Phrenology

what a pleasant surprise!!! i love that The Roots got a nod on this list. it’s 100% deserved but they tend to fly under the radar so this was a treat. and i actually hadn’t listened to this album in full before so it was great motivation to get around to it. i think these guys are some of the coolest mfs in early hip-hop and this album does nothing to question my position

Overall: 8/10 Fun hip hop! I feel like more hip hop artists would benefit from having an actual band involved, it makes the music feel so much more dynamic. Great flow and lyrics as well. Fav Song: Water

There are a lot of great songs on Phrenology, including The Seed (2.0), which is one of their biggest hits. I like this album, but for me it's a bit long and not as solid start to finish and some of their other albums. I would have picked Undun or How I Got Over. But 4 stars because The Roots are awesome.

3.5

3.5 rounded up

I initially thought not my style but really enjoyed it in the end thx !.

Good hip-hop early 2000s

Little odd to make this The Roots inclusion over Things Fall Apart but ok. Great album. Great blending of genres and Black Thought is a top five or ten rapper of all time so it’s easy to love this. Favorite songs are Rock You, Rolling With Heat, Thought At Work, The Seed (2.0), Quills, and Rhymes and Ammo.

Lost me a bit in places, but still enjoyable overall. I’m not sure if I’ll go back to it, but let’s see!

The Roots is one of those groups I kinda slept on. I was familiar with their name, but couldn't tell you any singles. Pretty solid. Rock You, Thought @ Work, and even Something In The Way Of Things were all interesting, and I like the sudden unexpected genre shifts.

Wow. I can’t believe I’ve never listened to The Roots before. This goes so hard. Black Thought has a great, deep voice and a tough-as-nails flow. And the beats are fantastic. The production is rich and full. The live band sound is incredible. They pivot from funk to soul to hip-hop to jazz with an amazing rhythm section. This is powerful, muscular music. 4.5

This is… a lot. They throw everything at it and tbh most of it sticks. Always interesting and I enjoyed the wee throwback to Swing Out Sister. Yes, I’m old. Yet another one that’s a bit on the long side though. 3.5, would probably repay repeated listens

I never listened to this at the time - another which had struck me as a hipster critical darling. I got it in my head that it was some sort of direct from Africa tribal collective. No, it's the sort of rap I like - not just songs about money, guns, women, and coming from the streets. A few tracks could use some trimmings.

An amazing album. My favorite is things fall apart but this is most likely a better album a bit more mature and centered within all their styles of music and influences. These are amazing musicians and brilliant songwriters for the oppressed

Nice hip hop

I really don’t like the monotony and repetitiveness of early hip hop, and I don’t really get why some people might prefer it over something like this album. Granted, I don’t care much about lyrics and vocals, and rap was intended to be a primarily lyrical genre, so that makes sense. But it doesn’t meant that this genre is incapable of producing something that appeals to me specifically. This album couples engaging flows with exciting production. Every song sounds very different and has its unique beat that incorporates influences from various other genres. It’s also just very well produced and sounds extremely clean. This is the kind of hip hop I like: fast-paced and with a lot of thought and variety in production. I wouldn’t say there’s anything in this album that stands out as exceptional, but it’s very consistent and exciting the while way through.

Pretty good, I fw the roots

Back before they sold out to become that turd Jimmy Fallon's house band, The Roots actually made really good and interesting music! Found myself grooving to nearly every song. The beats are immaculate on this album, and their use of actual instruments gives this hip hop album and edge that others lack. A very solid 4/5 from me.

This is a crazy album that probably goes in too many different directions at once. Most of them are enjoyable though. Though it does occasionally test my patience with Pussy Galore and Thirsty! In particular. Still, a fun ride overall.

8/10

Live gesehen: "The Seed" ist ein Banger und das Konzert damals im Kunstpark Ost war schon wahnsinnig gut, Hip Hop mit Instrumenten. Sehr gut! c

melodiöses hip-hop-dings, gefällt.

Amazong hip hop album. Way ahead of its time! Thoroughly enjoyed this. I was already a fan of The Roots, Black Thought specifically, and this just cemented that. 4/5

I don’t feel in any way qualified to pass comment on a hip-hop album but, based on sheer enjoyment, this is a definite yes from me. Plebty of genre hopping and variety to keep things interesting. Would I revisit it? Probably not, mainly due to feeling slightly uncomfortable as a middle-aged white guy with quite so many ‘n-words’, as well as a whiff of misogyny in some of the lyrics.

Jimmy Fallon dances to this in his living room every night. Every. Night.

I'm not a big fan of rap and hip hop music, but I found this to be one of the more agreeable albums in the genre. Some of the tracks are really good, and there are others that I would not wish to listen to again. It's certainly full of variety, and the level of talent on display deserves four stars, I think.

3.5 stars

manero

The Roots are the shit. This album spans so many genres.

Enjoying Phrenology today. It is interesting to listen to a rap album that is (mostly) sample free. Live instrumentalists make the whole thing sound fresh. Frequent style shifts between hip hop and neo soul. It is a deeply creative mix of songs.

Roots is getting a low 4 from me, love the energy and variety and basically everything on show but do find it a bit long and unfocused in parts

starts strong and ends kinda meh but still enjoyed this one 3.5

Not my taste in Music, but a lot of pleasant songs

This is the type of thing I had hoped for with 1,001 albums: an album that isn't in my personal jukebox but is high quality and influential for other artists. Something that I wouldn't have listened to but for the book but should. That said, this isn't The Roots' best album (there is room on the list for another), but it does contain arguably their biggest hit. End of the day, I got something I like, something influential, some new-to-me songs that are good, and a hit.

I think this is the first time I've listened to a Roots album beginning to end and it was great!

Great mix of styles

Great hip hop and neo soul album

Awesome

aight

I don't really like rap but I liked this album.

Hip hop, j'ai eu du mal à rentrer dedans mais ça a réussi à me convaincre

Surprised and impressed by this one. I'm not into hiphop at all, but this album hit the right spots and I ended up quite enjoying it - although quality dropped off during the second half. Really high quality stuff and The Seed was a dope track. Might revisit.

"Rock On" didn't make a very good first impression and "Water" felt way too long, but overall this one was a pleasant surprise! I hadn't cared for Things Fall Apart, and this one was over an hour long, but there's just so much variety to it that it doesn't feel its runtime at all!

The blend of styles and instrumentation that accompanies the smooth and poetic rap delivery. We even get a quick punch of punk on !!!!!!! It’s a great album that feels light and refreshing. A few well placed features help mix things up a bit too. The Seed has always stood out as one of their hits with its iconic beat and melodies but what stands out to me is what they bring on their 10 minute track, Water. It boasts its own terrific beats and lovely background vocal sounds. At about the 5 minute mark it delves into an almost ambient/jazz like track and it’s just super interesting. Great stuff. 4 stars

I love The Roots, but Phrenology was never my favorite of theirs. Still obviously a quality record, but I'm going to revisit Things Fall Apart and Game Theory more often. Honestly, even How I Got Over. But Black Thought is incapable of sounding bad on a track. 3.5/5

Not my usual genre but very interesting

Raw, energetic and well done. I enjoyed this one. Hadn’t really listened to the Roots before but this one is a good one. 4.5 but on the 4 side.

