Getting Down to the Roots

The Roots are my favorite rap group. This became apparent to me after I listened to their song "Atonement" of their 2006 release Game Theory (currently my favorite Roots album). What originally drew me to the track was the interesting instrumentation, which included an accordion, an instrument not usually found in The Root's sound pallet. On a second listen, I noticed that the chord progression of the song sounded familiar. I instantly thought of "You and Whose Army" by Radiohead, but I dismissed the similarity as coincidence. With another listen I realized that the guitar line was in fact a sample of the Radiohead song, accompanied by a sample of Thom Yorke's vocals. While I was originally surprised by this because I never really noticed The Root's sampling, I nonetheless had to give them props on music taste. Radiohead samples aside, what makes this track great is the classic Roots sound. The bass keeps a solid groove and the drum holds down the beat while keeping it interesting. The track features Jack Davey of J*Davey, laying down a sultry chorus.

The power of The Roots lies in the band. The problem with a lot of rap music these days is that it sounds too produced. The sounds are synthetic and everything is wrapped all too tightly in a box. A live band will always sound better than electronic instruments. There's more energy, more power, and more substance. It's raw, edgy, and real. Also important to consider is how multiple musicians can affect the song writing process. Instead of having one producer and one vocalist working on a song, there is more creative input with the inclusion of different musical voices.

The Roots have inspired many imitators, however none can compare. A principal reason for this is that The Roots are always changing things up. The formula for their albums is never the same. The Roots always keep it fresh, changing their style and featuring different collaborators every time.