The Tipping Point

Throughout their career, The Roots have always been a better idea on paper than in actual reality. While we may have been crying out for a real live, no bullshit hip-hop outfit, the Philadelphians have never really delivered, at least not in the studio. Album after album appeared, stuffed with dense wordplay, over-complicated instrumentation and crucially not an awful lot to get the party started. In the meantime, the devil – well Eminem at any rate – has had all the best tunes.
What changed in the run up to The Tipping Point is unclear but there has been a marked change of gear, resulting in their most accessible and downright enjoyable record to date. It’s a revelation. Track after track display the kind of deft pop touch that they had previously only ever hinted at, yet this is far from another exercise in Black Eyed Peas style froth. The playing is obviously live but, given that all the tracks sprang from jam sessions, encouragingly focused.
Black Thought raps with authority, combining social comment with frequent throwbacks to the old school party plan. They still have axes to grind yet leave these largely to ?uestlove’s rambling sleeve notes, and only bonus track ‘Melting Pot’ sees them descend into the old self indulgence with a fifteen minute funk instrumental – but even that just goes to show what a leap forward the rest of The Tipping Point really is. The Roots have lightened up, tightened up and they sound all the better for it.