Excited to listen to more of the roots. Liked this one a lot, probs more than Dr Dre

The Roots are incredible. There were a couple of songs which I wasn't too crazy about, including "Something In The Way of Things (In Town)" and the chorus on "The Seed 2.0" which is why it falls a bit short of a five.

Rett album, feil dag, det traff på ingen måte og føltes for bråkate, på måter det ikke fortjene å bli lytta på, så det handla bare om lytteren og ikke om albumet. Kanskje nokka for en anna dag, om sånt skulle skje.

Tight skiva. Har några avstickare som är sisådär men i övrigt najs hiphop. Covern the seed 2.0 är snorbra.

Älskar The Roots och när de är bra är de så jäkla bra. Black thought är en otroligt bra rappare. Den här skivan skulle dock kunnat ha varit lite tightare och utan exempelvis tre minuter outro på (annars suveräna) Break you off och ännu värre de sista sex minuterna på Water som, tillsammans med lite annat, bara är rent trots. Föregångaren Things fall apart är i mitt tycke deras bästa skiva och den här når inte upp på samma nivå, men är ändå en klar fyra.

Me ha gustado mucho, tiene canciones to guapardas

It’s too long, it’s overstuffed. With that out of the way, come on, it’s the motherfucking Roots. Black Thought, Questlove and co. are top-notch musicians with a hell of a discography. Thought honestly is in the GOAT conversation, with his lyricism and talent for rhymes and bars being at such a high level for so many years. This album has excellent production, a varied sound, intelligent and mature and thoughtful lyrics, an interesting concept, and is fun to listen to. Must-listen #179.

Love these guys for so many reasons

Almost perfect. Would give it 9.8/10 if I could

Took a while to warm up to, but this is a great album. Huge variety of rhythms and styles from hardcore techno to dnb to boom bap, and a great depth of lyricism avoiding the obvious 'guns and bitches' clichés. The Seed is an obvious standout, and it just needed a couple more 5* tracks to get the full rating. One of the better hip hop lps on the list.

Oh, this has The Seed. I heard that many times. This is a great group. I liked Things Fall Apart, and really their first three albums, but I never really listened to anything after that. I love the music on this. It's different at points than other hip hop acts. The lyrics are good, as usual. Break You Off is a favorite. 4.

I feel like they're kind of on another level instrumentally to other rap groups/the general sound of the era. I really like how human everything feels, due to much/all of it being played in live. I feel like some beats can get really stale when they just loop the same short section over again. Black Thought is an amazing rapper and I think he balances perfectly between writing catchy choruses and lines, and being very deep and conscious. The features, both other rappers and the singers are great as well. I actually quite like the really long song which tapers of into strange abstract ambience, makes me wonder why a genre like ''progressive hip hop'' never really existed, because this song was really interesting. Favourite songs: rock you, !!!!!!!, sacrifice, rolling with heat, thought @ work, the seed (2.0), break you off, water, quills, pussy galore, thirsty! Overall around 8/10

Very much enjoyed. Starting to rate these albums by “make me dance” factor. 4/5.

Me and my para had a good time listening.

“Hey what’s the name of the album you’re listening to?” Uhhhh don’t worry about it.

int

Really solid hip hop album with a lot to enjoy from the cool grooves to Black Thought’s excellent rhyming. Would soundtrack the summer vibes very well. As with a lot of hip hop albums, at over an hour, it outstays its welcome a little but there’s plenty of top tracks here to warrant a revisit and a more in depth listen

Listened to before: No I enjoyed this album. I always wanted to listen to the Roots, now I finally managed to. I knew The Seed 2.0 which is one of these magical tracks, that just are outstanding. The rest of the album is good to, but there are two things that prevent it from getting 5 stars. First, it is a little to long and incoherent for my taste. Second, the sound seems to be a little messy sometimes. That is probably a creative decision, but still keeps me fron liking the album more. Still: Well worth a listen

not their best but still rlly good

Shockingly better than I thought it would be. Maybe not one I'll spin up on a regular basis but great rhyming and melody.

Cool album with a little bit of everything. Not usually a big fan of rap/hip hop, but I liked their flavor.

Musically, some tracks lined up with my tastes. Had decent beats and lyrical brainstorm moments. Only 4 as a few tracks threw me out of the album as a whole.

-wow i actually really liked this one omg, was not expecting something so unique and abstract. the beats and use of drums are both absolutely insane on this album and got me into it immediately -there are definitely some tracks that i wouldn’t have missed, especially toward the end. but overall this was a cool experience, im glad i gave it the chance i did -Favorites are Sacrifice, Rolling With Heat, and The Seed (2.0)

This is an almost perfect album. Again I need half stars to give it the correct rating. I didn’t care for the instrumental tracks, but the lyrics and beats of everything else was great. I was listening to Pussy Galore and I was at the chorus and thought “I wonder if they named this song pussy galore” and lo and behold, they did. If I was someone into vinyl records, I would buy this one. 4.5

A pretty solid album

Tbh did not know the Roots made music like this

Very cool, definitely want to check out The Roots more at some point. Favorite songs: Rolling With Heat, Thought @ Work, Break You Off, Complexity

This one will Rock You!!!!!!! Need some Water after this.

I feel like I’m not familiar enough with the Roots to fully appreciate this one, but I wish I was. Things Fall Apart, from what I can tell, is a better introduction to them, but that’s not the way the cookie crumbled for me. The Roots are a band, unfortunately, best known as Jammy Fallon’s house band, but this album shows they are a hip hop powerhouse.

Among the deepest and most important questions of our age, perhaps the most pressing is whether or not The Roots’ decision to become The Tonight Show’s house band forever altered their credibility as an underground hip-hop act. Perhaps we will never know in our lifetime. But it is hard to think of this as the same band who helps support Jimmy Fallon’s mid-tier antics on that show. And at the same time, that level of exposure has brought very worthy attention to their music. Questlove is now in the same circles as Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen. Does that negate this album? I don’t think so. But I’m happy that I knew this album before any of that happened. They will always be underground pioneers to me, no matter how many of them wind up in the dunk tank on national TV.

