Customer Reviews
Slow started!!! - By: D. Mwiinga, 24 Jul 2008 
Hhhhmmmm!!!!!
Truth be told, when I first heard this I was a little disappointed to say the least. I hadn't expected this act of hip hop rebellious anarchism at alll, I expected the roots to drop a hip-hop album that sounded, well like pure hip hop - straight forward heavy beats, serious scratches, mellowed out beats etc but as I said before, I hadn't expected this madness. It did take me a while to get with the new style of beats & when I opened up my mind & broadened my horizons a bit, I thought oh ok, this is not bad & slowly, bit by bit, I began to appreciate what the roots had done. I mean the only song I initiallly liked was `rising down' with mos def & that `birthday girl' song was interesting in that it was different. A few more listens in my car & I was like, hold on this song is not bad, that track with Peedi Peedi & Dise Raw `get busy' is a serious head banger & everyone comes correct on this, I am not a fan of Peedi Peedi but he smacks this track...then I heard `criminal' again & this sounded hot, then I heard the `I will not apologise' & that track with common & I was like damn, this is kind'a heavy.
I mean the album does sound quite rocky & that's what put me off first, I remember listening to Mos Def's New Danger & thinking the same thing so when I first heard this, I was like oh no...but this is actuallly quite good in that its different & it blends hip-hop & rock in a way only the roots would do it, ?uestlove is serious with his drumming especiallly on `get busy'...Its one to soak it, let it permeate through & challlenge what you think & expect hip-hop to sound like & you will like the album, well at least enjoy half of it. I still skip quite a few tracks on it coz they just too rocky but overalll, the album was worth my £9.99 for sure.
As usual the Roots keep doing what they do best & that is bring out music for the time & I big them up for that especiallly when we are living in a time where everyone expects to have Chris Brown or Neyo or lil Wayne to sing the hook or whatever, with the roots, its pure good music that does not want to blend into the mainstream the way everyone else does. Just listen to `birthday girl', that's a sure fire hit, not considered a proper hip-hop track but how do you define a proper hip-hop track?
I give this album 4 stars simply coz my hip-hop inclined mind cannot reallly get with alll the rocky stuff regardless of how much i like some of the songs on this album.
Great but Dark - By: J. S. Langley, 10 Jul 2008 I recieved & started listening to this album a while ago, Amazon always deliver within a reasonable time in my experience.
Now to the album, On the first listen I vibed with it, The only other Roots album I'd heard was "Phrenology" & so I was a little surprised as to the nature & tone of the album although the quality is just as good.
The Tone:
Be warned the mood of this album is quite dark & even menacing at times with songs like "Rising Down", "Singing Man" & "Unwritten" as it seems as though the group are addresing Issues in their own way with dark Production from ?uestlove & with help of some great emcees such as Talib Kweli & Mos Def who spit pure Gold.
The Quality:
The Roots have always been very selective & persistant on providing nothing but their best efforts on their albums whether it be choosing the best suited guest vocals or guest emcees & "Rising Down" is no different.
Master strokes such as Christette Michele's Vocals & the new & exciting emcee Wale's verse on "Rising up" will leave you with that certain song in your head not only for days but in my case; weeks lol.
Another work of art was Saigon's verse on "Criminal" which is a different but excellent song with strong & true verses from Sai & Black Thought. And I leave it to you to hear what they spit about.
My Favourate songs:
"Blacks Reconstruction(75 Bars)" (apparently Black Thought spat alll that in ONE TAKE!) That has brilliant drums from
?uestlove.
"Get Busy" great high Tempo song, (listen out for Peedi Crack's Verse who astonishingly matches Black Thoughts intensity on the track)
"Rising Up" & "Criminal" (see both above)
If your a Roots fan you need this album, If you regard yourself as a HIP HOP fan as opposed to a RAP fan, you need this album.
