ETHOS

By Paul Pennington

Pull out the black nail polish and hide the sharp objects kids, The Roots have gone emo…Well not really, but The Foundation has taken their sound to a new stage of vehement expression. I suppose that we should have seen this coming.

“If I ruled the world”…Black people would def fly around chasing white people…

Considering the melancholic sound of their 2006 release, Game Theory, which was fused with more of a rock-feel than any of their prior albums, Rising Down, their most recent effort, is the next logical stop on their pathway of progression. I will admit, as I have before, that I loved Game Theory, which along with Common’s Electric Circus and Mos Def’s New Danger, was the perfect blend of hip hop and rock sounds that is able to transcend genres. Rising Down, which drops today, falls into such a category, while carving out its own niche in The Roots’ discography. I can honestly say that this is the rawest, grittiest checkpoint on their eight-album journey. The hype around the album was partially diminished considering the Roots Crew released a new track every other day. The precedent was set with the release of “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)” followed by the more recent release of the popish “Birthday Girl” (unfortunately not on the American release) featuring Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump. Shout outs to Sasha Grey in the video…I see you girl!

Birthday Girl featuring Patrick Stump

“She has a good head on her shoulders…”

Not to stereotype, the “black ear” or the “white ear” or anybody else’s ears, but this sound has the potential to completely lose the little black demographic that The Roots still have (come on now…you knew I had to say something slightly controversial). Not to say that black people don’t like rock music or synthesizers. I mean, my parents are more or less black, so I guess that makes me of the Negroid persuasion and I love The Roots. Still, I didn’t even really know much about the band (outside of “You Got Me”) until I was shipped out to private school with the rich white kids. My favorite track off of the album, “Criminal”, which features Truck North and Saigon, has more of a Fort Minor/Radiohead feel—two groups who enjoy more popularity among the lesser hued demographic. Roots Crew drummer and general music genius Questlove (yeah, I have a man crush) noted in a recent Vanity Fair interview:

“This Erykah Badu tour that we are about to do is going to be the real challenge because she still pulls in a very conservative, mature black audience. So that’s more the fish out of water for us now, performing for a black audience, as opposed to the Asian, white, Latino audience that we are used to…”

While we should be careful to avoid positing any absurd theories juxtaposing race and hip hop, this clearly reflects the fact that The Roots serve as an entry point into hip hop for people of other cultures

I <3 White People because White People <3 The Roots

I look at The Roots – from where they began and where they are now – and I believe from this history we can vaguely trace a genealogy of the genre, at least since they entered the game in the early-90’s. From the jazzy feel of Do You Want More?!!!??! and llladelph Halflife, you can situate their sound in the time period when groups like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Digable Planets all thrived by embracing jazz-hip hop fusions.

Moving ahead to the mid-90’s/early-2000’s releases of Things Fall Apart and Phrenology, we found The Roots employing a more grassroots, Neo-Soul sound reflecting the strengths of artists like Erykah Badu and D’Angelo, both of whom worked closely with the band.

Today, we can find The Roots once again reinventing their sound into what I believe is a musical framework through which we can understand the trajectory of hip hop. Looking at the emergence of the new electronic sounds of Erykah Badu and the rock-influences of Lupe Fiasco as well as the arrival of such alternative acts Gnarls Barkley, Jay Electronica, Sa-Ra and Gym Class Heroes, I believe the orientation of hip hop has shifted towards fusion. My friend and fellow blogger Eric made a perfect parallel when he compared The Roots (as a hip hop equivalent) to jazz god Miles Davis (yeah, I should probably hop off his too…). By this he meant that, with every album, Davis displayed musical progression –he was constantly evolving as an artist. I would take it even farther by saying that this evolution established trends for the time period and allowed for growth within the genre, making it more accessible to larger audiences. The Roots are one of the few remaining groups in any musical genre, I would argue, that occupy the vanguard of musical development.

In the course of their decorated careers, The Roots have succeeded in balancing a phenomenal level of musicianship with a consistent musical progression that has never led them astray. So, as you read this post, I am ripping off the plastic wrapping of my newly acquired album, Rising Down, by The Roots and I suggest you do the same…if you want to see where hip hop is going.

In closing, I would like to leave you with a quote from the poet laureates of Durham, Phontigallo The Rap Jiggalo and Rapper Big Pooh as they addressed their “fans”:

“Support your own man…cuz we been on the other side of this s***…and then two years later when n**** blow it’s like, ‘Oh, we always loved ya’ll’…F*****!”