9/10 Some classic Hip-Hop right here. Black Thought has been one of my favorite artists to get into and this is my first The Roots album. Masterful lyrics with great storytelling within the verses. Thought was surgical with crafting this project and Questlove did a great job on the production as well. Almost perfect other than it being slightly long and the addition of “Thirsty” (I don’t think it fits in this tracklist). Favorite Tracks: *Break You Off*, *Pussy Galore*, Thought @ Work

This is my first impression of The Roots and my god was it a good one. I am not a hip hop/rap girl and most likely never will be but I really enjoyed this album. I personally find that most of the genre sounds the exact same with incoherent mumbling over a decent beat, but that absolutely does not apply to these guys. These guys are amazing and there is no doubting that. Comparing this to other mainstream hip hop acts and albums of the early 2000s, The Roots sound very experimental, which instantly made them stand out in the crowd. Although they do take on some of the more 'typical' elements of the mainstream music, mainly being very conscious socially, it's their individual style that makes them so different. Every track sounds so experimental, and in a way they sound very unconventional. Some tracks stay true to the traditional sound of the genre, while others take on more of a rock, soulful sound, making them one of the diverse groups of the time. These guys really push the boundary and the demonstrate what rap could be like if acts didn't stay true to the traditional conventions of the genre.

Enjoyed this album, varied beats and instrumentals with enough stand out tracks to come back to

listened to again real cool

this album is so good. It’s got great everything. Music, vocals, rapping. Dj. It’s too bad they are now the band for corny ass jimmy Fallon.

it's like rap music before it was boring annoying and all sounded the same. great stuff

I rate The seed a 4 star because the instruments are good and the dynamics are good ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I rate water a 4 star because the instruments are good and the dynamics are good and water is healthy and its good ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I rate break you off a 4 star because the instruments are good and the dynamics are good.

I like this song because of the beat. I would recommend this song. I like this song because the start is good. I would recommend this song. I like this song because I like the tempo of his rap. I would recommend this song.

I like this because I like the beat and his voice. I would recommend this to someone else because I think they would like it since its kinda more popular type of music. I give it 4 stars.

I kinda like this album because the first song is ok but I wouldnt listen to it again most likely. The second song Water is also just okay but I'm not sure if I would listen to it again besides today. The third song is probably my favorite one out of all these songs and I maybe would listen to it again.

pretty good! like the art and a lot of the songs

Enjoyed this, the rhythm section in particular stands out to me, great drumming and groovy bass. The lyrics are varied and touch on all kinds of areas and it's all very listenable, if that doesn't sound a back handed compliment Not quite consistent enough for 5 but a solid 4 to me

Favorite Track: Thirsty!

Ooh... I can get behind this. I guess I like the Roots now. Who would've known that the band that plays for Jimmy Fallon would make music this good. I'm not really a fan of Jimmy Fallon. He's not the worst late night host. Hell, he's not even the worst late night Jimmy. But compared to someone like Conan O'Brien who is a literal blessing on humanity, Fallon just kind of exists. The Roots are cool though. This is their 2002 album Phrenology. I really like it! The style is pretty cool. The instrumentation from the band itself is pretty nice to see. Sometimes it's a bit overpowering in the mix, but that's not a huge issue. Black Thought's rapping is pretty solid. I like his style. Not only can he rap, but he definitely has enough, well, thought to make these songs feel like they actually mean something. The writing is good, as are the songs themselves. The balance and variety are quite good. The vibes are nice. The album has strong variety, which I always like. The fact that this isn't even considered their best album has me intrigued to possibly check out some of their other stuff. Good album. Strong 4/5. EDIT: I have a newfound respect for Jimmy Kimmel, so Fallon actually is the worst late night Jimmy after all. At least he made the Roots more popular.

Roots phrenology Cool album- Way more experimental than I expected: Favorite songs were the ones with the guest singers -I think I prefer the more melodic stuff to the rapping. Some Really cool instrumental grooves Favorite song the seed: complexity, something in the way of things, break you off, Least favorite:thirsty, rock you

Liked this a lot more than i thought i would. Some of the grooves are pretty sick. Love the production and drum sounds. Definitely more interesting/experimental than i expected.

this is overall pretty good, but i find it to be much more uneven and unfocused than Things Fall Apart, and i can't really fathom the rationale behind including this over that album

Has this underlying earthiness to it. Like it has…roots.

I might have a longer piece in me on this, but I'm putting the note here Phrenology is to The Roots what Ill Communication is to the Beastie Boys

strano ma interessante

This album starts out so strong in the first half but then starts to wander on the back half with songs that run on too long. Solid album but could use a little trimming

weird ahh attention grabbing intro right into pure rap gold. Lyric, tone and flow are good and occasionally great. At this point in my music journey I've had the pleasure of listening to some truly groundbreaking flow, beats, and lyrics, and while Roots are excellent, I'm not sure that this is the album of theirs that I needed to hear before I die! It's pretty hard to beat Do You Want More???!?! Like others have mentioned, this album is stylistically all over the place. I like each song individually, though I gotta say the album flow is not smooth and they definitely could have had a better flow in and out of genres. I also wish they'd taken a longer journey down the thrash punk of !!!!!. Overall the one thread that is pulled at consistently throughout the album is the addition of the ambient/house style electronica lurking behind the flows. I enjoyed that overall. Roots, like a lot of Black rappers, call out their bigoted listeners hard. I love the sentiment though I've always wondered why this is so common, because the people who need that message are the least likely to listen to the artists who would call them out period, much less dig into lyrical meaning. All the same I hope their message reaches people. I love love Rolling with Heat, it's the exact type of testosterone packed energy that I'm most attracted to, and Roots absolutely kill it. They aren't even super misogynist about it either. I also adore the shout track Thought@Work, as a scientist I love to say I'm standing on the shoulders of giants, you love to see the Roots acknowledge this too right before breaking into arguably the best song on the album. They are part of an entire legacy, a dynasty, and they know it and they cherish it. Then they turn it up even more by rolling Thought@Work right into The Seed, version 2, upgraded, polished, gilded. Absolutely beautiful song. Then right into the smoothness of Break You Off. Then cranking up the pace and bringing back the energy with Water. Interesting that halfway through the album they're starting to merge styles and genres much more gracefully. Another fave late on the album is Pussy Galore.

A really good album with a few down moments, usually outside of the formal songs. Not my favorite Roots album, but it's still really good.

Cool interesting rap

You're listening to 99.8ADHD, the only radio station that wait your oven is still running. Coming up, the absolute highest highs and truly the lowest lows - Thirsty will make you feel ten years younger, and Water will rip those years right away again. This album is unreviewable. It's an anomaly. It's fuckin good shit, except when it's dogwater.

The Roots used to be so much more enjoyable before Fallon made them too damn corny. Great listen!

