The Roots: Rising Down Album Review

In a country filled and riddled with the anger and frustration that is caused by ongoing & relentless war, rising gas prices, political turmoil, & a deteriorating natural environment; Rising Down serves as the voice and the pulse of America’s “evolutionary movement.” Lead MC, Black Thought, addresses some ofthese issues early in the album. On the title track “Rising Down”, he spits “Between greenhouse gases/and earth spinning off it’s axis/got Mother Nature doing back flips/the natural disasters/it’s like 80 degrees inAlaska/you in trouble if you not an Onassis/it ain’t hard to tell that conditions is drastic/just turn on the telly, check for the news flashes…” This album can best be described as, Revolution through the evolution of The Legendary Roots Crew. Rising Down is The Roots 10th album and one of the most prolific albums produced and distributed in 2008.

Although, they are Hip-Hop veterans, The Roots continue to withstand the test of time. This group of intellectually inclined, musical geniuses represent the light that continues to shine from inside the depths ofculturally conscious and politically infused Hip-Hop. Although, this album is much more electric and synthesizer based, ?uestlove still manages to come through with some of his most intricate and signature drum lines. Filled with the profound instrumentals and production of the entire Roots Crew, which includes ?uest, Black Thought, Kamal, F. Knuckles & Captain Kirk with a cameo by sousaphone player Damon”Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson and a host of other appearances, this album contains a lot of “in your face”, hard-hitting tracks.

?uestlove and Black Thought come together on the track “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)” to provide, what can only be described as perfection. Black Thought rips through this beat with a constant flowof the rawest lyricism that has been encountered in Hip-Hop, thus far. This is exhibited in lines, such as”…hay stack try to find a needle up in there n**ga/leave u up in there n**ga/show me the puppet that don’t need a puppeteer n**ga/shed another tear n**ga/I’m in the field with a shield and spear n**ga/I’m in your girl with her heels in the air n**ga/I am such a rare n**ga/You in a battle telling me you not ready like ufigure imma bare wit chall don’t care n**ga “. I literally got chills just listening to this track. What’s interesting and intriguing is the exposure of Black Thought’s growth. With the track “@15″ , a track reflecting a young & lively Black Thought rapping over a simple beat created with the slapping of hands, strategically placed right before “75 Bars”; you are able to compare the young Thought with the highly cultured man that stands before us today. Both tracks exhibit a man with strong views & convictions. Black Thought has had a long history of providing intense, confident, complex, & politically charged lyrics.

This album features the return of Malik B. on tracks , such as “I Can’t Help it” and “Lost Desire.”Malik shows us that he continues to maintain the lyrical prowess and realism that can be heard from him onalbums Organix, Do You Want More?!!!??! illadelph Halflife & Game Theory. Dice Raw can befound on 5 of the albums 14 tracks. He shines on one of the albums stand-out tracks “Get Busy”. He gives us a bit of insight into how he views himself, stating “I’m kind of like W.E.B. Du Bois/meets Heavy D. and the Boys/smooth as a rolls Royce/tank smoking on gank/I walking through the Guggenheim Raw Life BlackInk.” Dice Raw also sings on two of the albums chorus sections.

The soulful, alternative, instrumentally eclectic beats with the complex, but simplified percussion that the roots are famous for are exhibited on tracks like “Criminal”. “Criminal” features the expertise of Saigon and the soothing vocals of Kevin Hanson. The sound is also displayed on “Singing Man” and yet another stand-out track “I Will Not Apologize”, which features Veteran Talib Kweli on the “catchy” but extremely sensible chorus. In this chorus. The Roots seem to address, not only their followers and fans, butalso those who continue to criticize their unrelenting and unique style of Hip-Hop, in lyrics “It’s for all of my people who understand and truly recognize/some won’t get it and for that/ I won’t apologize.” This is a very concrete and brave statement to make, in a time when many public figures are making statements that are being deemed “politically incorrect” and then retracting/apologizing for these statements. It definitely further enlightens the public of the consistency that can be found in all The Roots’ statements and lyrics.

As it has been said in the past, we must “save the best for last” and the most engaging and premiere track on this album comes at the very end. “Rising Up” features Chrisette Michele and D.C. native, newcomer Wale. This beat is drenched in the D.C. original genre of music “Go-Go”. It is a lively track, in which, Black Thought exhibits relaxed confidence in himself and his Legendary Crew. Wale’s extraordinary talent is exposed. He, also, expresses his respect for artists, such as, The Roots and Common when he says ” Real rappers ain’t eating, the Olsen Twinnin’.” This alludes to the fact the greatest lyricist are not always celebrated commercially. Wale definitely proves himself to be an upcoming heavy hitter in the Hip-Hop industry. This track seems to address the repetitive , commercial ” party” formula that a lot of today’s rap artists have succumb to, and sets The Roots apart by stating their “commitment” to making great, real music.

Overall, this album is a must have. As so eloquently expressed on “Singing Man”, “this is the culmination…” and a beautiful one at that. If it is not, than this is how I would have it feel and sound. Rising Down is an eardrum’s nirvana. It is a mosaic of black life in America; small cubes of perfection and imperfection combined to make a beautiful and abstract piece of artwork. But as The Roots say “…the show must go on”, and it will, but not without the awe-inspiring music of The Legendary Roots Crew.