Philadelphia's Roots have been one of the consistently brightest hopes of hip-hop's new school to have emerged in the '90s. Their forward-thinking, on-point, no-b.s. lyrics, and fresh, funky live beats--brought to the people on wax and through exhaustive touring for the better part of this decade--have earned them a well-deservedly airtight rep. With Things Fall Apart, their third major-label release, the Roots have gone back to the basics, scuffing up most of the smoother edges they displayed on 1996's Illadelph Halflife. Lyricists Black Thought and Malik B are in top form throughout, backed by a set of tracks that occasionally highlights the Roots' kinship with late-model A Tribe Called Quest. "The Next Movement," "Dynamite" and "Don't See Us" are all guilty as charged, using minimal drum snaps, pulse-tone bass lines and ethereal background effluvium to grab our ears. The juxtaposition of the calming tones and the aggressive, battle-oriented lyrics makes for a strong combo, and the pattern works time and again. These tracks can also be raw: "Without A Doubt," "Step Into A Realm," and "Double Trouble" (featuring Mos Def) could all go up against any underground track you might bring to the table. Things Fall Apart will ranks as one of 1999's most enjoyable hip-hop platters. - CMJ New Music Monthly (April, 1999). Revisit this classic once again...
A few promo items from Things Fall Apart + full article in CMJ...