Gritty and dynamic and here and there funky as all get out, with considerable sweet swinging, too and a heart in the right (historically-conscious) place, but too sprawling and ambitious to land with maximum impact (or coherence) on every cut. One wants to like it more than one actually does because man are their hearts are in it and man are they trying hard (too hard at some points). Still, this is vastly better than much of the rock-rap dross that was produced before (looking at you In Living Colour) or the chart-topping junk that came along at about the same time (looking at you Linkin Park). "The Seed" and "Break You Off" are best cuts. "Complexity" also good, likely because of its more straightforward soul music vibes. One admires some of the experimentation (or noodling diletantte-ism) more than one actually enjoys it (e.g., "Water"), a simulacrum of the album's overall effect: that is to say one digs this much less than one admires Questlove (though of course the clean, driving rhytms are a strength here). Whoever thought it a good idea to end with a song that sounds like a Prodigy outtake ought not be involved with the Roots anymore. That's exhibit A in the curse of '90s albums (excessive length because you could) lingering into the new decade and millenium.

first roots album and it didn’t disappoint. 👏👏

own

This is pretty good. So some 2000s rap records are actually good wow. Light 4

Phrenology. Wow, what a celebrated, self-assured lapse of wisdom we took seriously for a while. I mean studying the scull with calipers, not The Roots. I get it, I'm not the best qualified to comment since I completely missed this record to this point. 'The Roots' made me think of roots blues, like the Black Keys, not such ardently composed and eclectic kaleidoscope of rhythmic and tonal excursions. I freely grant their well of inventiveness is not shallow and their message seems not to be spiritually virulent. I mean - they're not lazy with the beats and they don't get all toxic about their grievances, and they mix it all up, probably with some roots blues in there too.

The decline of neo-soul, as a genre and a movement, was always an inevitability. For as fertile and abundantly creative a landscape it was, there was a sense of instability looming the moment a brighter light shined on it. The Roots, in light of Things Fall Apart, must have understood this. Phrenology is a throw everything including the kitchen sink type of record, one where a lack of limits gives way to new forms of expressions. It was the kind of music they had to make in order to circumvent the circling drain and keep heads afloat. A smart move in a career of rollercoasting longevity. Favorites: Rock You, Sacrifice, Rolling With Heat, Thought @ Work II, The Seed (2.0), Break You Off, Water, Pussy Galore, Complexity, Something in the Way of Things (In Town), Rhymes and Ammo, Thirsty!

This album is ALOT y’all. I kinda wish it was two albums. It’s all excellent but occasionally there will be a harsh shift in style that takes you out of the sweet groove you were in. Like they wanted to show the different styles they could do, or discuss all the ideas, which are all important but sometimes it’s confusing to take it all in at once. Not to take away that this is a banger of excellence. My faves: Thought@work, The Seed, Pussy Galore

More up-tempo than what I'm used to from the Roots. I enjoyed this more fast paced and in-your-face production and bars from them. Front to back a super powerful and enjoyable record. Every member brought their A game, as did every feature.

The seed is a great song. Illadelph Halflife was a much better album, hope it made the 1001 albums.

I was pleasantly surprised by this. Has some mix tape energy at times.

What a wild ride. As someone who grew up on Dre, Snoop, and the rest of the late 90's and early 2000's hip hop, I am shocked I missed the roots. This was a hell of an introduction with amazing beats and powerful lyrics. Definitely want to listen to more of them,

High energy, rhythmic flow. I like the pace. Loud though lol, bit much at times. Passionate lyrics, sometimes questionable. Eclectic instrumentals and wacky, weird beats.

Love the various artists that are also part of this album

Really interesting use of different genres. Clearly very experimental at times and still enjoyable to listen to.

4.5

The Roots are so great! A very ambitious album, not perfect but very enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this album.

Solid stuff. A tad overlong but this one delivers. Really good hip hop here. I think Things Fall Apart should have been included but I have no problem with this being in as well.

Back in the early 2000s, I completely overlooked this album. Everyone was always talking about The Roots, so I was too busy searching for something fresh and underground. Now that I’ve given it a few listens, I realize this definitely would have been right up my alley back then. The conscious style lyrics are pretty standard for that era, but the experimental tracks really caught me off guard in a good way. There’s also a mix of funky, soulful tracks that add an easy listening vibe. Overall, the album’s diversity really stands out.

Never listened before, a lot more rap than I expected but it was good

Awesome music. Really interesting beats both acoustic/band and more loop/electronic sounds. Great rapping as well. This is an album I’d recommend checking out.

Surprisingly diverse sounds on this album. Thirsty! is proto Death Grips / Danny Brown. Super fun album. Glad to hear it.

Despite me not always jiving with black thought’s flow and lyricism (comes off pretty corny at times), the musicianship and songwriting are impeccable.

This was such a great album. It's funny that this isn't one of Apple's "essential" albums by the Roots. After listening to this I think it's incredible. I was surprised at all the different "types" of music that I heard while listening to this.

What a unique mix, tied together by hip hop. A little bit of everything. The longer songs are the better ones for me-- Water and Breaking It Off were great. 4/5

The roots are banging. But slightly too long

This was quite astounding. I expected a hip-hop album, but I got something completely different. Later, I connected the band to Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show. They are versatile and talented, and there are some quite complex arrangements here. Thirsty! reminded me of The Prodigy.

Rock you hit me like a ton of bricks that started so I was ready to go then the screening started and quickly went into a vibe track. What a way to start an album.

Probably the most musically complex Hip Hop album I’ve ever heard.

3.5

kinda a banger good hip-hop vibes and production n stuff.

Love the diversity of genres on this album, although I felt it kept going on a little too long. 1 hr was too much.

Extremely unique, and lots of skill on display at all levels of production.

Many genres on one album: rap, acid jazz, techno, and rock.

Some songs hold up, some have that issue where I would not be able to sing along to them, but I guess that’s more of a me problem. Still a classic with some songs I would go back to.

Rock you really set the tone of the album for me with a stand out beat, lyrical mastery and simple chorus that carries the song from verse to verse. Didn’t pay attention to song titles after the first track as I was genuinely lost in the music…until halfway through “water”, what the fuck was all that about. Perhaps Sean has an intellectual breakdown of the artistry of the track because I was left confused and quite frankly disappointed. Thankfully normal service resumed on the next song. Thoroughly enjoyed the album and will definitely go back and give it a listen along with their other works. I’ve never really given the roots any attention and now I’m regretting it, this album reminded me how incredible the hip hop genre can be. Engaging storytelling, beats that make me zone out and not even register the lyrics at times, old school flows that blend so beautifully with elements of r&b and soul. What other genre can have a song like pussy galore, from the title and chorus it would be easy to assume it’s just an old version of a lot of the bullshit that rappers make these days but each verse was such a juxtaposition of those assumptions. Rhymes and ammo seemed like it was just them flexing their rapping and lyrical talent. What a great way to bring the album to its crescendo with arguably the most 00’s sounded track. Unfortunately they ended things with techno, I’m all for artist showing range but it seemed very out of place. Personally I think you’d be hard served to find a better era of rap than the mid 90’s to early 00’s and this album is further proof of that. Sadly what would’ve been a 5 star was ruined by water and thirsty, if you can think of a witty joke in relation to those titles and my opinion please let me know

Again another album by a group/artist that I've never heard before. I'm starting to realise what a sheltered life I've lived... what a poultry set of notches on my musical bedpost. This album was a fine notch to add however. I enjoyed it a lot. I enjoy a bit of the hip and a bit of the hop anyway, put them together with some funky jazz instrumentals and I'll gladly open my apparently barely deflowered (ear)holes. The album was balanced, unpredictable and changed course enough throughout to remain interesting. Some parts were a little too experimental for me (like the instrumental on water which takes somewhere between 5 and 10 business days to end), but I could appreciate them to an extent with the rest of the album being as good as it was. I haven't heard much from Black Thought but after this album I'd consider myself a fan. For me, a well deserved 4 stars.

