Charles Hughes writes:

If, to borrow a phrase from Jeff Chang, the best current hip-hop is about “embracing the ambivalence” of modern life, exploring both the opportunities and the pitfalls of our brave new world, then few artists have been as willing to wade into the deep end than The Roots, the Philly crew that – for the past decade – has been turning out some of the most consistently interesting and exciting popular music, of any genre.  Their live shows are deservedly legendary, their track record increasingly impressive, and recently their cachet has never been higher, thanks to some friends in high places and a loyal group of fans. 

On their latest release, Rising Down, the crew, led by MC Black Thought and drummer/musical director Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, submerge themselves into a relentless dark night of the soul.  It’s not pretty, and it’s not safe, but – in the end – it’s strangely uplifting, further proof that the only way to beat the blues is to hit them straight on.

If their last release, 2006’s towering Game Theory, struck a tone of dark foreboding, Rising Down makes good on that paranoia.  The group has never sounded angrier or more urgent, and they shake the lapels of the listener with unrelenting intensity.  Perhaps part of The Roots’ hostility stems from their contentious relationships with two consecutive record labels, first Geffen and now Def Jam.  Even though Def Jam – under the reign of Roots fan and sometime client Jay-Z – signed the group to much fanfare, Rising Down is clearly a reaction to what some in the group have already criticized as the label’s refusal to fully or properly promote the group’s two Def Jam releases.  Now, while I’m as down for label-hating as anybody, it must be pointed out that the group hasn’t always been the most easy to market, particularly with this Rising Down project.  They unceremoniously dumped first single “Birthday Girl” from the album and iTunes just a few weeks before the release, and Rising Down opens with an uncensored screaming match between Black Thought, ?uestlove, and some of their former Geffen bosses.  Given these tendencies, plus the group’s famous (and glorious) aversion to following each individual trend in the lightning-fast world of commercial hip-hop, it may be that a little of the group’s hostility towards the current music is a bit misplaced.

But only a little of that hostility misses its mark.  For the most part, Rising Down seethes with the righteous indignation (and thunderous musicality) that has helped the Philly crew transcend most of their “conscious”/ “alternative”/ “backpack” hip-hop colleagues for over a decade.  Starting with the album’s cover, a striking callback to the days of plantations and minstrelsy, The Roots’ critique on Rising Down is multifaceted, unflinching, and – importantly – historicized.  They take on global warming in the context of the long tradition of the different punishment standards faced by street criminals versus their white-collar (or straight-up white) counterparts, in the guitar-driven, New Wave-influenced “Criminal.”  “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction),” a fiery tour-de-force for Black Thought, becomes a treatise on the term and concept “nigger” that places the explosive idea in contexts of past and present.  “I Will Not Apologize” invokes Fela Kuti, and “Get Busy” calls the group’s beloved Philly congregations together in the service of the struggle.

This would all be a lot of noise if it weren’t matched by something equally powerful in the music.  Luckily, the band is working on all cylinders on Rising Down, mixing fire-and-brimstone live instrumentation with a subtle bed of synthesizers.  Central to the sound, of course, is ?uestlove’s drumming, and his virtuosity has never been more pronounced.  His fills, soloes and patterns are thunderous beyond belief, and he further proves that he is one of the precious few percussionists who understands the importance of drum tone.  The snaps, crackles and pops of ?uestlove’s kit are as emotive and responsive an instrument as any of the other, more classically melodious elements to the group’s sound.  There is no question who’s driving this train, and every MC present here is smart enough to stay out of Mr. Thompson’s way.  In fact, the best verses are those (like Mos Def’s skittering contribution to “Rising Down”) that act in tandem with the drum track, bouncing back and forth, and giving the drummer some.

Not everything works, unfortunately, and overall Rising Down doesn’t approach the success of its masterful predecessor Game Theory.  It’s neither as consistently solid nor as ultimately exciting.  Occasionally, the self-indulgence that infects so much “conscious”/ “alternative”/ “backpack” hip-hop creeps in to Black Thought’s screeds, and musical mediocrity follows.  Still, particularly for an album that clocks in (thank God) at less than an hour, Rising Down is a fully compelling listen, with some serious high points.  Luckily, it peaks with its closing track, a propulsive concerto called “Rising Up” that demonstrates the crew, along with choice guests Chrissette Michelle and Wale, at the height of their respective and collective powers.  The hook is meditative and almost hymn-like, setting the table before exploding into the verses, where Black Thought and the supremely talented Wale bounce and strut over the top of some deep, go-go-inspired beats from ?uestlove and the crew.  The darkness explodes into the light, not in any easy, zip-a-dee-doo-dah manner, but in the full awareness of the blues at the roots of both.  Assertive and playful, the interplay between Black Thought, Wale and the band only works because of the mournful observance that Michelle’s soaring vocal makes so real in each chorus.

On top of its musical brilliance, “Rising Up” also manages to link the ambivalence that the group embraces throughout Rising Down with the assertive, spiritual transcendence that their embrace of black musical and historical traditions has made their trademark. Anyone who’s been fortunate enough to see the group live has been witness to their mixture of jazz reinvention, gospel energy and rock-and-roll power, and “Rising Up” is as good as Rising Down gets when it comes to linking the sounds and the community together in glorious call-and-response.  In the words of George Clinton, whose influence is all over The Roots’ career, ain’t nothing but a party, y’all, but this is the kind of party that can shake the walls of Babylon.   It’s time to embrace the ambivalence, and I can think of few artists whose guidance I trust more than The Roots.  Let’s get down, and get free…

The Roots “Rising Up” and “Criminal” from Rising Down (Def Jam, 2008)

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