In their latest release, the foreboding and ambitious Game Theory, Philadelphia hip-hop veterans the Roots exhaust little time and mince few rhymes before conveying the monolithic cloud of social and political turmoil that shrouds our nation. The first full-length track, ""False Media,"" depicts a disoriented country stuck inside the nightmare of Columbine High School, a country where ""Eleven million children are on Ritalin."" They explain resolutely, ""That's why I don't rhyme / For the sake of riddling."" Game Theory earnestly identifies with America's struggling youth and couples raw, emotionally vivid poetry with nuanced, funk-inspired riffs, offering a dark, stimulating hip-hop experience par excellence.
Widely renowned for their live performances, the Roots distinguish themselves from the majority of their hip-hop peers not only through their sophisticated verse, but also by their jaw-dropping command and ingenuity with their respective musical instruments. Their boisterous performances boast a unique pedigree of jazz, funk, rock and hip-hop resembling the hypothetical offspring of a Herbie Hancock, Led Zeppelin and Public Enemy musical mAcnage A trois. However, this six-piece underground ensemble's studio releases have garnered only moderate acclaim and have consistently slipped under the radar of musical immortality. After eight releases, only three have reached gold status and none have attained platinum. Game Theory, their first release with Def Jam Records, possesses the irresistible combination of musical ear candy and tight, thought provoking lyrics that could reap both popular and critical celebration.
If you're listening to this CD and find yourself netting a considerable amount of stares while crossing through Library Mall or trekking up Bascom Hill, it's undoubtedly due to the subconscious and entirely involuntary reflex of head-bobbing and knee-jerking this album elicits. The Roots navigate their listeners through this deeply layered, hypnotic hip-hop high with a buffet of delectable beats, a barrage of heart-thumping percussion and a steady diet of guest performances, including a scathing, polemical poetic interlude by Wadud Ahmad in ""Take It There."" Each track flows seamlessly into the next, riding a wave of paranoia and uncertainty that dominates the album, epitomized by tracks like ""Don't Feel Right"" and ""In The Music,"" which touch on poverty and the panic of Hurricane Katrina, admonishing listeners to ""Watch who you put all your trust in"" and paint a desperate picture of the violence that plagues inner city youth: ""The youth just lost and they want direction / But they don't get the police they get the protection / And walk around with heat like Charlton Heston.""
From the frenetic, roof-raising ""Here I Come"" to the heartfelt, eight-minute homage to the late, legendary rap producer J Dilla,""Can't Stop This,"" Game Theory offers a stirring, infectious musical experience that is nothing short of hip-hop brilliance.