The Roots do The Roots well. Some of their songs become almost like background music because 1. they sound like brunch DJ battle or 2. the verbal pace and energy barrels relentlessly, but they’re pretty damn talented at what they do and when they throw in a slower song, they get me. Musiq Soulchild (chef’s kiss). Not the same song, but I’d never heard the lyrics “From your cheekbones… to your deep moans,” and that pairing deserves some applause.

A standout hip-hop album that could benefit from some editing. The best parts are exceptional, but there is some excess material that stops this from being an absolute classic

Great hip hop here. Production style makes it feel a little older than it actually is, which is a good thing for my tastes. I sort of checked out of rap when the production became too far removed from simple beats, and samples. Even the R&B parts on this (that I generally hate and skip) are solid. Did NOT love the closing track however.

The Roots never disappoint man. Black Thought and Questlove, before the Jimmy Fallon days… these dudes could write and flow.

Lekker hoor

Surprisingly uneventful. Wonderful production and original beats. Lyrics were good. Nothing too much to say, otherwise. 4/5

Love this effort from The Roots. Influences are pulled from almost every genre within this album, and the Roots show off their ability to genre-bend with the best of them. I think Black Thought may be one of the best rappers to ever pick up a mic, he brings the energy, the lyricism and the flow every time without fail. Water, of course, is just weird.

Rap vibe

Cool.

I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover and I absolutely did with this album. I saw the cover and thought whatever I can’t be bothered with this, just another 2000s indie album But when I listed to it I was actually super impressed - it’s so listenable to me and I’m such a fan

hell yeah i love the roots not that the production on Things Fall Apart is bad, its very good actually, but I kind of prefer this sound over the cleaner jazz instrumentals. Its a lot more creative and out there, borderline experimental and because of that it kind of appeals to me more. production kind of reminds me of Pharrell idk how to explain. might be my favorite roots album ngl

Fantastic. One of the best on the list so far

Good stuff.

New to this group and album. Gets out of the gate fast with the stellar Rock You, then fades a little with the next two songs and picks up with Thought@Work, building to The Seed, a fabulous blend of styles. Water is interesting--not sure if it works completely--and I'm not a fan of Amiri Baraka so am not thrilled with Something in the Way of Things. I like their vision and scope for their music.

Excellent album let down only by its slight self indulgence taking the runtime to a lengthy 70+ mins. Surprised I’ve only ever heard of The Seed (2.0) from these guys, given they seem to be huge…

This was great. Sonically diverse, bottled energy on the mic. 9/10 Music for cruising.

Not what I expected at all! Quite an enjoyable album. Loved the beats. A bit long for my liking though 4 ⭐️

Paljon puhutaan tämän levyn kokeilevuudesta, mutta en kuule mitään erityisen mutkikasta, vain keskivertoa huomattavasti paremman LP:n. Biitit toimivat, räppi toimii, HC-tsoukki toimii, väliharhailut toimivat (no, ainakin melkein). Ja sitten on tämä The Seed (2.0): ei vittu mikä biisi! 78-80-vuosien Keef rämpyttää rap-osuuksien taustalla hypertarttuvaa riffiä, ja kertosäe on melkein minuutin pituinen korvamato, joka säpsähdyttää härskiydellään. Kiitos tästä, lista.

Mad Men theme worthy

Honestly, a bit meh. I file The Roots under Very Respectable but haven't heard much of their output. Two of the tracks here and "You Got Me", of course? I *think* I put Phrenology on, once, briefly, but that's about it. The thing is: I feel other Hip Hop artists who have done the genre bending made a bigger impression on me than this did today. And it seems a bit "here's your regular stuff that you know and love and NOW HERE is where we do the noise-fusion, weeee, crazy shit, huh?" But take this all with a tsp of salt, it's mostly a sound and vibe I'm not in the mood for today. It's fine, really.

Why did I miss this great HipHop album before? Nice flow and strong lyrics

Phrentastic.

The pace of this album is incredible.

I feel the structure of this album when I listen to it in its entirety. The sequencing is deliberate, there's the pre-flight of Phrentrow leading to the solid and true kickoff of Rock You. But where I really sense the intention is how this record is built around the core of Thought @ Work, The Seed(2.0), and Break You Off. Both leading in and exiting the beating heart of the record takes you different places tonally and emotionally before the record ends solidly with Rhymes and Ammo. And, gives us a little rising/falling action by trailing that end with the fun Thirsty!

🔥

This is fire. Hadn’t listened to the roots just knew they were Jimmy Fallons band. Shame on me.

Compared to Throbbing Headache, this was lovely stuff. Actually I did really like it. It’s the kind of dancehall rap of the era that I have allot of time for. There is a bit of the wince inducing sampling and “collaboration”, but in the whole just good catchy tunes.

Really good

Sacrifice, the seed, thirsty. I actually really like this album but it’s not “fun”. Goes in a lot of directions

Did the Roots ever make a bad album? This one is very good, but just too long and agree with others that Things Fall Apart would have been the logical choice for this list.

Favorite Track: The Seed (2.0)

After the dull Thundercat, the Real Thing steps up.

Excellent, sexy, subverted expectations. Some parts are very danceable and high energy while others are really smooth - great features and consistently good vocals. Also great variation! 4.2

Excellent listen! Should have had this in the rotation a long time ago

The legendary Roots crew!

i really liked how conceptual this was and the jazz influences really went well in this album, the style was great, the ending was interesting as well it was like a dance song

Really cool and innovative stuff

Fantastic, inventive, progressive. Very very cool conceptual album

Listened Before? N These guys are great, and this album is brilliant. Before reading the wiki entry, I had never considered the concept of Progressive Rap. That's exactly what this is and I love it. Bonus points for great use of sampling on this one as well. I hear it was delayed - it was worth the wait I'll bet. I will listen to this one again for sure. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Sacrifice

I liked this record which isn't usually the case for older hip-hop. I almost exclusively did not like the features though. That's especially true of what appears to be the most popular song on this record featuring this Cody Chesnutt guy. The chorus "I wanna push my seed into your bush"??? Like cmon that's brutal. Fan of The Roots I'd say, not so much of the rest of it.

