50 Cents Away from a Quarter

Y'all know the legendary Roots crew...

I have sat down to write a review of Rising Down about a dozen times and have never gotten through more than two paragraphs. Too many ideas come into my head, but they're usually manifestations of a certain obstinate creativity, the compulsion to conjure something great to write. Sometimes it's easiest to just be blunt, though, so here we go:

The first seven tracks on the Rising Down are collectively great. They capture an elemental boom-bap oftentimes eschewed by newer-sounding music. And beyond the sonic impression, they convey a seething anger and hostility that is sadly engendered by and appropriate for these troubling times. It is perhaps hackneyed to laud the Roots for tapping into this vein of despair following the excellent Game Theory, but it's no less true of this record, and it may be even more pertinent now. There are times, occurring too frequently, when I read the news and find myself paralyzed by a sudden flood of anger. This record speaks to those of us who feel that way. It's oddly reassuring, and it is a crisp, enlivening sensation to hear that kind of frustration given voice with potent concentration.

Rising Down's first half, with its precise instrumentation and sharp rhymes--not just the lyrics, but the cadences, the pauses, the flourishes, the assonance--also reinforces a fundamental pleasure of the Roots experience: these are exemplary musicians. From Black Thought juxtaposing the question of "Who got the politicians in they back pocket?" with the image of a pimp slap on "Get Busy," to Ahmir's serious but joyous drumming on "75 Bars," to the excellent sequencing, the listener is treated to rap music that is meticulously and thoughtfully crafted. There is a an intangible value that comes with recognizing this quality, particularly in an era of cheap-thrill hip-hop when a supposedly "great" rapper can put out garbage like this. The first time I put on Rising Down, I couldn't get a satisfied smile off of my face. It just felt good to hear something that is smart and carefully executed.

But as noted music critic and cultural scholar Ian Cohen once said of the Roots, they're easy to appreciate but hard to love. And that is the unfortunate reality of tracks eight through twelve, on which the Legendary lose the sonic cohesion born of the opening half's fury and instead wallow in boring beats that run underneath unremarkable verses and at times irksome hooks. It's directionless music that sounds as though it comes from another record (and one that shouldn't have been released). Black Thought tries to do his thing, but amidst the milquetoast production and regrettable verses from a dude named P.O.R.N. and old standbys like Dice Raw and Talib Kweli, the whole thing comes undone. It is almost devastating, because after the record's first movement, a Roots fan is likely inclined to think he's experiencing some classic isht.

Luckily, Common, a brooding melody, militant drums, and a re-centered BT come along at the end, on "The Show," to get the record back on track for its strong conclusion. "Criminal," with Saigon spitting a matter-of-fact, mid-tempo guest spot over production that sounds almost post-pissed and as airy as angry can be, is likely my favorite song on Rising Down, but "The Show" is its essence, and not far behind. When taken with the opening "Pow Wow," which gives you an early interpolation of "The Show" underneath ?uestlo yelling at some A&R, "The Show" completes the album's own Greek rhetorical circle, bringing it back to the focused, intense discontent and smart insight that give Rising Down its auspicious first half. The official close is then "Rising Up," a lighter jam with Wale lightening the vocal tone, the subject matter affirming hip-hop as a form even while lamenting the current state, and the go-go rhythm offering a hint of the fun that you tend to see at a Roots concert. It's a fitting end that articulates the group's ethos while also salvaging a record that started strong and then ran afoul of the right course.

For those of us hopelessly in love with the Roots (), Rising Down is perhaps disappointing given its potential but still superior to so much else, and far more provocative. We can all be thankful for that, just as I am to finally have this review recorded for posterity.