Phrenology

Just a fantastic early 00s hip hop record, well-produced and effortlessly transitioning in and out of electicism and neo-soul and rock influenced pieces as well. Great lyrics with a few certified bangers.

Some recurring themes are starting to show up in my listening - East coast and gangsta rap, not so much my thing, but I can find elements that I enjoy, especially when there is something interesting going on musically, as is the case here.

not 100% my taste, but I was vibing and I found it veeeeery interesting!

Super fun! I've always like the roots. I like how playful they are, always messing with beats and sounds. Just a bit of rock mixed in. I enjoy hip-hop with real drumming, gives it something a bit extra that's hard to pin down. Not exactly going out on a limb, but I really like Questlove's drum style. Even a decade of Jimmy Fallon doesn't make him not cool. Bass is really good too. Nice rhythm, really stands out on "Complexity". Favorites are "The Seed" and "Complexity", great drumming on "Something in the Way of Things". Lyrics don't always blow me away, ("pussy Galore" is pretty dumb). Flow is good though. A lot of nice layering of lyrics. The Black Eyed Peas ripped this off and made it terrible. I might be overrating hip-hop and modern music because I've been getting nothing but 70's and 80's rock, but this was a great change. 4 stars Only negatives are the lack of cohesion as an album, and a bit of a drag around the long song "Water". Not sure about the last track, its kind of fun, but doesn't fit and is a weird way to wrap up the album. Should have snuck it in the middle somewhere if it needed to be included at all.

Surprised they picked this one rather than Tings Fall Apart. That feels like the best entry point into The Roots' discography, especially if it's the one album of theirs you 'have to hear before you die.' But Phrenology is good, too.

It was alright beats and flow. Didn't hate it, but didn't really connect with it. Nothing I can pinpoint to critique

This has been one of the more fun listens I’ve had in a while on here. Once again, reading the reviews of hip hop on this site is crazy. Haters. Such a diverse Hip-Hop record. I have a weak spot for 90’s-00’s Hip Hop and this didn’t let me down. I love the fusion of genres here. Is it the most consistent? Nope. Does it fall off towards the back half? Sure. But it was really enjoyable. Favs: rock you, rolling with heat, thought @ work, The Seed 2.0

The Roots: ?UESTLOVE and Black thought now of Fallon fame. I know both of these artist originally from 2 places. ?uestlove was my go-to center in NBA 2 K9. When I played it on the PS2, it was him, Redman, and Flava Flav that were my favorites, and ?uestlove was tall af. Black thought, of course, I know him from the freestyle, one of the best freestyles I have ever heard. I am listening to it right now, in fact, and it is amazing. All that preamble to see that I like this quite a lot. pussy galore, Complexity and water are amazing. The drums on some of these songs are amazing and when black thought just goes on a tear on thought @ work. I really was grooving to this, and even songs like " Thirsty " are a party send off, wow, how did they even pull that out in this soulful and funky vibe. The seed is so iconic, sheesh. The album cover is also pretty cool.

not really my vibe. wait isn’t this the jimmy fallon band? idk i only really liked like two songs

Loved this. Lots of different things going on. Will revisit. Something in the Way of Things is awesome.

Not my cup of tea.

Felt like a lot could’ve been cut

A mixed bag for me, which is not surprising given it's 16 tracks long. Holds up pretty well for something from 2002. I didn't immediately love it, but I suspect I would find more to like if I listened to it a few more times. 3.5

Definitely need to re-listen to this.

That last song is terrible.

if i could give this 6 stars, i would

even if i hate it "pussy galore" is stuck in my head

The Seed 2.0 is a song that immediately caught my attention years ago and put The Roots on my radar. The rest of the album kept my rating lower than I expected. Some songs were irritants. If not for Seed, this would have edged close to a 2.

Duplicate. I didn’t like this one the first time I listened and a second time didn’t change my mind. 2 star

What a way to end. *3

it's fine. too long and did not hold my interest throughout

Good album, starts strong and gets me moving with the beats, and then keeps going just a bit too long.

When it's good, it's quite good. But there's too much filler and nonsense. Albums don't need to be over an hour long. This could have been tightened up and it would have been more enjoyable. 3/5

The Seed отличная песня. Остальное не понравилось

Hoppar över...

2.9 It's quite an interesting album. I think if rap was my cup of tea I'd be quite into this. Slightly experimental, slightly rocky, slightly genre hopping. As it is I only saved two songs down, but it's a lot better than some of there 1* dross that's appears on here.

Great record. Not my favorite Roots album but really solid and unique.

Not my thing, but not bad.

Cool beats but I have no idea what they’re talking about.

Pretty meh, I'm yet to come across a hip hop album that changes my opinion on the genre. Some decent tracks but a lot of it is instantly forgettable, and some of the experimental stuff didn't do it for me. 2.5/5.

14/03/2026 I didn't mind the album, some of the songs were long and a slog... but it was alright. Don't think I'd choose to listen to them though. Spotify listeners: 3.2 million

J'ai l'impression d'avoir déjà entendu exactement Thought @ Work. Par contre wow j'adore l'ambiance sonore surtout Water

Honestly, I didn't see listen to the whole thing. LONG LIVE KOBE

Jill Scott shoutout

The Roots are phenomenal with Hip-Hop and this album was no exception. Just a really solid flow with great lyricism on top of it.

beats are hard but not enjoyable for me, love the art tho

Scheinbar gefällt mir Hip-Hop besser, als ich gedacht hätte.

Gefällt mir, aber zu lang. Werde mir mal andere Alben der Band geben, da scheint es einige Klassiker zu geben.

rap album? crap album!

Interesting and intelligent with some great hooks. Not everything lands perfectly, but there's still a great combination of talent and ambition

A confusing listen. I really like the ambition. There is some good rhythmic rapping and some cool beats. I feel like there are some elements here that could occur in my absolute favourite records. But I am much less interested in the soul pop parts and in the kind of of key references to a few social issues. The narrative is very cool in parts and almost right on in other parts but badly missing the point in others (for me - that's super subjective)

First of all, amazing album cover. I remember when this came out I was reading tons of praise about it. I got the CD and gave it a few listens, but I don't recall it standing out to me as much as I wanted it to. Largely this was due to it being a period of time when I had four young children and minimal ability to really focus on what I want hearing, and this is an album that required intentional listening. With all of that, I was excited to jump into this today given I hadn't played it since that time. And I was rewarded with a record with so many different styles-hip hop of course, but also soul, punk, spoken word, and even techno-all of them done very well. Songs that really stood out to me were Sacrifice, The Seed (2.0), and Pussy Galore. Water went places that were very unexpected, and very cool. I didn't think there were any bad songs, but I did feel the album was a bit too long and some of the songs could have been edited down a bit. But that's really my only quibble.