Very ambitious and gritty early 2000s rap album that surprises with a multitude of different genres. I'll listen to just about anything that Questlove touches

3.5

Great album that aged with grace. The Roots built up from the soulquarian movement of the late 1980's and 1990's hip hop, r&b, jazz fusion, and funk became a hyper-amalgom of the soulquarians. With no defined strengths or weakness. Just proficiency in all genres and skill associated to music production. 2002 and this album sounds as current as current can be. I'm nostalgic and impressed at the same time.

I really love this album. Innovative with so many peak moments. Drags a bit in the second half. Surprisingly, a little weird for my tastes.

Enjoy Questlove and the team!

A fine album. They do good work. Some tracks were straight up hip hop. Much was creative transitions and asides. A good album to enjoy in its entirety and a rare rebellion from the iTunes only listen to songs in isolation world we have made.

After hearing of this band's reputation, I was excited to listen to this album. The experimentation and collaborative effort of trying out different ideas is immaculate. It's slow at first, but it starts to pick up the speed as you get further into it. The song that ended the album was regrettably a rough listen, but the rest of the album more than makes up for its faults. I'd listen again. Best - Thought @ Work, The Seed (2.0), Break You Off, Quills, Complexity, and Rhymes and Ammo Worst - Water, Pussy Galore, and Thirsty! 3.50-4.00/5

Listened to this thrice. Would've given it a 5 if I rated it after the first because I am absolutely in love with the R&B and jazz elements of this album's later half. Though, when I relistened to it, I was reminded of how I didn't really like the first 7 beyond them being listenable. Strong 4

I really liked the boombastic in your face songs.T he albums did have a few duds though, like the 10 minute song Water.

Vulgar in every sense of the word, but on Phrenology The Roots makes all the different musical elements blend together almost seamlessly. A tad uneven, but the highest high of 'The Seed (2.0)' is something else.

A phenomenal hip hop album proving that you can produce a 70-minute album without filling it with skits. It stills overstays its welcome a bit, but there’s no denying the greatness of this Roots-era.

Sadly, another band I have never listened to. I thought this album was very good overall, pretty varied and creative. Will put The Roots in rotation.

This is a great hip hop album

Loved it!

Hell yeah! Except that exclamation mark song. Shit's annoying.

Awesome variety of styles

Now that’s a good album ! Music, lyrics, variety …. Quality stuff. !!

This was my first hip-hop album from the list and it didn't disappoint. It had some really fun beats and I loved the variety of instrumentals. Some of the tracks were a bit noisy but I found them enjoyable nonetheless. It felt like a really complete hip-hop album.

very listenable hip hop with great flow and hard hitting beats.

A really good album. I've heard a couple of their tracks over the years, but this is my first time listening to a full album. I enjoyed it throughout. The variety of beats is really interesting and helps to hold the attention.

Fantastic rap album that stands in sharp contrast with some of shit that runs rampant these days. 4.1

A complex, interesting, and ambitious hip hop album. Will definitely listen again.

Unfriendly listen but still interesting and very great at parts

This was good. I really enjoyed break you off and complexity. The second half was definitely stronger than the first for me

Not sure what it was exactly but that album did it for me. The beats and vocals were extremely on point the entire album. As well Questlove on drums and what not. The amount of different instruments used to create these songs too were awesome. Thirsty! was a cool ass mixing to end the whole thing. This was probably my favorite hip-hop album thats come up on our list so far. This was pushing a 5 for me

Some short songs but still pretty good

A raucous, emphatic statement that should be seen as one of the best of their catalogue

Good jams. Great music, strong lyrics. A lot of fun.

Sounds dated but in a great way. Favorite track is easily The Seed

Hade hoppats på mer kreativ instrumentation men de e ändå bra :)

For some reason I didn't know they did other stuff outside of Jimmy Fallon. A lot of bops in this album. The second half of water was a little scary though also I don't rock with pussy galore or the ending of something in the way of things (in town). Favourites: rock you, sacrifice, rolling with heat, thought @ work, quills. 4/5

Interesting to hear some of their work outside of Jimmy Fallon. Was pretty enjoyable for the most part, pretty unique sounds and instrumentals. Some pretty great songs and then some songs and interludes I don't really care for, but it was a solid album overall. Favourites were Sacrifice, Rolling With The Heat, The Seed (2.0), Break You Off, and Complexity. Satisfying listening experience, so a respectable 4

The Roots are band that happens to play hip-hop, not just a hip-hop group. Black Thought and Questlove are elite. Phrenology has a lot going on, rooted in 90s hip hop. At times, pretty hardcore, at times melodic but not overly. A great album but again, it’s too damn long. Cut the last 2 songs. 8.4/10

An album that has a little something for everybody—smooth RnB, raucous party jams, contemplative spoken word. Really fun.

This is a great album and there's definitely a 5⭐ album in here, but it over extends itself and quality drops from Water onwards (there's no need to fill up all the CD just because you can).

Muutama helmi ja mikäs siinä ku räppiskenessä taustat pääosin aidon orkesterin soittamat.

Still great. Been a while

Great musicians! I liked this way more than I thought I would.

The perfect blend of hip hop and soul over the tiny bit excessive length but it never seems to run dry.

Very dense. It definitely requires more than the single listen I gave it, but it was interesting and intriguing. "Rock You" is a force, "Thought @ Work" with funky horns, "The Seed (2.0)" very catchy, "Rhymes and Ammo" deft. The big pieces in the middle didn't hit home, but maybe next time.

2024-03-19...

I’ve only previously heard The Roots’ “Things Fall Apart” which is sick. This record was the follow up. It would be hard to reach the same commercial success as “Things Fall Apart” but I applaud The Roots for staying experimental here. I mean, there’s a hardcore song on here! The album does seem all over the place at times but overall an enjoyable listen.

"Phrenology" von The Roots ist ein fesselndes Werk voller Energie und Innovation. Mit starken Beats und lyrischer Tiefe vereint es Hip-Hop mit Soul und Rock.

Fantastic listen. Brilliant musicality and lyrics that are hard hitting and relivant

The Roots were behind the production of the Soulquarians collective that included D'Angelo, Badu, and Collective. Inspired by 70s progressive soul, p-funk, and 90s alternative rap such as A Tribe Called West, the Soulquarians strayed away from mainstream hip hop themes and techniques in favor of: more personal and spiritual subject matter, basis around a fusion of neo-soul and alt rap, and heavy experimentation and range in style. They're among the most innovative and impressive albums of the period. Phrenology is one of the last albums of this collective before they disbanded in 2003. It's a huge shift from their previous style, this time favoring a harder style, incorporating rock, hardcore punk, DnB, funk, and avant-garde. It works really well! I don't think it's as strong as their other albums. The tracks are a bit less memorable and more gimmicky, based more on shock value. It also lacks a bit of consistency, which tracks varying a lot in mood, but at least the themes of rock and DnB are maintained. It's also really long at over an hour. \"Break You Off\" is an exciting highlight, but the first half went too long without much happening, and the ending dragged on without much payoff. \"Water\" is another cool highlight, but super messy and disjointed. I know that's the point, but I feel like they could make an incredible avant-garde track if they weren't just messing around all over the place. \"Quills\" had a cool beat but otherwise forgettable and could be cut. Finally, \"Something in the Way\" is another great track that just dragged on too long. For production style, innovation, and ferocity, this album reigns supreme. Plenty of incredible ideas you don't see much else. I wish they did make a stronger impact like in Things Fall Apart.

