Rising Down - The Roots
Rising Down Image
  • Summary: The latest studio album from the hip-hop group features Common, Malik B, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Styles P, Wale, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, amongst others guest artists.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 27
  2. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. With an incongruent Fall Out Boy track set aside for single duty and all those rappers a dream community taking the burden off Black Thought, this is the most accomplished pure hip-hop album in years.
  2. Encapsulating everything that has come to pass since their debut with "Organix" in 1993, Rising Down is the best The Roots release to date, bar none.
  3. This time, the Mos Def/Common/Talib triumvirate contribution is expectedly solid. Saigon proves his debut's delay is criminal. Malik B shows how much he needs to be the permanent Prince Po to Thought's Pharoahe Monch. And Kamal, Hubbard and ?uestlove flesh out a series of sonically stunning numbers midway through.

See all 27 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. DunD
    10
    Thanks for save "Real Hip-Hop".
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. LouisD.
    10
    ATTENTION: The Roots Crew are officially back on the map with another stellar album. With the amount of plastic the music industry has been releasing over the last few years, one would be hard pressed not to believe that they are a primary contributor to the world's ever-growing oil crisis. This album is a breath of fresh air in a world polluted by highly-commercialized and pablum-filled music. Rising Down is raw enough for those who have grown up during the golden age of hip-hop ('86-'95) and fluid enough for those who need a real history lesson. We must give props to The Roots Crew for this most recent release that not only displays their depth and true mastery of the craft but also for keeping the essence of real hip-hop alive. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. RadoslavP.
    10
    Simply the best rap has to offer - phylosophical and politicly aware - it just makes you think about life.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 11 User Reviews

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