I would like to say this was good but it wasn’t. It was actually awful, musically. I felt annoyed listening to this.

i haven’t heard of this album before but i know the group. i don’t really have any expectations honesty, other than apple music calling it a hip hop/rap album. i’ve also heard of the band. i played a show last night. i’m a bassist :) partied hard after. slept over at my bandmates’ place. very tired and hungover today. i’m feeling this. i liked that punk interlude, that was fun. rock you was alright, im feeling sacrifice :) rolling with heat is fine. surprise surprise, questlove is a good drummer. the seed 2.0 is my favorite song so far. mmm water goes hard. i’m feeling a 4, i’ll probably revisit this. hooooly fuck the second half of water is awesome. the next couple songs were alright, something in the way of thing and thirsty were highlights at the end. ultimately this was a damn good album.

This album is certainly the pride of the hip-hop tradition, and of the tradition of African-American music. This is my favorite kind of hip-hop, the kind that pairs exquisite musical interest with conscious lyricism. The instrumentals borrow inspiration from funk, jazz, hip-hop(of course), and more. And they display a lot of versatility; there are some long-form and experimental tracks, and I love the jazzy spoken word in "Something In the Way of Things." I resonate heavily with the feeling that there is something deeply wrong with society that often goes unnoticed or unspoken. Every track had something new to offer, ending with the last track which is basically electronic dance music, which was also refreshing. Strong seven to a light eight.. I'm struggling between three or four, because I don't think this is a 9/10, but I think I'm confident enough to give it 8, so I'll go with 4

I kind of slacked off today, and only listened through this album once. I actually own this CD, but probably haven't listened to it for years. I'd forgotten what an awesome song "The Seed 2.0" is (5 stars for that one, for sure!). One thing this exercise will do, I think/hope, is remind me of some of the great albums/CDs that I own, but have been neglecting, so that can go back to listen to them again. Anyway, to not fall behind with the albums we're listening to together, I think I have to give this one 4 stars, and call it a day. But I will try to listen again soon, and see if I can come up with some more comments. I wonder if it would have sounded more unique when it first came out than it does now? It does have a lot of variety (among the tracks on the album), though. And good overall quality. And, I think, a thoughtful sequencing of the tracks, too.

I like the noise painting on "Water" I like the spoken word poetry on "Something In the Way of Things" About half of the tracks are just mediocre, some with pretty boring beats. Maybe it's a historically, culturally significant album? Otherwise it seems average

This was great. The name was familiar but i couldn't have listed any songs. Turns out o knew a few and its exactly my flavour of rap. The right combo of beats, production value, occasional rage, wordsmithery and minimal bullshit skits and misogyny that can ruin it.

I don’t think I’ve ever had back to back days where I’ve needed to contemplate if I just listened to two straight 5/5 records. This was really good, wildly good when you consider it came out in 2002. Some of it sounds like it’s from 2026. The first song was an excellent, energetic song on its own, then it gave way to one of the best transitions into a following song I’ve ever heard. So smooth. “Break You Off” was a jam, it highlights one of my only problems with the record which is that it doesn’t escape some of the misogyny of it’s time. But the highlight of this record is EASILY “Water”. A convicted performance on its chorus during a structured first half that turns into a sonic drug trip / night on the street which the first half of the song warned about. Stellar storytelling through sound. I’d give this song a 6/5 if I could. It’s cool to see Jill Scott on here, just days after she dropped her own album thats been getting a lot of praise this week. Lots of life-affirming songs on her album. I’m gonna give this a 4/5, but this is an inverse of my problem yesterday, I may regret not giving this a 5/5

Sometimes getting to listen to something you would not have naturally listened to is a big let-down. Sometimes it's not. This is one of the not times. Wow! The songs just kept coming while I was trying to keep straight who was the writer(s) and who was playing with whom...So I had to keep going back just to listen to the songs. And each time, I was impressed. This went by so fast, obviously I wasn't bored. And after reading through contemporary reviews, I have to agree this was/is a classic. Great music. And 5 impressive stars.

I already had heard The Seed 2.0 and Im surprised because most of the other tracks on here are more enjoyable. Conpared to other hip hop of the time this is fairly standard

4/10

buenardo

Shit

Hip-hop with great musicianship. What's not to like?

Didn't enjoy.

Not bad, but it’s not like it’s A Tribe Called Quest, either.

Amazing hip hop experience!

I've heard the Roots plenty of times, but I think their Fallon years have somewhat shaded my perceptions. It's been a while since I really sat down and listened to them so I was surprised by how out-there this album was. A lot of experimental eclecticism (in a good way), but it really coheres. The soul vibes are immaculate, they picked all the right rappers, and even the rock songs work. I would definitely give this another listen. On a side note...I really need to steel myself before reading reviews of any hip hop albums on this website. What on earth do people hear as "misogynist" on this album?? It's THE ROOTS! We're not talking about Ice Cube or the early Beastie Boys here. I swear to G-d some people are just so racist they've developed an allergy to hearing Black men talk about sex. Someone else called this "violent afro rap"?!? Lots of white people complaining about hearing Black people use the n-word. For chrissake, it's the 2020s, get your head out of your ass and read a book or two.

rock you chorus was a flop... sacrifice chorus a flop ??? what the hell rolling with heat great beat and lyrics but what's with the go girl give us nothing chorusessssssss in these tracks .... thoughts at work same the seed 2.0 love it break it off is very justin timberlakeey water greàt

Not my musical idea of heaven for over an hour, but this group are politically aware as opposed to self promoting. Some creative samples and a plethora of black music styles on offer. Clearly a musically credible bunch. Critically acclaimed despite being less commercially successful

Sounds good. Did not have the hour seven to go through it but will put this on soon.

Rolling with heat's got a sick beat. Some of these are good jams. But this kind of genre was always background music for me. Deserves more of my time.

it’s obviously an incredible album, but it didn’t have to be this long. after a point it just kinda starts blending together a bit, with songs going on just a bit too long. i’d love to give it a five but like as a whole, it drags a bit

Interesting and a little bit different

I liked it

This album is why I keep doing this day after day. Have never spent much time with them, I really appreciated it. I will definitely be doing a deeper dive into their albums. Good stuff.

I've really struggled getting into The Roots, I feel like I should like them more than I actually do, but there is always something holding me back. Something about their song structure is just too simple, too repetitive, or they are lacking that key melodical hook. I think this is a good album, but it is just missing that extra ingredient for me to really love this. This is right on the edge of a 3 and a 4 for me. Low 4.

