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The Roots - Rising DownAlbum Review by:
Samir Siddiqui
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
 Respect for veteran artists is seldom seen in the hip-hop game, and the current fans of rap music seem to have fallen for the idea that artists with a certain number of albums under their belt tend to fall off artistically. While that may hold true for some acts, hip-hop's best (and only?) band The Roots are certainly doing their part to prove otherwise, delivering quality music nearly 15 years after their studio-album-debut. On the heels of the nearly-flawless Game Theory, The Roots return with an equally broody LP, Rising Down, a project heavy on guest appearances, deep content, and musical experimentation.
If Game Theory's focused, calculated assembly served notice that Black Thought could hold down a remarkable album largely by himself, Rising Down's guest-friendly make-up is evidence that Tariq Trotter has quietly surpassed his colleagues as an emcee. As great as it is to hear Mos Def kick off Rising Down in fine style, the album doesn't truly start until Black Thought laces the title track with the following rhymes: "Between the green-house gases, and Earth spinnin' off it's axis, got mother nature doing back-flips//The natural disasters, it's like 80 degrees in Alaska, you in trouble if you ain't in Onasis, it ain't hard to tell that the conditions are drastic." The following more up-tempo numbers take on a more aggressive tone with ?uestlove delivering thumping drum-lines to compliment the synth-heavy "Get Busy" and the tuba-assisted "75 Bars," on which BT takes no prisoners ("I'm in ya' girl with her heels in the air, ni**a").
A major strength for The Roots on Rising Down is their ability to have the album's production come off as naturally as it does in their live setting. On "Criminal," the album's best collaboration, Black Thought, Truck North, and Saigon rhyme over a soulful, eerie backdrop that eloquently combines the various instruments used by the group, while Sai absolutely obliterates the track with some of the album's most potent lines: "We already been knocked, scrutinized, plus cops rush to brutalize us, America is polluted by lust//Who can I trust? If I can't trust you, then I might touch you, if I ain't got love for you, then f**k you." The live-jam-sounding production also shows up on the bouncy "I Will Not Apologize", where Black Thought flips a killer flow to assist the catchy hook rapped by Talib Kweli.
However, the back half of the LP exposes a few minor missteps of Rising Down. While the album closes with three strong collaborations ("Lost Desire," "The Show," and "Rising Up"), featuring the likes of Common and D.C. newcomer Wale, several other tracks could have used less guest-raps and more emceeing from Black Thought. When BT lays down a replay-worthy take on the psyche of a child soldier, one verse just doesn't seem to cut it on the sombre "Singing Man." And while there are no obvious drops in quality during the stretch of the album, Rising Down lacks the variety of sounds present on Game Theory, as even the comparably-peppy "Rising Up" doesn't quite take on a different vibe, as much as abruptly disturb the darkness with its lively backdrop.
Still, even with its flaws, Rising Down is undoubtedly another great musical accomplishment for The Roots crew, as they push forward with their musical expansion and continue to address serious problems facing society today. 15 years, 8 albums, and thousands of tour stops later, The Roots are just as good, relevant, and necessary as they've ever been.
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