THE BAD NEWS: "Game Theory", The Roots highly anticipated first release on Def Jam Records was leaked to the internet a month and a half before it hits stores. THE GOOD NEWS: It's the best album the group has released in years!
Let me start by saying, I'm not an OKAYPLAYER, so consider this an unbiased opinion. Don't get me wrong, I always liked The Roots. Their first three albums were beautiful moments in hip hop. No, those albums weren't political, controversial, or extremely conceptual, but they were solid as hell. Good music, nice flows, you know, solid. I even consider "Things Fall Apart" more than solid, to me it's an undeniable classic. What happened to The Roots after that, well, that's where it gets weird. Hip hop is one of the few genres of music where, the better people get at it, the more they feel a need to get away from it, or to somehow extend its boundaries. (Or maybe it's the more people evolve as musicians and people, the more they get bored with hip hop, see Andre 3000). The Roots are no different. "Phrenology" and "Tipping Point" were two albums that could be labeled "experimental", or "wack", depending on who you talk to. For me it felt more like they were being defiant. As if to say, "we know yall want that boom bap sh*t, but allow us to be artists while we give yall this other sh*t." So we waited. Well, actually, I didn't. I kind of wrote The Roots off as dope live performers who COULD create something good if they wanted to, but chose not to. I stuck a fork in'em and moved on.
Then something happened. Unlike some, I'm not gonna give the credit to being on Def Jam, or being under Jay-Z for that matter. I give the credit to hip hop. Hip hop demanded a return to greatness by The Roots. Hip hop always demands that of a worthy few. Hip Hop demanded Rakim to come back in the late 90's. Hip hop demanded Nas to return to defend his throne in the new millennium. And yes, hip hop demanded The Roots to be more than Jay-Z's back up band of choice, so The Roots got real. And Black Thought got real like I've never seen him. I think Black Thought is dope. My problem with him has always been, he busts a rhyme, you nod your head, and you smile with approval. But one minute after he's done rapping, you have no idea what he was talking about, even though it sounded so good. Why? Maybe because he hardly ever writes rhymes to a tight knit concept, "What They Do" being one of those rare times. Or maybe because The Roots don't rely on memorable hooks as much as they do melodies. Whatever the case, this song writing deficiency has left Black Thought an after thought when people mention their top emcees, even though he's unmistakably ill with his. Well, on the new album, Black Thought is flexing a pen that just might shut all of his naysayers up. And the return of Malik B. seems to be that secret intangible that makes this Roots records, a true return to their glorious past.
"Game Theory" is appropriately dark. No, it doesn't make you want to cut your wrist. But it's somber in a way that begs you to sit back and think. It's the hip hop album you'd expect from Kurt Cobain. Not quite straight forward hip hop, but not so far from the essence that you can't just sit back and nod to it, and relate to it. Stand out cuts include "Game Theory", "In The Music", "Long Time", "Clocks With No Hand", and "Don't Feel Right", which previously didn't feel right to me, feels better in the context of the album. The Roots are older, and this music definitely feels older and more mature. I applaud them for stepping out of their box, without stepping away from hip hop to make this album. I hate using the classic word, but off a few listens, yeah, I think it has all the ingredients of a classic, but time and the fans will ultimately tell. Although this album is leaked, do cop your official copy from stores when it's finally released. Hip hop is good for demanding greatness, and terrible for supporting the more creative side of the genre. So definitely support. As for The Roots, I guess they are living proof that sometimes things have to fall apart, before they can fall back together. Peace.