I feel like there's just some fat on this album that I tune out to. Very fine, wasn't blowing me away

Fire tbf

Loved how smoothly this album flowed, all the songs transitioned into each other so seamlessly. I was ready for another typical hip hip/ rap album which i’d be okay with because i enjoy the genre anyway but my expectations was fully exceeded. I was taken off guard by !!!!!! And then mellowed back down by sacrifice and then brought back up again by Pussy Galore. That all being said I think the track Water brings this down to a 4/5 as I found it dragged on (deffo could have done with being 5 mins shorter in my opinion) but overall a solid album that flowed well… like a water…!

Never liked this one.

Phrenology, das fünfte Studioalbum der Roots, erschien 2002 bei MCA Records und verbindet Hip‑Hop, Progressive Rap, Neo‑Soul und Rap‑Rock A. Trotz dieser Vielfalt wirkt das Album oft zerfahren: Die langen Aufnahmephasen von 2000 bis 2002 Aund die vielen Stilwechsel lassen den Gesamteindruck unruhig und überambitioniert erscheinen. Zwar ragen Singles wie „Break You Off“ und „The Seed (2.0)“ hervor, doch insgesamt verliert sich das Album zu häufig in Experimenten, die den Fluss stören.

Disappointed. Expected more. Thought I recognised a song but realised it was the Jungle Brothers being interpolated

I like Seeds track

The Seed is an awesome song.

It was ok.

This album is really cool. I don't dig into hip hop and rap often, just not quite my vibe, but I know talent when I hear it and it is definitely here. This is intelligently crafted and well performed. The songwriting is diverse and full of hooks. There are definitely some lyrics that I don't appreciate and I'd have preferred them to be a little more intelligent in those moments. However, I'm a listener that tends to tune out lyrics and really only hear more of the melody. It's experimental at times in its instrumentation in a very successful way, and It knows when to let itself breathe and when to change it up. I do think an hour is just a little too long for an album, and it would have been stronger to trim some of the fat. It overstays it's welcome just a bit, but it's very good either way. 3.8/5

seems to noisy but i was also not in the right state of mind for this one

Its hard to accept I love this type of songs. Its not the usual me!

Stupendous! And the collabs are fire!

Love this album. Had a burnt copy courtesy of the Indianapolis Public Library for the longest time. The Seed 2.0 is a fucking banger.

Phenomenal album. Black Thought spends most of the time showing why he should be in your Top 10, if not Top 5 Dead or Alive. (see 'Rock You', 'Rollin' With Heat', 'Thought at Work', 'Quills') ....'The Seed 2.0' is still an all-time banger. Gets a little too experimental at times. Feel like it kind of peters out with the last three tracks - the 7-minute spoken word last(?) track doesn't really want me to run it back immediately. Still a must listen if you're a fan of or newbie to hip hop: 4.5 stars

Really good. don't know if I understand the whole thing but some all time bangers. I also don't know if Things Fall Apart will show up so automatic 5 stars.

A couple of good songs but kinda weird

I liked this a decent amount too, although it dragged a little in the second half; perhaps 15 minutes shaved off would make this a better album. The Seed (2.0) was the standout track for me. Solid three.

This is good, I have not listened to them before, will check out more Will I listen to again: 90%

I will admit that this may be one of my more generous 5s, and it has a little to do with the best Roots album not being on here (as far as I know), but I do still stand by it. There are other affiliates, but the core of The Roots is the dynamic between Questlove and Black Thought, and it works unbelievably well. A lot of rap albums from the early 2000s sound pretty dated by this point, and a lot of the more "conscious" of these albums even more so, but Phrenology still sounds improbably fresh. It really comes down to two things. Firstly, the beats on here are all live percussion, courtesy of Questlove, and it gives this entire album an organic feel that has kept the beats from getting stiff or clunky with age. And second, Black Thought is *so* fucking good at rapping. He operates at an incredibly high level, and more importantly sounds completely natural while doing it. He raps with words like "sovereign" and "tantric" with the casualness that most people discuss the weather. He constantly sounds natural on the beats, he just gets into a pocket and rides it. And his flow is good enough that even on a first listen, before I've completely digested what he's saying, he's compelling to listen to. Throw other talented features in here and deliver great songs for over an hour, and its hard to go wrong. If you're usually not convinced by rap, check out Water, his storytelling is fantastic and the song takes some really adventurous turns in the second half. This is just amazing rap music that has barely aged a day, and even if this isn't Things Fall Apart, it's pretty jaw dropping in its own right.

Inte min stil tyvärr.

It’s a decent hip hop album with some very high highs. But it’s not my favourite Roots album.

The best of early-naughties hip hop.

For making this album, they get the amazing reward of being Jimmy Fallon's band for all eternity

Never heard of The Roots and didn’t think it was for me after the first few tracks .. but it started to get interesting around track 10. Kind of liked it by the end.

I was slightly wary of this one, noticing that every track was marked with the E for Explicit warning, but ended up being pleasantly surprised. OK, so I’m still not 100% on board with the lyrical content or the relentless nature of the vocal delivery, but the music behind it was varied and interesting with some cheeky and well chosen samples, even including Swing Out Sister. A cautious 3 stars from me.

A lot of this was really good but it was too big and sprawling to keep the quality up. Should be about half the run time. Rock you, rolling with heat , thought @ work were good, basically all the songs where the rapping went hard. This was mixed in with more r and b leaning stuff and some ambient outros that brought everything to a halt and had me checking the runtime. Would much rather have an album with some quality and some rubbish than everything be band average but as an album it still averages out to okay. 3.5.

The Seed (2.0) was solid. One of those bands that I wasn't really interested in, and this album hasn't done much to change that. Glad to have listened. Far too long though.

Don't think I've ever listened to the roots before, but was aware of them. This was pretty good but maybe a little too rnb in parts for me, but still largely enjoyed it. Good flow. Recognised "the seed". Quills was good too. I gave it a second listen and didn't enjoy it as much, bit there is some interesting stuff going on I think 3.5 but maybe closer to 3. It's a shame because there's some good bits in there

Complexity

Very varied, covering a huge range of styles. Always kept me interested

Didn't know about the Roots before this, including that they were the house band for Jimmy Fallon? Interesting again to listen to even when it's so far out of what I'd normally listen to

Album 43 Top 3 "favorites" off the album: Complexity, Something In The Way Of Things, Rock You This is the only album where I've skipped a song halfway through. I skipped Water after under 5 minutes. There were some decent tracks, but on the whole I didn't enjoy this one unfortunately. I suppose I just can't relate to the experience of turning around and finding Pussy Galore. Skill issue, honestly. Truly my own fault.

