Philadelphia, PA is known primarily for Cheesesteaks, but in music, particularly hip hop, no other philli fame goes any higher than Illadelph's own The Roots. Led by Black Thought and Malik B, this hip hop "band" has hit us with classic after classic album. Their highly respected debut Organix, though decent, was highly slept on. They didnt attain a somewhat cult following until they achieved the masterful work that they did on their sophomore album Do You Want More?, which what im reviewing right here.

Track List & Rating

18. Intro/There’s Something Goin’ On (NOT RATED)
19. Proceed (*****)
20. Distortion to Static (******)
21. Mellow My Man (*****)
22. I Remain Calm (****)
23. Datskat (****)
24. Lazy Afternoon (***)
25. ? vs. Rahzel (NOT RATED)
26. Do You Want More?!!!??! (****)
27. What Goes On pt. 7 f/ Myself (*****)
28. Essaywhuman?!!!??! (****)
29. Swept Away (****)
30. You Ain’t Fly (****)
31. Silent Treatment (*****)
32. The Lesson pt. 1 (*****)
33. The Unlocking f/ Ursula Rucker (NOT RATED)


Skipping past the intro, we get to the first real track on Do You Want More, which happens to not only be the first Roots Classic ever, but the first Roots Video that i had ever seen. On the legendary "Proceed", Black Thought rhymes an amazing multi-syllable flow of pure battle rhymes and braggadiocio, and soon after Malik B takes the mic. The hook is one of the most memorable and famous ones in hip hop, and so is the instrumental. Featuring a sombre bassline, samples, simple drums, along with all of the jazzy soundings, make this track a classic.

The other side of this classic track is the Malik-B solo "Distortion to Static", which happens to be the second single. The extremely laid-back production and laid-back, yet intelligent lyricism proves that Malik B is as close to being equal to Black Thought as possible. Everybody does their part on this song, featuring an addicting beatbox from Rahzel for the hook. Malik B's true talent is shown on this amazing track as he spits incredibly well-thought out punchlines in this next classic, his own "Proceed". You can watch the videos for both songs on the Phrenology bonus DVD.

"Mellow My Man" features both Black Thought and Malik B trading braggadiocio verses. Lyrically, this track is top notch, as well as instrumental-wise. Featuring a laid-back jazzy bassline, drums and all, this provides a relaxing backdrop for the tight rhymes spat by the Roots vocalists. Listening to this track shows me that The Roots have mastered the art of combining Jazz and Hip Hop in an amazing fusion, specially on this song, and i am CONVINCED that fans of Jazz music will dig this song. I mean, how could they not?

Skipping ahead we get to "What Goes On pt 7". This track switches up the typical rock and jazz instrumental and goes for a more west coast style of G-Funk. However, instead of giving us loud G-Funk, the Roots provide more laid-back G-Funk, but the synthesizers and "wah wah" guitars, are obviously still intact. Of course, the instrumental is simply the icing on the cake for the unique old school braggadiocio that Malik and Thought spit on the mic. They are also joined by Myself aka Elo the Cosmic Eye, who is simply average at times, but the others make it a more than listenable song.

One of the things that has helped The Roots attain the remarkable cult success is the overall strength of their live performances. If you've never been to a live concert from The Roots, you are missing out on a piece of history in the making. When The Roots perform live, they always drop the best songs and rock the house. The Roots give us a glimpse into their live concerts with "Essaywhuman?!!!??!". We get a sample of their talent with Black Thought rapping a very comical jamaican freestyle over some improvised instrumentation, which showcases their incredible talent which many groups fail to have.

On "You Aint Fly" we get most of what we've become accustomed to on this album, laid back braggadiocio. However, after listening to Black Thought and Malik B rhyme, we are treated to something that Roots fans have awaited since their debut, and an even that only happened once. We are treated to listening to the great drummer ?uestlove actually RAP. Believe it or not. Granted he isnt as skilled as Black Thought on the mic, he still holds his own without falling at all. This surprised me as an added treat and i enjoyed it.

The last song id like to examine is the emotional Black Thought solo "Silent Treatment" about the hardships of a relationship. Black Thought gives us first person narratives on a female whom he loved, and storytells as to how he met her, and their hardships. The Thought dedicates this one to her, and its a very well-written and thoughtful track. The instrumental uses some soft saxophone, a catchy bassline, simple drums, and some lowkey guitars, and some faint violins.

So if youd like to stretch the borders of hip hop beyond just rap and take it to rock, jazz, and soul, then the Roots have the right recipe and the ingredients to make a tasty tasty sandwich of music. First class emceeing, use of real instruments, beat boxing, we get so many good things that its beyond mental capacity. So its pretty easy to answer the question that pertains to the title of the album, and Do You Want More? is yet another addition to the Roots cadre of great albums, beyond that of just regular hip hop.

4 Stars

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Going to Sleep