The Roots- 'Rising Down'
(Def Jam, 2008)
Rating: 8

Few rap groups have assembled as airtight a catalogue as the Philadelphia-based crew The Roots. Initially formed in the late 80s as a function of Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson’s high school friendship, The Roots have sustained a signature brand whether in the face of pronounced personnel upheaval or old fashioned major label bridgeburning, and their ability to mesh solid rhymes with expansive beats remains evident on their latest release, Rising Down.  The album, named for William Vollman's 2004 novel Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Violence, Freedom and Urgent Means, showcases the still solid skills of frontman Black Thought while continuing to demonstrate the multi-instrumental qualities of The Roots as coordinated by drummer and primary beatmaker ?uestlove. Even if the overall tone of Rising Down suggests a world spinning towards its tipping point, Black Thought and company (as well as a vast array of guest contributors) manage to bring cohesion to the chaos they chronicle while continuing to expand upon the qualities that originally marked their ascent.           

Rising Down begins with an ominous snippet from a conference call gone awry from the group’s days on Geffen label subsidiary DGC. Nearly 15 years after that call descended into a shouting match that would portend their acrimonious split from DGC, The Roots have no problem finding stimuli to stoke their inner turmoil. Whereas many rappers lean on guest appearances as a way of propping up substandard efforts, The Roots have always been comfortable sharing the mic as a means of rounding out the tapestries they weave without lessening their own impact on their albums, and Mos Def gets the ball rolling quickly on the title track. ?uestlove lays down a reverb-laden backbeat that is permeated by ringing guitar notes and punctuated with a chorus refrain that announces “Everything’s for sale/even souls/Somebody get God on the phone.” Black Thought often uses his native Philadelphia as his muse, and Get Busy allows him to commence with an unlikely partnership via fellow Philly native DJ Jazzy Jeff on a track where Thought describes his sound as “part Melle Mel, part Van Halen” while discussing drug casualties, corrupt politicians, and other less wholesome aspects of city life. As with their other albums, The Roots have once again put together some of the most layered instrumentation on wax, and their ability to balance fuzzed out basslines with organic drum beats and ominously whirring synths continues to point towards their status as an actual band whose vision is most often shaped by ?uestlove. It’s pretty remarkable that the group could lose someone with the production chops of Scott Storch along the way and still not miss a beat (bad pun alert, damn) when it comes to assembling soundtracks that prove as evocative as their vocal output. 

The seamless manner in which the vocals and beats work in tandem is particularly evident on the frenetically spare 75 Bars. ?uestlove pushes forward with a looping staccato stomp as Black Thought breathlessly covers a variety of tangents. While Thought unquestionably has more on his mind than the average blinger, he still isn’t above dispensing with some classic B-boy bravado, as he rhymes, “Show me the puppet who don’t need a puppeteer/ Shed another tear/ I’m in the field with a shield and a spear/ I’m in your girl with her heels in the air.” It’s utterly believable when Thought speaks of the mic feeling like a million dollars in his hand, as he undoubtedly remains one of rap’s most accomplished if underrated MCs. One of the centerpieces of the album emerges with Criminal, as Saigon and Truck North join the fray on a pop-infused track built around stereophonically layered guitar lines, providing a sugary coat belying less saccharine ruminations on illegality. Former fulltime member Malik B. turns up on the pulsating I Can’t Help It, as ?uestlove wraps siren-like echoes around a stuttering new wave refrain. Suggesting that your mother aborted the wrong child might seem counterintuitive when asserting your poppier tendencies, but Rising Down succeeds in part because of its willingness to acknowledge dysfunctional subject matter without giving itself over to hopelessness. There may be a sense of doom that pervades the proceedings, but the overall tone remains one of defiance in the face of conflict. The group’s resolute position is echoed by Common on The Show (It Must Go On), and the album officially closes with an infectiously upbeat groove punctuated by Chrisette Michele’s choral duet with none other than ?uestlove. The Roots haven’t sustained a career spanning two decades by practicing capitulation, and Rising Down aptly demonstrates the importance they place on drawing inspiration from conflict and resolution in equal measure.

- Brant Miles