I might soon be awarding the title of “favorite band” to a new group. For the past few years, U2 has held it down. More than a lot of folks, I even appreciated their last album in spite of the fact that it doesn’t have a lot of radio hits. It seemed like they were trying some different things on the musical end, accompanied by lyrics that had some nice depth.
But for the past couple of years, a new crew has been creepin’. The Roots Crew from Philly, to be specific. They’ve always been on my broad radar. Well, ever since high school when they first started droppin’ albums to the mainstream. But it took some age and experience for me to really appreciate what they bring to the table as the hardest working group in hip-hop.
Lyrically, the group is prophetic. In terms of forthtelling (explaining a current reality), they do it better than anyone. Ultimately, this comes back to haunt them when it comes to mainstream success. I’ve heard a lot of white people express fatigue when they listen to The Roots. I get that. There is a lot in their lyrics that requires a certain amount of contextualization to get the full effect. It does take a lot of mental energy to listen to their lyrics and understand what they are saying. And then it takes more energy to deal with the issues of race and inequality that they bring up. So if you listen to music simply to be entertained, fine. But if you want music that will make you think, there you go.
On the music side of things, there are only two things you need to know: six of the groups seven members play an instrument, and one of those members plays the sousaphone (Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson). Listening to what they were able to do on Jay-Z’s Unplugged album and their own live album have convinced me I NEED to see them live in the near future. Their musical versatility has been on display this year on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and I’ve noticed that when they are invited to play with musical guests they bring a professionalism and uniqueness to the performance. Yeah, they do well when they play with hip-hop acts, but they also tear it up with artists of other genres as well. My favorite of all time is ?uestlove’s drumming with Sara Watkins.
For the record, I’ve yet to officially rearrange my rankings. The Roots still need to drop their latest album. According to their website, it was set to release 10/20/09. Trust me. It’s not out yet. But when it comes out it could tip the scales. In the interest of fairness, I also want to catch both The Roots and U2 live this summer to help with this epic decision.
I’m also willing to accept written, verbal and in person pitches from members of either group. Just in case they are interested.
Renew and Restore