06 fev às 23:23

Loved it

Phenomenal stuff, great band.

dot

I would listen to this several times day. This is my jams!!

The Roots sound great! I mean, the musicianship is off the charts. It's refreshing to hear some live instrumentation in a hip-hop record from the 00's-onward. I'm sure they're a great live band. Yes, I mostly know them as the band from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, which I haven't even watched for years! That certainly must be the band's most profitable gig by far. I also know The Roots have other records that are way more beloved and well-acclaimed than this one. And thankfully so, because there's really nothing interesting here.

Not the one most people would reccomend, but the one that deserves it

i could really feel the sensuality of the music. i was involuntarily gyrating to 90% of the tracks. favorites: sacrifice; the seed 2.0; break you off; water

mi sembra un po’ troppo lunghino ma la vibe non è per niente male

What a ride this album was. I enjoyed it though.

Pretty cool. Felt like a Sgt Pepper type album

I like the bande enough, but Black Thought is tiring after a while.

There are people who listen to this genre and enjoy it. Props to them - I am not one.

one of the weirder quirks of the list is that this is somehow the only roots album, and even with what i feel like is a p good understanding of the methodology i rly dont know how this happened ghjsdghsd. killer album tho, ive needed to listen to more of the roots for a long time. this is arguably very Uncohesive but questlove and black thought are such strong and instantly recognizable voices in their own lanes that they do most of the unifying work on their own. questlove clearly found renewed direction for his inspiration after working with d'angelo, and many people default to calling this "the neo-soul roots album" because even tho thats a slightly misleading description, just about any description would be. a lot of tracks feature the band at their most Produced and Precise and electronic-sounding, others turn into funky and experimental workouts that just swirl outwards. black thought is easiest to identify for his high-stamina complexity but the thing that sends him so far past lyrical miracle-isms is that ive just never once heard a rhyme from the man that felt Contrived or Uncomfortable, either verbally or rhythmically. maybe not the best roots album but id have to hear more of them to be confident in that tbh...cool stuff!!!

I hate that they chose this album. It is more experimental than others they made and still a great record but 'How I Got Over', 'Undun', 'Things Fall Apart', 'Game Theory' and 'Illadelph Halflife' are easily much better. 7/10 [SWAP]

This is a pretty great record, even if it doesn’t hit perfectly all the way through. What carries it for me is the sheer musicality. Questlove’s drumming alone gives the album a physical presence that a lot of hip-hop records don’t have, and the live-band feel makes even the more experimental moments feel intentional rather than indulgent. Not everything works equally well. “Water,” for example, wears out its welcome and starts to feel tedious rather than hypnotic. There are a few stretches where the album feels more interested in pushing ideas than delivering songs. I respect that impulse, but it does cost the record a bit of momentum. Where Phrenology really shines is when it locks into something soulful and direct. The standout for me is the Cody Chesnutt collaboration, The Seed (2.0), which is an absolute hit. It’s catchy, warm, and grounded, and it’s hard not to wish there were more moments like that across the album. It’s also a reminder of how striking Chesnutt’s voice and songwriting are, and it’s a little disappointing that I never really encountered much more of his work beyond this track. Overall, this feels like a bold, ambitious album that mostly succeeds. Even when it stumbles, it’s doing so in pursuit of something interesting. It’s not flawless, but the highs are high enough, and the musicianship strong enough, that it earns its place as one of the more compelling records in this stretch of hip-hop history.

I listened to this album repeatedly when I worked at the record store nearly 25 years ago, and it is as fresh today as it was then. Excellent.

Not a big hip hop guy, but quite enjoyed this one. Really interesting chord progressions, harmonies and melodies. Production is very nice. Dug the latter half of the album more than the first. Complexity is an absolute gem! 3.75/5

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Water, Pussy Galore I listened to this album twice, but it left almost no impression on me. Well that's not entirely true. I usually listen to the album for my first listen during the bedtime routine. If its a longer album, it usually ends up being something I fall asleep to. While I was falling asleep, Water was on and it got to the section where there's a heartbeat underpinning the track, and I just remember hearing it half-asleep and wondering if it was my heart beat, or if my heart beat was somehow synchronized to the beating sound on the track. It was strangely tranquil. I suppose, beyond this, there seemed to be this theme of the album being DJ'd by... well... a DJ, complete with radio transmissions, static, changing stations, the whole schtick. I have mixed feelings about this style of presentation. It can be novel or played out, depending on the context. I do not have any especially negative things to say about this album. I perhaps wish it was a bit tighter on the deliver. It could have been 45 minutes and been more effective. Considering the Roots have at least four other albums, I would be interested to hear more of them.

My rating 3.2

headache inducing, how people can like this stuff is way beyond me. I think as a genre its over represented on this list. I seem to get this crap at least once a week

Decent. Enjoyed a lot of it.

Phrentrow - no rating Rock You - 4/5 !!!!!!! - no rating Sacrifice - 3/5 Rolling With Heat - 3/5 Thought @ Work - 4/5 The Seed (2.0) - 5/5 Break You Off - 4/5 Water - 4/5 Quills - 3/5 Pussy Galore - 4/5 Complexity - 3/5 Something in the Way of Things (In Town) - 5/5 Rhymes & Ammo - 4/5 Thirsty! - 4/5 Average score: 3.8/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if i had one bit of criticism, it would be the length of a couple singles. Water would have easily been 5 stars if it weren't for the 10-minute runtime! i understand this is an experimental hip hop but damn all that aside, this is great experimental/conscious hip hop. i don't really have any strong feelings about the neo-soul tracks, but i could easily see myself coming back to the album in the future highlights: The Seed, Water, Something In The Way Of Things

Great album by The Roots, really enjoy this one. Highlights: “Rock You” and “Seed 2.0”

(3.5)

Staggeringly good 45 minute album, somewhat undermined by it being 70 minutes long

Five for The Seed alone

This album was awesome. So much colouring outside of the lines of their perceived genre. I just loved it.

this is gooood. if is was shorter and tightened up a bit this would easily be a 5

Experimental, groovy and unexpectedly heavier in parts Fave tracks: the seed 2.0 & rhymes and ammo

The calipers show a fully developed prefrontal cortex. 4/5

Decent rap album, but not much more

Such a solid hip-hop album. Black Thought is a top 5 MC all-time. Hoping Things Fall Apart makes the list, that shit is probably getting a 5. 4/5

This was an interesting listen, but not something that I will listen to again

starts off okay, mid-way through turns rreally good, close to the end goes back to okay

Sick album! Expansive yet cohesive, covers a lot of ground musically but still makes sense. Really good flows to the rapping and a surprising psychedelic freak out jam in the middle. Loved it

Really dug it, but I also have always enjoyed The Roots. See them live if you ever get a chance!

