were in the movie Dave Chappelle’s Block Party with other respectable rappers like Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Kanye back in his prime, John Legend, The Fugees, Dead Prez and a bunch of other great rappers and lyricists/poets. I bet 90% of the people reading this only recognized the name Kanye and John Legend.
Anyways…. here’s one of their albums, Rising Down, that came out in 2008. I really enjoyed listening to this album. I don’t usually listen to albums and enjoy every single song, but this and Lasers by Lupe Fiasco are two that I can think of that I liked all the way through.
*yes, i just shitted on them*
Track List….
1. The Pow Wow
2. Rising Down
3. Get Busy -FRESH-
4. @15
5. 75 Bars
6. Becoming Unwritten
7. Criminal
8. I Will Not Apologize
9. I can’t Help It
10. Singing Man
11. Unwritten (Up There)
12. Lost Desire
13. The Show
14. Rising Up -FRESH-
15. The Pow Wow 2
16. Birthday Girl (featuring Patrick Stump from fall out boy)
17. Grand Return -FRESH- favorite track on the album.
^ Grand Return.
Here’s 2 more songs – The Seed Featuring Cody ChesnuTT from the album Phrenology (first song i ever heard from them. instant favorite.) And; How I Got Over, from their new album How I Got Over.
Let me know what you guys think, if you like it I can supply you guys with more from The Roots… if not, suck me easy.
Buy it on iTunes son.
