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In their quest to give hip-hop some more meat to its highly-sampled, computer-generated backbone, The Roots makes sure they keep one foot planted in the heart of the streets and the other in socially-conscious soul. The band from Philadelphia hit it big with 1999's Things Fall Apart; a moving collective piece that combined alternative rap and street poetry with the burgeoning neo-soul movement. Since then much of their work remains beat-driven, anchored hard by ?uestlove's live drums, and aim towards building up the groove until its worn. Although they don't have the high-profiled hits of single entertainers in their sub-genre of hip-hop like Kanye West or Common, the Roots stand out as a unique entity: one unit leaning on their God-given skills on the instruments and their Philly soul influences to get their point across. When performing live, The Roots prove to be one of the best in the business.
In their quest to give hip-hop some more meat to its highly-sampled, computer-generated backbone, The Roots makes sure they keep one foot planted in the heart of the streets and the other in socially-conscious soul. The band from Philadelphia hit it big with 1999's Things Fall Apart; a moving collective piece that combined alternative rap and street poetry with the burgeoning neo-soul movement. Since then much of their work remains beat-driven, anchored hard by ?uestlove's live drums, and aim towards building up the groove until its worn. Although they don't have the high-profiled hits of single entertainers in their sub-genre of hip-hop like Kanye West or Common, the Roots stand out as a unique entity: one unit leaning on their God-given skills on the instruments and their Philly soul influences to get their point across. When performing live, The Roots prove to be one of the best in the business.
How I Got Over, the group's ninth studio album, is a much different presentation than their last two records (Rising Down, Game Theory). It stands out as a gloomy record with dark details stressing the blights in urban life while also recalling the angers from the eight years of the Bush administration. It also leans on spirituality and a prayer for hope to give the somber, dark lyrics some needed air to breathe. While, the project is still a bit gloomy, feeling like the first gasps of relief after awakening from a bad nightmare, but a hint of optimism shines through the mood music as The Roots search for answers through their raps of repentance.
"Dear God 2.0," an updated take on Monsters of Folk's 2009 gem (and also featuring MOF on the chorus), puts a spin on a straight-forward modern prayer ("Why do haters separate us like we're Siamese/Technology turning the planet into zombies/Everybody all in everybody's dirty laundry"). Even with some of The Roots' antiquated frustrations, much of the album prances like a borderline gospel soul record. "Now or Never" simmers with the social gospel commentary and soulful pulse of Curtis Mayfield. The same applies to the title track with its blunt "in-your-face" message akin to "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go."
As the album marches onward, the lyrics loosen themselves from their dreary, closet optimism and glows a little brighter. "The Day" opens with Patty Cash humming to an inner motivation ("When I wake up, I look into the mirror/I can see a clearer, vision/I should start living today") while Foreign Exchange's Phonte keeps the window of hope brimming through the organic hip-hop jazz ("Sunday morning, plan my day out/Whole new blueprint, brand new layout"). Using a smart ‘80s pop-rock groove and an instantly gravitating chorus handled by John Legend, "The Fire" stands out from the pack with its champion lyrics resting atop a Rocky-like aesthetic. "Radio Daze," with its swirl of psychedelic soul and Gil Scott-Heron poetry, is just as rewarding to the ear as "The Fire."
Far from a depressing record, How I Got Over still isn't an overcoming achievement. The gloomy chapters from politics, black-on-black crime, international warfare, drugs, poverty and everything else in life's devilish bag is the fuel for the record's fire; leaving no escapism from those depressing realities. So, there isn't any getting over, for those searching for a light at the end of the tunnel. When they look up for inspiration from idealism, they quickly look back down at their present-day realism. And while the grooves here flair up with engaging propensity, much of How I Got Over feels like it's tightly wrapped around rap's growing need to sound like a sample work rather than an original. Still, it's a brutally honest record, done in the tradition of The Roots' albums and a step closer constructively towards the gospel of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield. Recommended
By J. Matthew Cobb