The Roots have gotten into a niche that probably every hip-hop artist/band dreams of inhabiting: they're popular and mainstream, yet indie with serious street cred. Best of all, however, The Roots are consistently GOOD. With an array of talented featured artists (including a surprising appearance by DJ Jazzy Jeff), thought-provoking rhymes, and brilliant ?uestlove beats, The Roots' new album, Rising Down, may well become a hip-hop classic.
Front and center on this album is The Roots' resident emcee, Black Thought. This man is completely inexhaustible, often times flowing for minutes on end with no break (see: 75 Bars). The effect of his lyrical style is akin to becoming a speed bag, his words the fists, rapping (puns are fun!) you so quickly that they seem to blend together. The beats on this album are notably darker than usual, and feel quite lo-fi at times. Indeed, minimalist producing is definitely one of this album's advantages, providing the album with a sense of underground significance. The Roots are a band that knows how to make dent in the system, even use the system to get to where they want. This album is a breath of fresh air in an increasingly predictable and saturated market.
6/7
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