Good hip hop album with some really good tracks.

Decent, I like the old style of hip hop/rap and elements of soul, jazz, and rock. Not my favorite listen but I'm glad that I now know about this album and this artist!

4.5

I’m not really qualified to rate this as I’m not that keen on hip hop. Anyway I put it on in the car and track one had me hanging my arm out the window and nodding like a pimp on weed. Couldn’t hear the lyrics but overall it sounded ok. I will give it another listen cos I think it’s got more to offer

Before: I don't think I've ever heard of the album or the artist. I'm wondering if it's going to be rap. I'm apprehensive. During: Yep, it's rap or I guess more accurately, hip-hop or neo-soul?. "!!!!!!!" is ok, but it's not rap. After: I found three tracks to be OK: "!!!!!!!" , "Thought @ Work", and "The Seed (2.0)". I might rate them a 2 or 3, the rest I would rate a 1. I could not relate to most of the lyrics and most of the music was not enjoyable or interesting to me. I give it a solid 1.

Surprisingly good rap record!

Unterhaltsam

3.2 - not bad, might listen again.

Interesting selection for The Roots sole representation on this list. I think I agree about it being their best album. It feels like their most self-assured, at least, a statement of purpose in terms of content and music. Gone is the jazzy excursions in Things Fall Apart, which mostly feel like genre-stabs than anything that the group felt fully invested in. "Water: The First Movement" may be the best thing they ever recorded, a cautionary message to and about former member Malik B. who departed the group in part due to issues with drugs. "Rock You" and "Thought @ Work" are really strong, I enjoy the machismo on "Rhymes and Ammo" and Amiri Baraka's spoken-word essay "Something In The Way Of Things" is a powerful piece with some very cool background music. I do find myself wishing the rest of the material had a little more going for it, both lyrically and musically. As much as I like the first part of "Water," the extended instrumental suite in the rest of the track doesn't do anything for me. "The Seed 2.0" is a song about the music business with too many awkward, muddled metaphors to make a real statement. "Pussy Galore" (about the destructive impact of sexuality in pop culture) and "Break You Off" (about fucking some other man's girl) are working both sides of the same street. "Quills," Black Thought's braggadocio on his own skills, lacks teeth. "Sacrifice" and "Complexity" are soulful stabs that drift in one ear and out the other. I like the very brief punk raver "!!!!!!!" and I wish they had committed to it, as well as the hidden electro-dance track "Thirsty." This is a very good album if not necessarily a great one (to me), and it's brought me back to want to re-listen to the rest of the Roots catalogue, which deserved more representation here.

For some reason I could never get into the Roots as with De la or ATCQ. Maybe the rapping style or it's too pop for my taste. Either way it's a fine listen.

I never listen to music while I'm walking in downtown Brooklyn, but I did with this album and it all made perfect sense (even though Roots are a Philly group, I guess). I heard this as an inventive, exuberant celebration of Black music and culture. And of course, Questlove is great - he's probably done as much for hip-hop as Brian Wilson did for surf music. Anyway, it's a really good record. Though I'll confess, as a rock and roll guy, "The Seed" is probably the song I'll always come back to first.

Not a fan

7/10

There was a lot of variety in the tracks here which added a lot of interest to the album. I liked the ones that contained soul or jazz best. Not so keen on the rap numbers. I added “Complexity” to my Generator playlist.

I've only recently gotten into the Roots, having originally known them as the house band for Jimmy Fallon's Late Night show (and now the Tonight Show, but Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was more fun IMO). It's no surprise that these guys are talented. They were already established at this point too, as Phrenology was their fifth album following a slew of other successful albums in their own right. So why Phrenology on this list? Well, The Roots were always ones to approach hip-hop in different ways, and here they utilize neo-soul, funk and rock to drive their messages on hip-hop and Black culture across. Black Thought's presence on the mic cannot be understated, one of the lesser appreciated lyricists in my opinion. The features from other established hip-hop/R&B artists such as Talib Kweli, Jill Scott, and Musiq richen the experience too. An ambitious album that veers a bit in the middle, but certainly worthy of inclusion here.

Complex arrangements here

Loving this a lot! In the extension of Outkast, but maybe a bit less drawn out. Super fun collaborations and musically excellent.

I did like most of the album. Complexity featuring Jill Scott was my overall favorite. I had to skip a few (Pussy Galore for one).

Cool dynamic hip hop. Always nice to hear Jill Scott, who’s featured on “Complexity”.

I liked this, but frankly, I wasn't able to spend enough time listening to this album to really form a strong opinion about it. If I have time, I'll revisit this one and write a more thorough review of it at some point. But just based on my feelings after first listen, this is a solid 4/5. It's no 'Things Fall Apart', but it's still really good.

31/1089 2.3092* I guess you had to be there in 2002 to really understand how fondly this album is remembered. I wasn't there. It was an ok album, felt a little long and was looking forward to the end. At least they made bank on the tonight show Hits...the seed, sacrifice

Alright but too long!

why is this on the list. the guy definitely heard of the roots second hand and just put their at the time latest album on. its genuinely their 6th best album. how the heck do you not put on things fall apart

The beats are incredible, the lyrics are phenomenal, just a great album. My first 5* I think.

Always a delight

Not my style. Two and a half great songs - rest not my style

pô bem daora pedrada atrás de pedrada

nao eh ruim, mas nem eh o melhor deles. quem sou eu pra reclamar, mas, papo reto, pq não o things fall apart??????? enfim, eh bão! ainda eh 4 estrelas mas não ter o things fall apart é putaria

That was … an experience. Experimental conscious rap with a bit of too much rambling and ranting.

I really liked this eclectic mix of rap, soul and rock!

Not something I'd normally listen too but enjoyed most of the songs

2000s hip hop.

I'm a huge fan of The Roots' album Things Fall Apart. Honestly one of my favorite albums of all time, and if it were up to me, I would have put that album on the list instead of this one. Not to say Phrenology isn't good, it is. But it's not Things Fall Apart. Mostly, I'm just not feeling most of this album. A lot of the instrumentals are really repetitive and I'm missing the heavy jazz vibes of Things Fall Apart. That said, The Seed (2.0), Break You Off, and the beginning of Water is a great one-two-three punch on this record. Pussy Galore is also a really solid track, kinda feeling like they channeled an Eminem/Dre beat a little bit (While channeling it through The Roots' style), not something I was expecting from The Roots. But yeah. I've heard this album a few years back, and I'm kinda understanding why I playlisted The Seed (2.0) and Break You Off and didn't really go back to it. Just not hitting me like the previous album did.

A little overlong but thought most of it was an enjoyable listen

Nice mix of styles and good variety on her. An enjoyable listen and just about squeezes a 4 rating.

I did like the mixture of styles presented on here, but whilst some songs I enjoyed, a lot I wasn't all that bothered by

much better than I thought, I like the less sample-driven, more musician performing hip hop here.

ok - good rock vibe and music. Hard - for heavy rp aficionados

Enjoyed this quite a bit, a couple whatever songs on here but mostly great stuff and very memorable production

Uncool people need rap albums too

You can really feel how 2002 this album is. They mention anthrax and the matrix. Overall this album outshined expectations. I expected to give it a 2 but it earned a 3.

Possibly the gold standard when it comes to R&B. Made me feel 15% cooler just listening to it. Excellent inclusion.

A little gangsta for me but the beats were phresh

Liked it

7/10 Favourite: Sacrifice Least Favourite: Thirsty!

Idk what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. So much diversity and genre blending for a hip-hop album.

Pretty good, although my interest waxed and waned. Some songs are very thoughtful and profound; others, not so much. On the whole, a solid classic hip-hop album. Favorites: The Seed 2.0; Something In The Way Of Things 3.5

(50/100)

not a big fan of violent afro rap

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.

Mega sztos. Pewnie jeden z najbardziej nieoczywistych albumów rapowych, jakie kiedykolwiek słyszałem. Bardzo rozbudowany muzycznie, różnorodny, wychwalający nie tylko muzykę tradycyjnie czarną, ale też współczesne białe gatunki takie jak indie rock czy techno.

Meh

Just an iconic hip hop record by an iconic hip hop group.

Felt like doing a chore of a subject have an interest in, there is some passing regard but in the end it was more of a task to get through than actual enjoyment. It was nice enough but really did feel more than most to be more a listen because on the list than anything else unfortunately, it’s experimental nature is probably it’s strength and it’s weakness for me as the odd track grabbed me, the odd track left me cold. So ends up averaging decent but nothing more for me. 3 Star

I started out thinking I'd like it and then after the first listen wasn't so sure if it fulfilled my expectations but then it rewarded repeat listens. Some pretty cool tracks on this and lots of interesting ideas throughout even some things might need a bit more time to gel. Overall, it's still pretty spectacular and varied and definitely worth returning to even if I wasn't sure it was quite "it" at first.

3.5

Author Jason Pargin recently noted that the concept of "selling out" is no longer the insult it once was. Prior generations of artists sought to maintain their authenticity by avoiding anything that sniffed of money-seeking or corporate involvement. Today artists begin their careers seeking monetization via sponsorship deals and mass media exposure. While Kurt Cobain said, "Corporate Rock Sucks", modern artists will bend over backwards and set themselves on fire to get a foot in the door with Amazon. This album made me consider the point more deeply. The Roots were truly original in their approach to Hip-Hop. Live instruments, agile lyricism, and thoughtful arrangements melded with vast knowledge of musical history to create a unique sound. Then NBC tapped them to be the house band for "The Tonight Show". No one even batted an eye when The Roots were thrown a whole bunch of money to abandon the traditional recording and touring life for the stability of a corporate overlord. Prior "Tonight Show" bandleaders like Skitch Henderson and Doc Severinson built their careers in the role. Max Weinberg and Branford Marsalis were already dismissed as sellouts before they joined the NBC Orchestra (or whatever they were called at the time.) The Roots were somehow granted a pass and suffered no loss of integrity when invited to serve under "The Man." By "The Man", I am referring to the corporate trustees who meddle in artistic endeavors , seeking greater profits for shareholders. Now I can't hear this music without feeling that Jimmy Fallon just announced that he'd be right back after these messages. "That is how you do it!", indeed.

Might be almost a 5? Just a baby bit too much filler for me to say that

Might be a 4 even?

Hip hop album with a lot of R&B, some electronic, and other influences. Nice mix. Overall enjoyed most of the tracks. Notables include Rolling With Heat, The Seed, Break You Off, Complexity, Rhymes and Ammo.

i've never purposefully listened to the roots rolling with the heat and seed 2.0 had me bobbing my head

Cool early 2000s classic (not too classic) hiphop vibes. Funky and made me bop my head to the beat. Added 3 songs to my likes.

1. fren -0 2. rock - 1.5 3. ezclamation - 0 4. zacrifice -1 5. heat -1 6. call - 0 7.work - 1.5 8. Seed -1 9. Break - 0 10. Water -0 11. Quills - 1.5 12. Pussy - 0 13. Complex - 1 14. Things - 1 15. Ammo - 1.5 16. Thirsty - 0 Disappointing :(

Built on sharp live band instrumentation that shifts between *hip-hop*, rock-inflected riffs, neo-soul smoothness, and experimental detours, **Phrenology** reaches for innovation but frequently unravels into muddled ambition; the vocal delivery remains confident, yet the lyrical focus slips through uneven transitions. Experiencing this hip-hop album felt like tracing a cranial bump and being assured it reveals artistic genius—only to realize it’s merely the bruise of overextension rather than a true sign of brilliance, a misread impact dressed up as insight.

Very happy to see this record on this list. Without even listening, it's a 5 for me. This record resonated so much with me when it first debuted, and it still very much stands the test of time. Such diversity in mood and momentum throughout. From the punk/thrash interlude of "!!!!!!!" to the cool, head-nodding and experimental "Water, and everything around and in-between, there's so much to be inspired by. Black Thought has continued to make his mark in the music scene to this day - check out the record "Cheat Codes", where he collaborates with Danger Mouse - absolutely fantastic record from 2022. Long live The Roots!

Makes me wish it was still 2002 and I was just chilling and watching Toonami.

This is how you write an album with somewhat inappropriate lyrics but doesn't bother me. I mean listen to The Seed, and yet I want to be the girl. Just such a fun deep album that changes with each song but still is so perfectly The Roots.

This started off chaotic for me. Then it all ended up sounding mostly the same. The Seed 2.0 is great. Actually all of the songs with the features were good.

This really had a lot of layers to it, it was a delightful onion to peel. I loved the creativity and diversity. And ending on Thirsty was such a fun rager.

Vild at the seed skiller sig så meget ud! Både godt og skidt, for det er så godt et nummer at jeg sidder og venter på det, og venter bagefter på mere som det. Men jeg får desværre bare metervare hip hop.

