Oh man...The Roots have have decided to go "conceptual" on their 10th(finally) effort. Do you know what that means readers? One of the greatest intellectual bands ever is about to laser beam focus on one linear topic from start to finish just for our listening pleasure..I couldn't wait to crack this album open..
1. Dun-This track starts with a baby crying and the flat line sound..Which is supposed to signify the death of the main character Redford Stephens..Basically an intro 0/0
2. Sleep-Now I don't know about you but I've never heard an wack arrangement from these brothers. Don't expect any drop-off here. This is song is best described as paranoia/insomnia...This Redford dude is conflicted...1/1
3. Make My ft. Big K.R.I.T. & Dice Raw-The roots have always had a revolving roster of MC's so it was a pleasant surprise to hear Big K.R.I.T. lend his vocals to further tell this story of Redford which at this point is contemplating death and lamenting about the life he is lving. Then its a crazy instrumental...my favorite song on the album so far..2/2
4. One Time ft. Phonte & Dice Raw- Phonte just came down into the basement to go into the booth..welcome to the party bruh...Aggressive track here..with all three spitting about the proverbial game that he plays and his "gotta get it at any cost" attitude...Crazy good..3/3
5. Kool On- Ft. Greg Porn & Truck North-The Come-Up song..."Stars are made to shine" boasts the hook. Redford is on his ish right now..after that lick he hit in the previous song...Gorgeous Thug status right here..4/4
6. TheOtherSide ft. Bilal and Greg Porn-Time passes for Redford as he begins to get a bit reflective on the life he lived thus far. He also begins to understand the laws of motion..you know...Every Action Has an Equal and Opposite Reaction. 5/5
7. Stomp ft. Greg Porn- Reflection is over as Redford is snapped back into reality and realizes that he has to do what he must to survive or die to simply put it. 6/6
8. Lighthouse ft. Dice Raw-Now this is upbeat but that's the irony of it. The paranoia is back and there a sense of helplessness too...7/7
9. I Remember-Wow dude is really manic..after being paranoid the reflection returns as Black Thought paints a brilliant picture that you can't help but visualize..You can just see this as the part when the Redford is walking down the street, looking dazed with the gun still in his hand...or staring aimlessly out of the train window as it rides, and rides, and rides.....8/8
10. Tip The Scale ft. Dice Raw-There's alot of foreshadowing in this song...Redford is seriously in peril and his back against the wall...with no other choice to shoot his way out...9/9
11.Redford(For Yia Yia and Pappou)
12.Possibility
13.Will to Power
14.Finality
The last four tracks are instrumentals and they basically sum up the lyrical portion of the album. "Redford" is about the hardships and the rise to power. "Possibility" is the rapid downturn and life threatening wounds. "Will to Power" is the fight to stay alive against those injuries. And Finality is just that, Redford is dead. The fast life fully consumed him and left him like many of the brothers and sisters out here whose lives are taken by "the corner". The album speaks to those young men and women. There are countless numbers of young people out here that are caught up in just trying to live and never realize their true potential. This is their soundtrack. This is their story....Simply put...This album is a piece if art, a mirror so to speak, showing America and the world whats going on out here in these streets. Lupe Fiasco hinted at this with "The Cool" some years ago but The Roots just pulled it off.
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