The Roots - You Don't See Us

"THINGS FALL APART" ... released in 1999 and imo by far so strong and in a league of its own as goes well for all The iLLa-5th Legendary wax releases and disks sold ... and in the19ninetynow to 1999 quote "era", cassette tapes still lingering here and there at your local record or Music shop ... the gentleman who wrote this here's name is at the end, bottom. .. Much respect and Peace to the realest HipHop Souls and fans across the globe who know the deal through.
ALBUM REVIEW ... One of the cornerstone albums of alternative rap's second wave, Things Fall Apart was the point where the Roots' tremendous potential finally coalesced into a structured album that maintained its focus from top to bottom. If the group sacrifices a little of the unpredictability of its jam sessions, the resulting consistency more than makes up for it, since the record flows from track to track so effortlessly. Taking its title from the Chinua Achebe novel credited with revitalizing African fiction, Things Fall Apart announces its ambition right upfront, and reinforces it in the opening sound collage. Dialogue sampled from Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues implies a comparison to abstract modern jazz that lost its audience, and there's another quote about hip-hop records being treated as disposable, that they aren't maximized as product or as art. That's the framework in which the album operates, and while there's a definite unity counteracting the second observation, the artistic ambition actually helped gain the Roots a whole new audience ("coffeehouse chicks and white dudes," as Common puts it in the liner notes). The backing tracks are jazzy and reflective, filled with subtly unpredictable instrumental lines, and the band also shows a strong affinity for the neo-soul movement, which they actually had a hand in kick-starting via their supporting work on Erykah Badu's Baduizm. Badu returns the favor by guesting on the album's breakthrough single, &"You Got Me," an involved love story that also features a rap from Eve, co-writing from Jill Scott, and an unexpected drum'n'bass breakbeat in the outro. Other notables include Mos Def on the playful old-school rhymefest &"Double Trouble," Slum Village superproducer Jay Dee on &"Dynamite!," and Philly native DJ Jazzy Jeff on &"The Next Movement." But the real stars are Black Thought and Malik B, who drop such consistently nimble rhymes throughout the record that picking highlights is extremely difficult. Along with works by Lauryn Hill, Common, and Black Star, Things Fall Apart is essential listening for anyone interested in the new breed of mainstream conscious rap.
Steve Huey, Rovi

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[KevthePoet]

"I got a gun that don't bust, it just suck niggaz in"! Word? :-)

[SoulscheMattik]

@KevthePoet Dice Raw with the shotgun words

[clipovercomb]

THE LAST GREAT TRUE HIP-HOP ALBUM

[SoulscheMattik]

@clipovercomb I feel whut you're sayin. Check out the album review in the description if you haven't yet.

The track "Nothin' New" .. or "Aint Sayin Nothin New" .. by far the illest trak of the album .. well all in opinion but that joint is so fuckin Live when bumpin loud as shit in the ride ! : )

Peace for the comment .. Roots hold it down for 20 years now word up

[bsauced]

nice upload. i'm from the west coast (and a white kid as it is) but even i know The Roots, De La Soul, and Blackstar is where good rap is. mainstream rap, shit mainstream music in general is just getting worse every year. it's quite depressing for me.

[SoulscheMattik]

I know whut you're saying but also should be less and less depressing now that you can finally see that infinit run of bliss that Truth and actual Hiphop Music has been shut down that "mainstream" thing at least the ones without substance and obvious content thats been spoken on to the point of played out words that been played out itself long ago. Shit don't even exsist to me no more .. it's promoting it just speakin on it right now, so I don't. .. word its ill you feel De La, Talib and Mos Def

[luckerkd]

I haven't heard this CD since college...great memories...

[songflow]

I always thought this was called "Peas and Cues"  ^-^

[Metamophisis]

Nice video send man. Btw I got that illadelphia Halflife

[SoulscheMattik]

oh man, I'm seeing your comment as spammed, I don't know who would do that pointless shit. .. but that's hot whut you're sayin bout your fave album from them. My fave is 'iLLdel halflife", but love them all ! .. I never heard the Madlib cut to this. .. Send me that if you can or have time. Thanx my people ak562.