The Roots - The Tipping Point - 2004 - Geffen Records
After 2002's Phrenology it seems as though The Roots were unsure of where to go next. They knew they wanted to do something different, but what? The answer came together natural: go back to basics. The jam sessions that bred The Tipping Point (as usual, outlined extensively in the liner notes by Questlove) seemed to point to a desire to get back to making music the way The Roots did in the early days. Perhaps that's why this album is their most streamlined in years. When's the last time you saw a major label rap album with a mere ten songs on the tracklisting? But oh what a focused ten tracks they are. This is a lean album... and technically it has a couple of bonus songs hidden at the end. It's also an album that pays serious respect to the Golden Age. Opener "Star," is built over a sampling of Sly Stone's "Everyone Is A Star," complete with Sly himself crooning in the background, and then evolves into an almost shapeless jam session that will eventually mirror the loose closing track "Why (What's Going On?)" which of course could be seen as a titular reference to Marvin Gaye. However most of what's in between these bookends is a love for 80's and 90's hip hop. Not only the hip hop that made Questlove and Black Thought want to start a band to begin with, but ultimately the same hip hop that they would be early peers with as well. "Guns Are Drawn" for instance is reminiscent of mid-90's beats built on simple keyboard stabs (Sadat X's "The Lump Lump" comes to mind for one). "Stay Cool" purposely samples the same Al Hirt beat that was the foundation for the classic De La Soul single "Ego Trippin' Part 2." The track "Web" goes back even further to the very beginning of The Roots as a band - with just Black Thought rhyming intensely and Questlove almost struggling to keep pace. It's an amazing (though brief) performance that was attempted with "Thought @ Work" on Things Fall Apart but sounds even more developed here. However the best homage here - and one that may be missed by many listeners is on "Boom!" when Black Thought does an entire verse personations of two of his own heroes - Big Daddy Kane and Kool G. Rap. This is really an incredible vocal performance that needs to be heard to be believed. While The Tipping Point is probably mostly remembered by its lone single (and weakest album cut) "Don't Say Nuthin'," (produced by ex-Root, Scott Storch!) that's a total shame. This is really The Roots at their most focused and actually a very easily approachable intro for anyone that's not already a fan.