Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.
But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.
Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.
We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.
THE ROOTS
Studio Albums: Organix (1993) | Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995) | Illadelph Halflife (1996) | Things Fall Apart (1999) | Phrenology (2002) | The Tipping Point (2004) | Game Theory (2006) | Rising Down (2008) | How I Got Over (2010) | Undun (2011) | ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014)
The Roots have earned a hallowed spot as one of the most respected groups in hip-hop history. They have a storied musical career that’s spanned four different decades. They’re the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. They have one of the best discographies ever collected.
The Roots aren’t the first hip-hop group to make extensive use of live musical instrumentation, nor are they the first group to make their jazz influences a central part of their identity. The Philadelphia-based crew began their career with a lineup at the time comprised of emcees Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Malik Abdul “B” Basit (R.I.P.), drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, keyboardist Scott Storch, and bassist Leonard “Hub” Hubbard. Other members have left the fold and rejoined the group, but the upper echelon quality has always remained consistent.
The Roots are a hip-hop band that has never been self-conscious. Their recordings have never screamed “Hey! Look at us! We’re playing live instruments!” While the live instrumentation is integral to their artistic success, it is not the sole attraction. The lyricism exhibited is another essential component of their longevity. Black Thought is correctly regarded as one of the most gifted emcees of all time. And throughout the albums that the group released in the ’90s, Black Thought and Malik B., a formidable rapper in his own right, struck a great balance on records, as the former worked with machine-like precision to execute his complex flow, while the latter mixed abstract imagery and an unorthodox rhyme style.
The Roots seem to envision their current 11-album run as one continuous journey. It begins with track #1, “The Roots Is Comin’,” from Organix (1993) and has continued through track #181, “Tomorrow” from …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014). In between they’ve covered everything from the dark corners of Philly, to the dynamics of relationships, to drug abuse, to the dynamics of being a dope emcee.
As their career has progressed, they’ve gone the high-concept route. How I Got Over (2010) explores the very concept of struggling to excel in a world bent on crushing your spirits, while Undun (2011) and the aforementioned …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin create complex, winding narratives.
The legendary Roots crew has been working on their latest project, Endgame, for years now. The title clearly suggests that they may in fact be winding down when it comes to releasing albums. I certainly hope not, as this a musical journey that I hope continues for decades to come.
Jesse’s 3 Favorite Roots Albums of All Time:
1. Things Fall Apart (1999)
2. Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995)
3. How I Got Over (2010)
VISIT The Roots’ Official Store
LISTEN & WATCH: