Album of the Day
Title: Do You Want More?!!!??!
Artist: The Roots
I wrote this review for a class freshman year at GWU. Feedback is encouraged.
UW 20, Sect. 68
2-27-06
Do You Want More?!!!??! by The Roots: A New Brand of Hip-Hop
Throughout a career spanning nearly 20 years, most of it in obscurity, The Roots have been nothing more than a dynamic force in the music community. They pioneered the art of live, organic hip-hop and with the release of Do You Want More?!!!??! (1994) their authentic musicality and instrumentation was introduced to the general public. Do You Want More? is a creative diversification of hip-hop, and an essential contribution to further innovations in the genre.
At the time of Do You Want More?’s release, The Roots consisted of two MCs (Black Thought and Malik B.), a drummer (Ahmir “?eustlove” Thompson), a bassist (Leonard “Hub” Hubbard), and a keyboardist (Scott Storch, now a famous producer and beat-maker). The live instrumentation of the group’s core members is occasionally supplemented by the beat-boxing of Rahzel (aka The Godfather of Noize). Several tracks, such as “Datskat” and “Essaywhuman,” feature trumpet and saxophone, augmenting the album’s naturally jazzy feel. Therefore, the album’s overall sound is best described as hip-hop jazz.
Most of the songs have a loosely structured rhythm and melody, sounding much like a jam session. The lyrical delivery of Black Thought and Malik B. has an improvisational feel, appropriately imitating the beats formed by the group’s instrumentation. With the exception of “Lazy Afternoon,” “Swept Away,” “You Ain’t Fly,” and “Silent Treatment,” the lyrical content of the album has no specific theme, but is more of a dialogue or contest between Black Thought and Malik B., each flaunting their capabilities as an MC. “Proceed” exemplifies this back-and-forth rap dialogue, as Thought and Malik take turns introducing themselves as MCs, in between a catchy chorus of “I shall proceed, and continue, to rock the mic.” “Mellow My Man” is another of these tracks, in which the talented lyricists finish many of each other’s sentences. This lyrical duality is taken a step further on the song “? Vs. Rahzel,” a battle of noise between the lively drums of Questlove and the extraordinary beat-boxing and vocal impersonations of Rahzel.
The free association of words employed in this album generally serves to portray the intricacies of life as a passionate MC, consumed by hip-hop. This effect is produced most impressively on “Distortion to Static,” on which Black Thought asserts, “I’m every MC, it’s all in me, that’s the way it is, the way it gotta be.” The exclusive understanding of hip-hop expressed in “Distortion to Static” is further substantiated in the track “Swept Away.” On this song, Thought and Malik B. belittle and discredit the tiresome lyrical acts of many of their contemporaries, scoffing, “MCs who slept for days must be swept away,” over a fittingly oscillating, soothing melody.
In addition to its improvisational tracks, Do You Want More? features lyrically themed songs, which are equally impressive. “Lazy Afternoon” is a descriptive, playful narrative about a typical hip-hop summer weekend. The most entertaining of these subject-based cuts is “You Ain’t Fly,” an insightful and potently amusing commentary about superficial women and the dating game. It features a surprisingly impressive verse from drummer Questlove, in which he pursues a girl, and after being bluntly turned down, self-pityingly remarks, “I started lyin’ to myself – she wasn’t that fly.” The subsequent track, “Silent Treatment,” continues upon the topic of women and dating with a moving personal account of a neglectful and detached girlfriend.
The most dynamic and musically inspiring song on this album, “Datskat,” is in a category of its own. It combines an array of instrumentation, with trumpet, saxophone, upright bass, and even a kazoo, in addition to the group’s core instruments and Rahzel’s beat-boxing. This bold experimentation creates an invigorating overall sound, characterized by a blend of be-bop, free jazz, funk, and of course hip-hop. The technical musicianship of “Datskat” exceeds the expectations of any hip-hop group, even one as talented as The Roots.
Although its sound occasionally meanders and its lyrical content lacks the inspiring socially-conscious observations of The Roots’ later albums, Do You Want More? is an innovative musical experience, and nothing less than exhilarating to listen to. It ingeniously applies jazzy elements into organic, instrumented hip-hop, producing a breathtaking hybrid of sound. After listening to Do You Want More?, any hip-hop head will be answering the question posed by the album title with an emphatic yes.
Artist: The Roots
I wrote this review for a class freshman year at GWU. Feedback is encouraged.
UW 20, Sect. 68
2-27-06
Do You Want More?!!!??! by The Roots: A New Brand of Hip-Hop
Throughout a career spanning nearly 20 years, most of it in obscurity, The Roots have been nothing more than a dynamic force in the music community. They pioneered the art of live, organic hip-hop and with the release of Do You Want More?!!!??! (1994) their authentic musicality and instrumentation was introduced to the general public. Do You Want More? is a creative diversification of hip-hop, and an essential contribution to further innovations in the genre.
At the time of Do You Want More?’s release, The Roots consisted of two MCs (Black Thought and Malik B.), a drummer (Ahmir “?eustlove” Thompson), a bassist (Leonard “Hub” Hubbard), and a keyboardist (Scott Storch, now a famous producer and beat-maker). The live instrumentation of the group’s core members is occasionally supplemented by the beat-boxing of Rahzel (aka The Godfather of Noize). Several tracks, such as “Datskat” and “Essaywhuman,” feature trumpet and saxophone, augmenting the album’s naturally jazzy feel. Therefore, the album’s overall sound is best described as hip-hop jazz.
Most of the songs have a loosely structured rhythm and melody, sounding much like a jam session. The lyrical delivery of Black Thought and Malik B. has an improvisational feel, appropriately imitating the beats formed by the group’s instrumentation. With the exception of “Lazy Afternoon,” “Swept Away,” “You Ain’t Fly,” and “Silent Treatment,” the lyrical content of the album has no specific theme, but is more of a dialogue or contest between Black Thought and Malik B., each flaunting their capabilities as an MC. “Proceed” exemplifies this back-and-forth rap dialogue, as Thought and Malik take turns introducing themselves as MCs, in between a catchy chorus of “I shall proceed, and continue, to rock the mic.” “Mellow My Man” is another of these tracks, in which the talented lyricists finish many of each other’s sentences. This lyrical duality is taken a step further on the song “? Vs. Rahzel,” a battle of noise between the lively drums of Questlove and the extraordinary beat-boxing and vocal impersonations of Rahzel.
The free association of words employed in this album generally serves to portray the intricacies of life as a passionate MC, consumed by hip-hop. This effect is produced most impressively on “Distortion to Static,” on which Black Thought asserts, “I’m every MC, it’s all in me, that’s the way it is, the way it gotta be.” The exclusive understanding of hip-hop expressed in “Distortion to Static” is further substantiated in the track “Swept Away.” On this song, Thought and Malik B. belittle and discredit the tiresome lyrical acts of many of their contemporaries, scoffing, “MCs who slept for days must be swept away,” over a fittingly oscillating, soothing melody.
In addition to its improvisational tracks, Do You Want More? features lyrically themed songs, which are equally impressive. “Lazy Afternoon” is a descriptive, playful narrative about a typical hip-hop summer weekend. The most entertaining of these subject-based cuts is “You Ain’t Fly,” an insightful and potently amusing commentary about superficial women and the dating game. It features a surprisingly impressive verse from drummer Questlove, in which he pursues a girl, and after being bluntly turned down, self-pityingly remarks, “I started lyin’ to myself – she wasn’t that fly.” The subsequent track, “Silent Treatment,” continues upon the topic of women and dating with a moving personal account of a neglectful and detached girlfriend.
The most dynamic and musically inspiring song on this album, “Datskat,” is in a category of its own. It combines an array of instrumentation, with trumpet, saxophone, upright bass, and even a kazoo, in addition to the group’s core instruments and Rahzel’s beat-boxing. This bold experimentation creates an invigorating overall sound, characterized by a blend of be-bop, free jazz, funk, and of course hip-hop. The technical musicianship of “Datskat” exceeds the expectations of any hip-hop group, even one as talented as The Roots.
Although its sound occasionally meanders and its lyrical content lacks the inspiring socially-conscious observations of The Roots’ later albums, Do You Want More? is an innovative musical experience, and nothing less than exhilarating to listen to. It ingeniously applies jazzy elements into organic, instrumented hip-hop, producing a breathtaking hybrid of sound. After listening to Do You Want More?, any hip-hop head will be answering the question posed by the album title with an emphatic yes.
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