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The Roots’ New Album Due This Month

Wednesday, April 9, 2008
By: Kenny Rodriguez

As the Roots ready their upcoming album, “Rising Down,” the Philadelphia rap group is still making last-minute changes before it drops on April 29.

The track “Birthday Girl,” initially released as its lead single, has been scrapped from the final tracklisting.

According to the group’s drummer, ?uestlove, the song (which features Patrick Stump of rock band Fall Out Boy) did not fit the tone of the LP, which he calls “the most incendiary, political album of our career to date.”

“It was just sticking out like a sore thumb,” ?uestlove told Billboard magazine.

“Initially, it was going to kick-start the record … but then that didn’t work. Then we were going to have a ‘halftime’ thing where it was going to come in the middle of the record as a break from the political thing, but that didn’t work, either.”

The song and an accompanying video were released online in mid-March, and it met with criticism over its radio-friendly, pop sound.

Although “Birthday Girl” is not on the album, it will still be available on iTunes as a bonus cut.

Meanwhile, “Rising Down” will feature guest appearances by rap artists Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Saigon, Styles P, and Peedi Crakk.

(14) Comments | Post a comment »

Definately copping this joint. Black thought is one of the sickest lyicists in the game, and has nver fallen off. Always kept it real.

Posted by seeds

Criticizing a track for being to radio friendly? ignorance at its finest. Howz about judging whether or not its a good track...

Posted by RSX

Ya, i just listened to it. Shit is pretty bad. So just call it bad, not "radio friendly" , as that is an ignorant statement.

Posted by RSX

I've been looking forward to this album for a while. I didn't think birthday girl was the worst song of all time, and i don't think the roots "sold out" by doing it. It was annoyingly catchy, and i think that ultimately it was the right choice to leave it off, purely because it doesn't fit with the theme of the album, not because fans didn't like it.

Posted by oogabooga

I never even heard birthday girl...thought they were talkin about "get busy" which i F*cken love

Posted by Maxitrillion

.youtube/watch?v=mpktyhrzy si&feature=related

Posted by Maxitrillion

Awsome blowsome that song sucked

Posted by Shogun

This sh*ts gonna be the siiicccckesssssttttt!!!!!!!

Posted by nocompetition7

Horrible song

Posted by SABRINA08

Blam! comment posted

Posted by nbs janitor

Well i like the roots and always will. I pretty much like most of the music they put out. I mean how could you not like it form a hip hop perceptive? the roots are raw and original. Tye banks co-founder of whoryde and host of whoryde hip hop podcast show. Google that!

Posted by Tye Banks

Wow..those poor guys,many people talked about this when we chat online on tall dating site___tallmingle.c o m___where has many humor guys and fashion girls,even hot models.

Posted by caora

Wow..........

Posted by to yung 4 u

as a long time roots fan, im glad they took birthday girl off of the album. I heard the song and although i appreciate the creative process of the song i thought that it would give roots haters another bullet to put in their 'hater guns'. Not having heard anything other than 75 bars and rising up, i can begin to understand why they concluded that the song didnt fit. Its ashamed though because even though i didnt like birthday girl, its sad that real artists such as the roots have to walk such a fine line in terms of their creativity.

Posted by reddog