Track Listing

1. The Pow Wow
2. Rising Down featuring Mos Def & Styles P
3. Get Busy featuring Dice Raw & Peedi Peedi
4. @ 15
5. 75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)
6. Becoming Unwritten
7. Criminal featuring Truck North & Saigon
8. I Will Not Apologize featuring Porn & Dice Raw
9. I Can't Help It featuring Malik B., Porn, Mercedes Martinez & Dice Raw
10. Singing Man featuring Porn, Truck North & Dice Raw
11. Unwritten featuring Mercedes Martinez
12. Lost Desire featuring Malik B. & Talib Kweli
13. The Show featuring Common & Dice Raw
14. Rising Up featuring Wale & Chrisette Michele

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2186 in Music
• Released on: 2008-04-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics

Album Description
Grammy award winning hip-hop trailblazers The Roots are set to release Rising Down on April 29th via Def Jam Recordings. Known for their prolific lyrics and live instrumentation, the Legendary Philadelphia crew is composed of Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter (vocals), Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson (drums), Kamal Gray (keyboards), Frank Knuckles (percussion), Kirk "Captain Kirk" Douglas (guitar) and Owen Biddle (bass). Garnering critical praise throughout their career, The Roots have firmly established themselves as a band with uncompromised artistic control and integrity. With Rising Down, the band's 10th album release, The Roots continue to take bolder steps adding new depths and range to their repertoire. The Roots co-founder ?uestlove states, "This is probably our most political album to date dealing with addiction, nihilism, hypocritical double standards in the prison system and overall life in Philadelphia. I'd say it's more mature and intense than all of our efforts but not a `downer' as most people expect us to do."

The political nature of Rising Down is not only heard within the music. The title comes from William T. Vollmann's treatise on violence entitled Rising Up and Rising Down, and the release date falls on the 16th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots sparked by the acquittal of the police officers accused of beating Rodney King.

Standout tracks include: "Criminal" a reflection of life on the streets and unjust persecution, "I Will Not Apologize" a tribute to Fela Kuti that discusses keeping dignity in the music biz and "I Can't Help It" a look at addictions and urges that compel us all. Additional guests on the album include Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Saigon, Dice Raw, Wale, Chrisette Michele and more.

Customer Reviews

Roots Roots Roots!!!
I can't think of any other hip hop group or solo artists that grabs me like the roots. I was sold on the roots when I heard and saw the seed video. Went to the store and picked up things Fall Apart. After that I can barely listen to anything else besides my reggae.

The Roots (and guests) are the most under rated, intelligent, real, creative group out there. The issues they touch on are not dark to me as some people say. But in my opinion "REAL" issues that need attention. I can't see how anybody can hate on any of their joints.

The thing that took me awhile to realize is that the way they number all their tracks means something. They're moving forward not back. Which I interpret as nothing is going to sound the same. It's all original. Besides Rising Down and Game Theory nothing they drop sounds the same. (Not to say GT or RD lack originality but they did have the same tone.) Couple that with the issues they touch on and the way it's presented means it's just non stop heat coming from a group that will still be dropping blazin hot tracks for many years to come. Much love to The Roots from Seattle's biggest roots fan!!
Hear it
Feel it
Love it

3.5 stars, Not as great as previous Game theory
I'm going to take a different approach to reviewing albums on Amazon. Instead of going in depth on each album and describe each album in detail, i'm going to simply rate each album with how many stars I feel each album is worth based on the below criteria. I hope this helps you make a better decision on purchasing this album with a simple individual rating. If it doesn't help read another review.
5 stars- Classic, Album goes beyond description, Perfect in every way, Could remind you of a certain time or place, Lifetime replay value.
4.5 stars- Near Classic, Incredible album, Maybe only one song that is skippable or just overall doesn't quite deserve classic status. High replay value.
4.0 stars- Awesome album. Very solid album from start to finish. Met every expectation and more. Maybe only one song or two that is skippable or just doesnt' quite deserve a classic or near classic rating. High replay value.
3.5 stars- Above average album. Solid from start to finish but there are a few songs worth skipping. Met expectations, minimal replay value.
3.0 stars- Average album. Nothing bad but nothing great either. After the initial appeal will collect dust.
2.5 stars- Major disappointment. You had high expectations that were ruined as this album is not good at all. There might be only one or two songs worth listening to. No replay value.
2.0 stars- Below average album. This album doesnt bother you to hear as background music but you would rather not listen to it if you didnt have to. No songs really appeal. No replay value.
1.5 stars- Terrible album. Makes one sick to hear it. No songs really appeal but there might be one song that you could stand to hear. Would rather throw in garbage than even waste space in your collection.
1.0 stars- Makes one cringe and the ears bleed!
*keep in mind, each album review might not be based on opinion of the band but the album itself in the bands discography

"Some good rappers ain't eatin'/They Olsen Twin-in'"
The Roots - Rising Down (Def Jam, 2008)

Let's face it. Unless something miraculous happens, the only successful Roots album will be 1999's Things Fall Apart. The Roots are an underground rap act and they always will be. And this time, if their record doesn't sell, they can't blame it on Jay-Z (because he's no longer president of Def Jam). It'll be because they are underground, which isn't a bad thing.

Rising Down is their latest effort and it continues in the same vein of 2006's Game Theory with its dark music (no ringtone-friendly tunes here). The interlude is from 1994 when ?uestlove and Black Thought were arguing with their former label, Geffen, which sets the tone for this album: things are pretty messed up with the world today. The title track finds Black Thought joining Mos Def and Styles P. trading rhymes about society's problems while "Criminal" has a hot verse from Saigon. In fact, there are a lot of guest stars on here but it doesn't deter from the album and Black Thought still holds his own.

The album does get more upbeat towards the end with "Rising Up", a go-go sounding romp featuring Wale and labelmate Chrisette Michele singing the chorus (it would be nice if Michele appeared on things other than fellow Def Jam artists' rap songs). And with only one bad egg in the bunch (the dull "I Will Not Apologize"), The Roots triumph again, rising to the occasion with Rising Down. -EJR