Jeg har vist aldrig hørt andet end The Seed (2.0.) fra the Roots. Ja og så selvfølgelig set dem i Jimmy Fallons talkshows. Respekt for at bruge et 25 sekunders punk track som intro til et popnummer feat. Nelly Furtado. Det siger lidt om The Roots range. Når de går alternativ hip-hop syntes jeg det kan noget, men desværre bliver det lidt for ofte alt for poppet, går techno eller bliver over-eksperimenterende.

what the fuck did I just listen to

Decent variety but not my jam for most parts

I know I’ve listened to an album by The Roots before, but I think it was Things Fall Apart. I remember enjoying it, but I don’t remember what I enjoyed about it. It’s a shame that I haven’t listened to more of their albums, because I read Questlove’s memoir, and I really liked it. I have no idea how I’m going to feel about this album, but I think there’s a good chance that I’m going to enjoy Phrenology. I didn’t fall in love with Phrenology, but I thought it was a good album, and I enjoyed listening to it today. I guess I’ll get my gripes out of the way first. Phrenology pulled from a lot of different influences, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I felt like the album was a bit uneven. I’m not a huge fan of neo-soul, and I found the really long tracks towards the end of the album to be a bit tedious to get through. Most importantly though, I just couldn’t get into the lyrics on this album. Some songs had some good social commentary, but there were quite a few songs that I felt didn’t really say anything noteworthy. Now that my criticisms have been dealt with, on to the things that I liked here. The things that were most consistent about this album were the drumming and the production work. Questlove’s drumming was downright hypnotic throughout this album, and he did so many different things with his rhythms. His talent was on full display on Phrenology, and I really loved what he added to the album’s sound. Secondly, the production was fantastic. Even with the songs that weren’t really my jam, I was able to sit back and appreciate how good they sounded. Even my least favorite songs on the album had at least one musical element that I appreciated. As for the individual songs: I loved how this album started off, with “Rock You” and “!!!!!!!”. The beat on “Rock You” was really driving, and the synthesizers and drumming were excellent. I wasn’t expecting that sort of sound from this album. The follow up to “Rock You,” “!!!!!!!,” was excellent as well, despite its short run time. It felt like the perfect second track, and I love how well it segued into “Sacrifice.” Speaking of, I thought “Sacrifice” was excellent. I loved the gentler sound, but the beat was great too. The synthesizers and keyboards added a lot of richness to the sound, and I enjoyed Nelly Furtado’s guest vocals. The percussion on “Thought @ Work” was really great, and I loved how the sample from The Incredible Bongo Band was used. The bass playing on “The Seed” was excellent. The song had a great overall sound, bolstered by some good guitar playing and vocals. This was one of the few songs where I really liked the lyrics. I loved the double meaning of the progression of life and the merging of musical styles. I loved the first several minutes of water, with its excellent lead and bass guitar parts. Rhythmically, those first several minutes were awesome. When the song went off the rails, I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much, but it did have a good segue into “Quills.” Phrenology was enjoyable to listen to. The Roots showcased their talents and uniqueness really well on this album. This isn’t the type of album I’d probably fire up again, but I appreciate the artistry that went into it.

This album seemed like a very impressive and complex production. While the primary music style is obviously rap, there are lots of other styles woven throughout and sampled. It was also interesting to understand a bit more about The Roots as a band - I knew a tiny bit about them in a general pop culture context via late night tv. The pop culture context may be why they actually didn't click with me despite checking a lot of boxes. I get that they are in the niche of "conscious rap" and trying to portray a certain more refined style, but in doing this they almost comes off as somehow less genuine. Maybe if I gave this another shot of would change how I felt but after one listen this album did not draw me in the way I might have expected.

As someone who only knows the Roots as Jimmy Fallon's band, I am so confused right now. I always assumed all the late night talk show bands were just generic house bands put together for the show. Are all the late night talk show bands actually legitimately good groups? I feel like a broken record, but I was enjoying this album quite a bit despite it having a lot of the rap cliches that I can't stand (e.g. excessive use of the n-word, questionable views on women, etc.). The band, the smooth rapping, the composition of the backing tracks, and the experimentation makes up for a lot of the rap cliches. The Water and Something in the Way of Things (In Town) were the standout tracks for me. I was not expecting the almost ambient electronic sections in the Water, but I really enjoyed the whole track and the weird jazz-y, spoken word poetry on Something in the Way of Things (In Town) was phenomenal and I'll return to this track for sure. On the other end of the tracks-that-stand-out-to-me spectrum, what the fuck is up with the Seed 2.0? What a great song ruined by some truly awful lyrics. "I push my seed into her bush for life"? And this is considered one of the best songs on the album? Seriously, just what the fuck? This album would be a 5/5 for me if all the tracks were closer to the Water and Something in the Way of Things (In Town), and with a little more !!!!!!! thrown in too, but I feel like it's dragged down by rap cliches and a couple awful tracks like Seed 2.0, so I guess we'll average it out to a 3/5.

Definitivamente não precisava ouvir antes de morrer, não me liguei nas letras mas a música apesar de não ser ruim é repetitiva demais

Very rich

The Roots seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time recording this album. But I find it rather underwhelming with over-produced music and the standard delivery of what may be good lyrics. It's all a bit cliched to my ears.

Some good moments

I am generally a fan of the genre. This particular record is unknown to me, and I didn't find it super compelling. It wasn't bad, just not memorable.

Old School Hip-Hop. Some songs are meant to be annoying I think.

Super funky hip hop with one of the best lyricists ever. 5/5

This flowed nicely (can't remember the last time an album felt so seamless), good beats. I could really vibe with this, 4* Water was too weird. End of album was some weird electronica.

cool Album, wouldn't have needed some of the "strange" tracks but maybe I'll get that one on vinyl

It was fine and easy to listen to until !!!! This was certainly neither my genre nor essential listening.

Nice, but not my taste.

It’s not the worst hip hop album, but it cannot pretend to be essential listening. How can a band that good make an album this bad?

Rhymes and Ammo was my favorite track (this millennial loves a song that tells me what to do).

For a hip-hop/rap album this was pretty decent, with songs that had actual melodies (Sacrifice, Break You Off). Bonus for sampling Swing Out Sister’s “Breakout” on the track Quills.

Strange to have this one but not Things Fall Apart on the list.

Much more of a progressive, crazier space for a Hip Hop album during the tailend of the Gangsta Rap era. People cite Kanye West and The College Dropout for the mainstream hip hop appeal moving to a rapper's more personal matters rather than the old-fashioned "gangsta shit" but for the headier hip hop, that train was grooving and Phrenology gave The Roots a place for alternative hip hop again, mainly cause Dead Prez refused to get that commercial. Anyways, this album is the shit, Kanye is a piece of shit (derogatory) and this is a stellar, creative and fun hip hop album that goes to places and spaces you wouldn't normally take hip hop to go to. Not in the jazz fashion like Guru or Tribe, but even further than that into other genres.