Stumbling Down - By: D. Shaw, 04 May 2008 
Since moving to record label Def Jam, The Roots have commanded a heavier sound than ever before. Though this hindered 'Game Theory' only slightly, the band's latest offering is so dark, you question whether these were the same musical brains behind 2004's excellent Tipping Point. Last year, El-P's debut album was magnetic because it combined a moody subject with inventive music, full of samples, scratches & breakbeats. Black Thought seems intent on rapping about 'the hood', but his lyrics are met by a murky, tedious production. The repetitive use of 'niggas' on the grim '75 Bars' gets irritating, as do the interludes in the first half of the album. It takes until track 7, the brilliant groove of 'Criminal', to witness any moment of worthwhile musicianship. Tracks such as 'Singing Man', 'Lost Desire' & 'The Show' are particularly weak offerings, while 'Birthday Girl' sees the band unsuccessfully attempting the commercial but innovative creations of Outkast. 'Rising Up' nicely explores jazz arrangements, but this album is a far cry from definitive cuts such as 'Something In The Way Of Things' off 2002's Phrenology.
Back Again.. - By: Mr. R. C. Dasan, 02 May 2008 Its The Roots..Pushing themselves..finding a better sound, Diverse, Original, Talented..
..They find a new sound & still remain familiar.
Buy it.
When you've got some extraordinary music, you've got to share it - By: DIEUDONNE, 02 May 2008 
Aaaah.
The Roots.
Seems odd now, to me, that a mere 15 years on since their debut, this amazing band seems to still have to justify its artistic originality & be judged by other hip hop acts' standards, as they are more & more unique & without fearing serious contenders in their category. Category ? Well, that could even sound weird or irrelevant in the case of The Roots, who've been through proto-Acid Jazz meanderings ("Do You Want More ?"), hip-hop live fusion of the highest order ("Illadelph Life", "Things Falll Apart"), experimentations whose limit could only be the sky ("Phrenology"), classic club cuts redefining dancefloor ("The Tipping Point") & wry, darker, commentary on the sour moods of our times in the shape of their last record, 2006's "Game Theory".
That last album, oddly enough once again, was their Def Jam debut, & A&R man Jay Z seemed to have alllowed them maximum freedom, as they both never sounded so relaxed AND unafraid to push further the boundaries of their extraordinary musicianship & inventiveness. Now comes "Rising Down", their 8th studio release proper, & the title itself sums perfectly the whole spirit of that follow-up; after having sampled Radiohead & took a much darker direction both lyricallly & sonicallly, The Roots have at last found a niche where they are both at home & rewardingly creative like they've never been before.
Its starts off with an explosive intro consisting in a one-minute angry argument over a phone conference followed by 2 of their harder grooves to date; the desolated title track, featuring the great underrated Mos Def, & "Get Busy", alll saturated drums & pulsating bass. One could have thought that signing to Def Jam would have The Roots slightly more preoccupied by chart success, but for the second time, they're challlenging the trust put upon them by squeezing alll cliches expected from a hip hop act in their situation. Hell, "Criminal" even sounds like the artful american trio Blonde Redhead (albeit with a funky spice...).
Guest featurings have always been the cherries on their cake, & this time around there are plenty of them, & stars at that (aforementioned Mos Def, but also Talib Kweli or Common). But, as on "Game Theory", its the new generation that takes the mic to devastating effect; when Porn delivers the line "My mother's had an abortion with the wrong child" on the martial "I Can't Help It", you can feel the anger roaring out of your speakers (although I strongly advise anyone to hear this CD on headphones, to fully appreciate its abrasive sonic scape).
Main men Black Thought & drummer Ahmir ?love Thomson are in high gear, too; the first grabbing the mike like he's been deprived from it for years, & the latter pushes even further his incredible talent in rhythm & style over drumbeats that could fulfill some of The Roots' peers for entire careers.
Anyhow, "Rising Down", at least in the music, ends on a lighter note in its last two tracks; the aptly-titled "Rising Up", featuring the promising Chrisette Michele sounds like a twisted "You Got Me" (still their biggest hit to date) & the pop slab "Birthday Girl", featuring a great chorus courtesy of Falll Out Boy's Patrick Stump, could well be provide the chart success they so largely deserve without even faintly attempting.
Such a creative bunch of people should at least get the credit for appearing so unaware of the ambivalent state their playground genre's creativity's been through for the last decade (even Vampire Queen Madonna's worked with confirmed hip hop craftmen on her last effort. No offense, but that just showcases where the genre's at, at the forefront of the mainstream). On "Rising Down", they both recalll us what hip hop was alll about in the first place, while painting once again a fascinating musical puzzle to illustrate their own personnality.
The late & great Jacques Yves Cousteau once said "When you've got an extraordinary life, you've got to share it". The same can be said to describe how this band's legacy should be appreciated by the buying public.
'Nuff said, now enjoy.