I love "The Seed (2.0)" - such a phenomenal track, and the rest of the album is superb.

Had geen idee dat t de band van Jimmy Fallon is, episch

Lijkt me wel sad om zulke muziek te kunnen maken en vooral bekend te staan als de huisband van jimmy fallon

Rap progresivo. Está bien. Venga, un 4.

A highly ambitious 70 minutes of eclectic, genre bending hip hop. This album has twists and turns by the bucket load. A variety of styles, but always catchy and high energy. This is excellent. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: The Seed (2.0) Date listened: 11/02/24

Not as good as Things Fall Apart for me, which I assume has to also be on the list. The tracks with female vocal hooks seem to be my favourite. The instrumentals are all round pleasant, the rapping is a little bit vanilla. It feels generous but its a 3.5 round up to 4 for me. Fave Tracks: Sacrifice, Complexity 3.5/5

Best Song: Break You Off. Black Thought at his best here. Slick, sexy, but with enough lyrical intensity to be interesting as well. Worst Song: Something In The Way of Things (In Town). Too long and too experimental. Really grinds the flow of the rest of the album to a screeching halt. Overall: Black Thought is one of the best to ever do it, and the rest of The Roots always rises up to meet him. I love the contrast that you see on an album like this, between moments where Black Thought is ripping at top speed and there is this staccato intensity, but then it all fades (seamlessly) into laidback tracks full of jazz and R&B musicianship. Not my favourite album by them, but still great nonetheless.

I liked it, but probably is not something I would normally choose for myself.

Not enough memorable tunes to quite make it a 5 star record for me, but these guys always show up and make a solid album, just not quite an all time classic for me.

Amazing production, beats and lyrics! Not much else to compliment.

4.5

Roots are good, but the Seed 2.0 with Cody Chesnutt makes a good song greater.

Worth it for Cody Chesnutt

Really really liked this one. I'm actually really starting to warm up to hip hop as a genre, and this album has helped that happen even more. Lots of really great lyrics about important issues of racism, and great flow and vocals. It does drag on just a bit, I don't think the album needs to be over an hour, but at least it's good all the way through so at least I'm not stuck listening to over an hour of garbage.

I'd heard of The Roots before but hadn't actually listened to them. Very enjoyable and fun album, The Seed is especially great. Fav songs: The Seed, Sacrifice, Complexity

This album varies between pretty average and incredibly good. The last track "Thirsty!" Is really a knockout, imo, and I don't think that any of the tracks on the album are really short of being 'good'. Overall a very good listening experience, and one that I'll probably come back to sooner rather than later.

Never heard of The Roots before and it was not at all what I was expecting! The album's core is hip hop and that's the theme throughout the album but it also explores RnB, rock, soul and the last song "Thirsty!" is some kind of awesome techno. There's so many bangers and a few duds that could be trimmed from the album. I've gotta listen to this again.

Had a great time listening to this. This is an album that came out the year I left for college and was extremely widely played, so it felt very familiar even if I had never listened to it from front to back. Really like the textures and tone shifts.

I really enjoyed this! That one spoken-word piece lasted too long but other than that, I thought that the album felt short despite being over an hour long.

!!!!

Really fun, good beats and a chill vibe.

Fun, upbeat, creative, original. Didnt realize that I had become an old stick in the mud until I got to Pussy Galore and couldn't finish the song.

Zweite Hälfte richtig stark! Erste manchmal zu nichts sagend

tapa jolla tuotos käyttäytyy korvassa on rauhoittavaa ja antaumuksellista. Rap liigassa on kuitenkin enemmän asioita mietittävänä kuin musiikin mielekkyys ja kuuntelijan halujen tyydyttäminen

Good solid music, have meant to listen to them more over the years so welcomed the oppportunity will have to revisit.

Bit too long but well worth persevering, liked this a lot

This album introduced me to Questlove when it came out and turned me into an instant fan-great beats, clever lyrics, great flow-good all the way around!

Some good songs, some too long, easily listening

I wasn't familiar with this group or the genre so I don't have knowledge for comparison but I really enjoyed this album.

Solid and surprisingly varied Roots album. A relisten points out how influential it has been judging by the number of samples it forms the basis of

2002 Hip hop, progressive rap, neo soul, rap rock Standouts: Rock You, Thought at Work, The Seed 2.0, Every song on the album sounds great. I don't know any of the songs, but it's good. 4/5

The seed (der tragödie zweiter teil) (feat. Cody Maroni) isch vielicht s einzig Lied woni schomol ghört han vo dem Album und schomol nice. Break You Off het de smootheschtigst Bass und d Workstation Strings sind au eifach hot. Water gfallt mir mega. Geile Beat + Flow, so geili Übergäng, es triebt eifach mega fürschi. Ok wird chli craycray geg de Schluss, aber Einstürzende Neubauten het mich stärker gmacht, ich bin unbeidruckt. Thirsty goht nomol härt (Gebet ihne Wasser). Ich los leider meistens nöd uf englischi Text bis zum dritte mol lose, aber mir gfallet d Beats. Es richtig guets Album zum durelose (has grad au zweimol gmacht), ich ghör kei schwachi Lieder. Ich han mir schomol überleit, wie ich amene Album chönt es 5i geh noch nur eim Tag lose, aber das chunt für mich nöch.

Erg lekkere plaatjes + crazy space nummer gewoon goed

Bloody hell man. Better than I remember. That said, it'd be better still if it was 20 mins shorter. Those last couple of jawns are a waste

What a surprise! Had to resist the urge to stop and move on fairly early into listening as hip hop generally isn't my thing, but so glad that I persisted. Such a wide range of influences and references kept me listening through to the end with anticipation. Really enjoyable and has left me wanting more

There's some good moments to this hip-hop record that incorporate complex lyrics and beats. The standout is the catchy "The Seed (2.0)". Fast paced beat of closer "Thirsty!" is great as well. "Water" is so weird/bad and out of place, was the biggest letdown in an otherwise solid album.

I hate Philly, most of PA really. But The Roots? Best thing to come out of Philly. This album as most of their works is a modern day classic, don't sleep on Black Thought as a lyricist either he can flow with the best of em.