This is really not my genre, but Phrenology was far more interesting, more varied hooks and some standout tracks.

Definitely feels early 2000s, I never liked this era of music. I can't tell if it's because it doesn't sound quality (well-done/well-recorded) or if it's just the vibe of how the music was then. Especially as it relates to rap and hip-hop music. Not for me.

3.5.

I just can't get into The Roots. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 2/5

This makes me think I haven’t actually ever listened to The Roots before… This was very good!

This was pretty good. Not the albums fault but I had to keep stopping and starting all day, which was tiring. I would come back to this, score would probably increase.

Not my favorite Roots album, but still good

Wow, I am very particular with what I like as far as hip hip and rap but this really did it.

Good and varied, somewhere above 4 but below 5 stars.

This is good, but I don't really connect with it. It's also a bit too long. My favorite parts were the more Neo-soul moments.

What a disaster of a decision to be on Fallon

Meh

rap music that has a central theme about the idea of self. for those of you who don't know, phrenology refers to the study of someone's head to indicate someone's personality and perceived intelligence. with fat and stylish hip hop beatflips... this album is nice little soundscape of spoken word and creative instrumentation. the whole album is produced a little messy and a little crazy, with some tracks sounding like they'd come from an entirely different album, but it's the perfect amount where it makes it accessible for a lot of audiences. a window to the mind, this album is...

4/5 Really good album, never heard any of their stuff before, no 5 starts because some of the songs did unnecessarily drag on

I could go a 3.5 or 4 stars, because I'm pretty split on this album. On the one hand, I really do like a lot of the music and the flows of the vocals. However, the lyrical content, like other Roots albums/songs I've heard, are lacking. I feel they have been present/spoken-of as more sophisticated than most of the radio rap and other hip-hop artists, but I feel a small percentage of their lyrics hit a level of other artists like Talib or Mos Def or Jurassic 5 or Del or even Outkast or Gza, et cetera.

I think I respect the Roots more than I like them. Like they go over my head or something because this didn't grab me like at all, despite the fact that I know how influential and monumental they are. 4/10

The Roots are undeniably legends, which seems weird to say as someone who grew up only knowing them as the Tonight Show band. My college roommate turned me onto the Roots. This album is big and has a lot to say, Black Thought is one of the greates rappers of all time. This album has a big idea that works as a whole. Not much I would revisit outside the context of the album. With all the skits and seques and it being a little long I think I'm going to settle at 3/3.5 out of 5

Hip hop tipo Eminem...ta bé,no l'he escoltat tot però bueno...un 5

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

Very good album. Every song sounds different and the transitions to song to song is amazing. Production is great as well.

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

This is not the best Roots album. But, this album is definitely one of the most ambitious and genre-encompassing. My preference is to lean towards Things Fall Apart, The Tipping Point or even Illadelph Half-life when I choose a Roots CD to pop on. That said, a re-listen today shows just how much these guys can master music in all of its varieties, and there are still some absolute bangers on here to boot.

It starts weak, then it hits it groove mid way through only to end weak again

Pretty dreadful. Sounds like a lobotomy, with just as much substance. It is also very, very loud and obnoxious.

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.

Good listen

3.5

3.5, the second half is much more intriguing than the first.

Very ordinary. Nothing surprising, rewarding, or innovative. Drums too loud.

Underrated rap album, I get why people dislike it but I am not one of those people. It is not a great album statement, but it is an amazing collection of songs 4.75 Favorite song:Water Least favorite:Break you off

I really like the combination of rock, hip hop, and some whacky electronic influences.

Ei iskenyt, ja odotin enemmän. 2/5.

3.5 rounded up

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

Rahzel! Sounded like highschool. Good tor a rainy morning.

A mixed bag for me, this varied hip-hop album. Don't like the more R&B songs, but the groovier/rockier songs are better. Still nothing I'd choose to listen to. A maybe slightly harsh 2.

Same ol same ol

Meh

Not bad, but not exactly for me.

There's like 2 songs that I kinda enjoyed, but that doesn't make up for the other songs that are all kinda trash

Rap- hip hop

Good hip-hop early 2000s

Day 61 Not sure I’d ever go back and listen to the full album again but some great tracks on here 7/10 Highlights Sacrifice Break you off Water

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.

You lost me at "push my seed in her bush"

Didn't love it, didn't hate it

Hip Hop's not my thing, but this was a perfectly amiable album albeit a little long.

Not my cup of tea

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.

Enjoyed the variety and elements or rock, R&B and rap all on one album. Some of the musicianship on drums and bass is really cool.

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

Pretty solid rap / hip hop album. The Roots are a good band, and I like their music but when I do listen to them I'm never really blown away with memorable moments. For some reason the sound always comes across as much harder than I remember each time, like more heavy. Unfortunately it's usually a "that sounded cool" and then it's on to something else. "The Seed 2.0" is a great track. It feels like everything really comes together on this one.

quite decent beats, nice flows. never heard it before and I enjoyed it. have saved Rock You and Break You Off to my hip hop playlist

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 saw Roots tour this album back in the day and they were awesome - one of best gigs I've been to. Saw them a few times following this and they never quite recaptured the magic. Have not listened to the album in years - and unfortunately time has not been so kind. A few bangers eg the seed / Rock you / Rolling with Heat - but overall a bit messy and unfocused.

It was alright. The music better than the rapping. Would have thought with the intelligent, diverse music they could be a bit more sophisticated with the rapping, more like Something in the Way of Things. N word needed in every song?

The Seed es una de mis favoritas, pero el resto del disco no está nada mal.

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

You've gotta be kidding me with this crap.

Decent, solid rap album Would have scored a 4 but too much random, unnecessary bullshit

listen to Undun instead.

Didn't get chance to listen to it all. But thought it was generally good.

Enjoyable

Preferred the soul-y ones more but not bad, just a bit too long I think

Nice hip hop

One of the most interesting album listens so far. There's plenty of depth to this album's sound, but I feel that there's a curve here. It begins just fine...but just fine. Then in the middle, it gets really experimental and good before falling back to the end. Suddenly I went from listening to an avant garde hip hop album to falling asleep as a man read me poetry. In addition to this, the random dives into punk, rave and musique-concrete baffled me. A respectable effort as a person that thrives on experimentation, but as a complete album, I leave confused (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)

Quite boring and also jarring in places. Hoped to like this more.

Groovy and energetic at best, disconnected and grating at worst