Organix

by

The Roots

Edit

If you're already a fan of The Roots, then run out and get this album. Actually, anyone that claims to love rap music should experience this album at least once. The production is more stripped down when compared to later releases, but the raw energy dispensed by this album more than makes up for it. You can tell that they hadn't quite begun to gel as a group yet (they hadn't even settled on a name yet because the refer to themselves as SQT or The Square Roots on several occasions), but they still manage to create the same magic vibe that's present on their other albums. You can tell that this was a young, hungry group that had a great time making a fun album. You can hear the jazz influence throught out the entire album. Be warned though, you won't find any appearances from Ursula Rucker, Rahzel, Scratch, or Dice Raw. It's still a tight LP though.

There are one or two rough spots on the album though. "The Session", while incredibly dope, is a bit long-winded (12:45). And there are times when the production can be VERY dry. All complaints about this album end there.

In short: This album is basically a rough draft of what was to come later on down the road. It's dope, but it's also stripped down and raw......and this listener loved it. I highly reccomended picking up this album if you want to witness the magic and early hunger of a classic group. The Roots never drop anything wack and this album is no exception.

Standout Tracks: Leonard I-V, The Anti-Circle, Good Music, Essaywhuman!!! (Live At The Soulshack), Grits, Pass The Popcorn (My Favorite), The Session (Longest Posse Cut In History), and Popcorn Revisited

P.S. - Whoever was responsible for the marketing and promotion of this album should've been demoted to the mail boy or something. The lack of promotion for this album borders on criminal.

Judging from their debut album, Organix, The Roots, now one of the most musically established and socially conscious, were just having fun (as said in "The Session") when they started as a local band in Philadelphia. The band's sound is a simple jazzy funk with raps, which are sometimes more poetry-reading-like. Notably there are many polyrhythmic voice ensembles heard, which may be influenced from African music. Each of four rappers--Black Thought, Kid Crumbs (whose husky voice has a sharp contrast to the others; sad he left the band after this album), Malik Blunt, and ?uestlove--has his own unique voice characteristic and rhyming style; the contrast is entertaining to listeners. Particularly, drummer ?uestlove's naturally laid back voice and rhyme, which would be rarely heard later, are fun to listen. Several tracks such as "Essawhamah?" and "The Session" serve as showcases of authentic hip hop sessions, which still take place every single corner of the world.