The Roots-How I Got Over

I’m hearing more people talk about the Roots this summer than ever before.  Their buzz right now makes it feel almost like they are the hot new band on the scene.  Despite the constant changes that the group has gone through, they have been a trendsetting and edgy fixture in hip-hop for about fifteen years, dropping a classic album or two in between consistently great efforts throughout their entire catalogue.  How I Got Over is no different, and I for one and am glad they are finally getting more of the recognition that they deserve.

When the Roots took the job as the stage band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon about two years ago, I was concerned that their musical output, both in quantity and quality, might decline.  How I Got Over is their first full-length recording since this happened, and it was a breath of fresh air to hear that the quality is still there.  Like many others I’ve talked to or read I believe that this could actually be a serious mention as their best album yet.  Black Thought, who has long been one of the most underrated MCs in the game, has transformed from an aggressive, take-no-prisoners battle rapper to a deeply reflective and thoughtful poet.  That’s not to say he’s lost his gritty edge – make no mistake, Thought still gives it to you raw (listen to “Doin’ It Again” if you doubt), but starting with 2006’s Game Theory, we began to hear small revelations about the man behind the mic, Mr. Tariq Trotter (Thought).  In How I Got Over, he continues to display that lyrical growth, as this album is built from soul-stirring personal testimonies and everyday life experience.  The album’s mood is not dark, but mellow-smooth, sometimes somber, sometimes uplifting.  It’s a highly conceptual work, as the album’s title is indicative of the tone and theme of the story that is told from start to finish in this LP.  ?uestlove’s drumming keeps the mid-tempo flow constant, making the musicality of the narrative match the lyrical content well; it almost sound like one long song with different parts and phases rather than 14 individual ones.  How I Got Over is life theme music, Roots-style, and has a vibe that’s chill enough where you can listen to it starting your day off in the morning and chillin’ with your love partner in the evening.

There are a plethora of featured artists, including the normal Roots crew affiliates and Philly natives Dice Raw, Peedi Peedi and P.O.R.N., along with several others (I was particularly thrilled to see my favorite artist, Phonte Coleman (of Little Brother, The Foreign Exchange) featured twice, as well as up-and-coming talent Blu from LA with two cameos as well).  But even though the Roots continue to draw on a wide range of artistic contributions both within the group itself and through features, How I Got Over has coherence and synergy that really draws in the listener.  With Black Thought spitting lines like “You can’t escape the history that you was made to make/That’s why the highest victory is what I’m meant to take/You came to celebrate, I came to cerebrate/I hate losing I refuse to make the same mistakes,” it is unmistakable that the Roots feel the lack of getting their just due as a premier band in the music world is the motivation for how they got over... and they continue to blaze forward.