FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1999. All Rights Reserved
| CD Review by Frank Litorco THE ROOTS • Third major label release for the Philadelphia-based hip hop group. • Guest appearances by D’Angelo, Common, Mos Def and Erykah Badu. Back in the day when their stock was way high, people were showing The Roots much respect for creating their sound through live musicians rather than relying on samples or a DJ to generate their beats. The biggest weakness in their game hasn’t been their execution so much as it has been their annoying lack of direction (due largely to deficient songwriting). As fine as their playing abilities were, the songs from their previous two albums usually fell short of what was expected from a hip hop act that had shown a lot of creativity and promise. But with Things Fall Apart, the group has finally matured enough to put the whole package together, assembling a damn fine set of tracks and making them a significant player on the scene in ’99. With the potency of Mike Tyson off anti-depressants, Things Fall Apart combines the melancholic afrocentrism of Arrested Development’s Zingalamaduni and the minimalist effect of De La Soul’s Stakes Is High. Taken as a whole, the album streams almost flawlessly from one track to another, culminating with the centrepiece that is the single, "You Got Me." This is what the Puff Daddy remix of Method Man’s "You’re All I Need" strove to achieve but didn’t. Erykah Badu’s heart-chilling vocals execute one of the most memorable choruses since the Pharcyde’s "Runnin,’" and combined with the unique drum ’n’ bass finish, "You Got Me" has undoubtedly set the early standard for best song of the year. As important as it was for The Roots to prove that they can raise their game to the next level, Things Fall Apart also succeeds in proving that fresh blood (however much that may be) continues to course through the veins of hip hop. Things come together. 4/5 |
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