Consistency matters. Witht this record the Roots, in my opinion, become only the second rap artist to release three 4star+ albums in a row. Onlt A Tribe Called Quest beflre them, not Biggie, Nas, Jayz, wutang... MFDoom accomplished this after The Roots but in a different way, producing two of those albums in one year. Point is the Roots are fantastic and went 4s5s4s with Illadelph, TFApart and this Phrenology

The Roots are a great band. I really like this album. It reminds you that it's hard to put them into a certain genre of music. Some of the songs are definitely going on to my daily playlist.

Downtown everybody move to the beat Uptown everybody moving the heat Cross-town the party where both sides meet Eastside, westside, there's always beef Downtown everybody move to the beat Uptown everybody moving the heat Cross-town the party where both sides meet Eastside, westside, there's always beef Better than you might think if you read the wiki. 4/5

Pleasantly surprised with this one. It's not the kind of music I usually listen to, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

I thi k I'm probably one of those normies that needs a "Best of The Roots" collection. I enjoy their sound but find each track either really hits or does nothing for me. Overall liked it enough for a 4.

Great mixed bag here showing a lot of different influences. Black Thought is a very underrated emcee or at least he was, I think people are coming around.

I like the expanse of the album I wish some songs took as much musical risk as others. Love when the landscape varies unexpectedly. Almost a 5 for me will re listen to it soon.

amazing album - 4/5 on first listen through. listened 2x - very good album

This is a fantastic record, always inventive even if some parts don't quite work. Overall, very enjoyable with virtuosic music and vocals.

Fantastic album with complex raps, beats, and instrumental support, but a couple of experimental tracks detract from the whole. Maybe those “songs” are important, but they’re not the ones I keep on repeat. The political messages are well stated on the fun songs as well, and they reach a broader audience.

Classic

Considering the observation that the freak-outs are lopsided makes them snap into sudden appropriate place. The Roots lay down dense music, islands of noise. The rapping was more cohesive than I expected; The production less, at least beautifully. The kaleidoscope's jarring.

Not my preferred genre but always respected the Roots musicianship and enjoyed Things Fall Apart. First time hearing Phrenology and it's a trip. Hip Hop, funk, soul, advant garde noisescapes, and even straight up punk. You gotta commend the Roots for the chances they take on this.

It's not what I usually listen to it but I liked it. 3.5?

många riktiga BOPS 🤙🤙🤙 Pussy galore var fett bra, det var gaaalet beat beat. all in all, bra album, sista låten sämst😿🙀

Never listened to The Roots before, but definitely enjoyed this.

Not their jazziest but one of their most consistent

I was considering giving this a 5, but it got a bit uneven towards the end (right around the time "Water" turns into a noisy mess). Nevertheless, it's the Roots, which means time spent listening is time well spent.

Excellent. Never listened through before and I should have. That's what this list is about. So much talent.

This would be a 5 star album but now I'm fighting myself from giving it 3 because I'm tired of bands making albums with 10 minute long random noise tracks. You're not edgy or doing anything new and you're definitely not saying anything by making these. They are not creative, enjoyable, thought provoking and they're definitely not music.

Very cool

I might be overrating because I had this right after A Tribe Called Quest, who really bored me. By contrast, The Roots give every track a distinctive and engaging tune which makes the album as a whole a pleasure to listen to even if rap isn't your preferred vocal style.

Me ha gustado el tipo de estilo. Aun siendo hip-hop/rap tenía buenos ritmos. Puede llegar a ser pegadizo.

Liked it a lot more than I thought I would

I feel like The Roots are one of the groups that have never really received the credit that they deserved. Playing live music for hip-hop is an amazing idea, and they've always executed it incredibly. Especially in this era, they kept pushing the envelope of what they could do musically to keep up with the work of producers like Dilla who were creating music that was difficult to emulate with live instruments. The incredible talent of Black Thought is on full display here. Again, he's one of the greatest rappers of all time, but never get sufficient credit. I think that The Roots are one of those groups that a lot of people find challenging, despite the fact that their music sounds great and isn't hard on the ears at all. They've always done their own thing and sought to push the boundaries of that genre, and Phrenology is another milestone in that journey. The fusion of hip-hop and neo-soul reaches what might be its apex here 4/5

First rate hip hop from a band I need to explore more

Whoa, this is crazy good. My knowledge of hip-hop is limited -- I like Kendrick, I like Tribe, and that's about where it stops. But albums like this make me think I should rethink my stance and explore. The instrumentals here are thick and funky, fun and creative, sometimes even a little unconventional or odd. The lyrics are thoughtful and often brilliant. I could see this becoming a 5-star after further listens.

What a freaking ride this album was? I had no idea that it was gonna be so interesting when it started. Parts of it just hip hop. Parts of it experimental, anxiety inducing, some edm thrown in the mix? Some really interesting samples too. Wild ride. And I don’t really like rapping but proper enjoyed some of the slower songs on this Saved tracks: !!!!!!!, Sacrifice, Rolling With Heat, The Seed (2.0), Break You Off, Pussy Galore, Thirsty!

Solid album by the Roots. Still my second favorite next to Things Fall Apart, but I enjoyed listening again.

Interesting, thoughtful, and varied hip-hop. I didn't love it all, but I really liked much of it.

Very very good

very good hiphop album, a lot of interesting beats added to playlist: 4 songs fav track(s) - pussy galore, thirsty 7/10

Strong 7

I find it interesting that there are so many producers on the album. You would think that that would make the album feel a lot more scattered, that there was not a central theme. But really, you don't get that here. Throughout the album, the core... the Roots keeps whatever groove necessary to solidify that theme. The shorts lead right into songs, which is ok, I guess. A couple of songs went on a bit long: "Break You Off" could have been tightened up some, "Pussy Galore" I probably could have done without. But "Water," WOW! That was great. More of that, please. Definitely going to have to check out more of their stuff now...

This is a really good album. I feel a bit embarrassed for having never listened to the Roots before. Kind of reminds me of George Clinton-led bands Parliament and Funkadelic. Not the same sound, though it is funky, but the collaborative effort, the intricate layered sounds, the range and depth of what they do. So Parliament for the late Gen X'ers and early Gen Y'ers. The album descends into a bit of madness with Water (the latter half is spastic) until at least Something in the Way of Things (lyrics very poetic and deep, but weird) but the album is killer prior to that. Rock You and Rolling with Heat (hands down best beats on the album) are absolutely pumping. Thought at Work is no slouch either. Sacrifice, The Seed, and Break You Off have more soul and rhythm - great guest vocals too. The post-Water sequence still has some high points (from Quills to Complexity have some solid beats and rapping), and they go out with a bang on Rhymes and Ammo (just as pumping as the early tracks) and Thirsty (far better electronica than some true house bands). Definitely going to have to listen to more of their stuff more closely.

Excellent

Solid album! I had never heard of them before, and added some of the songs to playlists. The seed (2.0) is a great song!

Great hip hop album and they are also talented musicians. The songs are awesome, Seed 2.0 is a classic and my fav but Quills is also dope