Tipping Point (Explicit Version) CD

MUSIC

RAP / HIP-HOP

Song Listing

Disc 1

Song Title

1. Star/Pointro ~ The Roots

2. I Don't Care ~ The Roots

3. Don't Say Nuthin' ~ The Roots

4. Guns Are Drawn ~ The Roots

5. Stay Cool ~ The Roots

6. Web ~ The Roots

7. Boom! ~ The Roots

8. Somebody's Gotta Do It ~ The Roots

9. Duck Down! ~ The Roots

10. Why (What's Goin' On?) ~ The Roots

Philadelphia's Roots, popularly regarded as among today's most innovative, adventurous and influential bands, have just completed The Tipping Point, their new album. The Tipping Point, says Roots founding member and drummer Ahmir Thompson, is the "sum of our 6 records and our 12 years as a band. Most of our album titles are chosen to reflect on the mood of where the group is and we feel as though this album is our biggest step".

The Tipping Point is the Roots' follow-up to their Grammy-nominated album 'Phrenology.' On that lauded album, the Roots created a "blueprint for twenty-first-century pop music," (Rolling Stone). With contributions from Jean Grae, Martin Luther, Devin the Dude, guitarist Captain Kirk Douglas, producer Scott Storch and comedian Dave Chappelle, The Tipping Point also highlights the collective of artists and producers who the Roots have championed throughout their career. Elsewhere on the record, comedian Dave Chappelle makes an appearance on "In Love With (The Mic)" and the group also pays homage to Sly and the Family Stone with a "virtual" duet on "Everybody is a Star."

Album Notes and Credits

Notes & Personnel Info
	The Roots: Black Thought (vocals); Kamal (keyboards); Hub Moore (bass guitar); ?uestlove (drums).
	Additional personnel: Captain Kirk Douglas (guitar); Devin, Jean Grae, Martin Luther.
	Since their inception, Philadelphia's Roots could always be counted on to expand the edges of hip-hop. PHRENOLOGY marked the height of the troupe's experimentation with punk breaks, long jazz loops, and raps ranging from the hardcore to the whimsical. For that album's follow-up, THE TIPPING POINT, the outfit smoothes off some of the edges for a more conventional rap release, but as it's a Roots record, the result is still resoundingly innovative.
	When the theme from the TV show KNIGHT RIDER is inserted into "Don't Say Nuthin'," what ensues is a sinister sonic landscape. When the Roots throw in a previously mined sample, as with Al Hirt's "Harlem Hendo" on "Stay Cool," they twist it around and break it down in a manner no other artist would even imagine. Meanwhile, Black Thought, that MC of immeasurable coolness, flies fancifully over the beats and grooves with the greatest of ease, flexing his muscle on "Web" and laying back on "I Don't Care." THE TIPPING POINT is a simple outing by Roots standards, but still a refreshing and remarkable album.
Producer: Ahmir Thompson; Scott Storch; Tahir Jamal; Melvin "Chaos" Lewis; Zoukhan

Compilation Appearances

	Chant Down Babylon
	Collateral
	2k6 Tracks
	Yo Gabba Gabba:Music Is Awesome
	Music Is Awesome Volume 4
	Everything But The Girl

Associated Artists and Works

	Angry String Orchestra
	Ash
	Legend, John

Technical Info

	Release Date : 07/13/2004
	Original Release Date : 2004
	Catalog ID : 0002573
	Label : Geffen
	Number of Discs : 1
	Studio/Live : Studio
	Mono/Stereo : Stereo
	SPAR Code : n/a
	UPC : 00602498623763

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.108)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "[With] buttery pop choruses, hard-as-hell hookless spitting, jittery programmed beats...and it's got a bunch of impressive ideas."

Spin (pp.101-2)
- "THE TIPPING POINT is a different kind of change-up: a straight-ahead rap album with tracks culled from a variety of mostly unknown producers....The last tracks is a testament to the group's golden A&R touch." - Grade: B

Entertainment Weekly (p.76)
- "[A]n eclectic and often breezy reimagining of hip-hop's energetic essence." - Grade: B

Q (p.113)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "[With] structure, innocence and a polished pop sensibility, albeit of a subtle, measured kind....It feels like a whole lot of fun."

Vibe (p.140)
- 4 out of 5 - "[O]pting for politically charged rhymes and melodic, accessible beats, Black Thought, ?uestlove, and company overflow with potential singles."

Mojo (Publisher)
(p.92)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "[I]t's on the swarming, free-form 'Outro' that The Roots sound most alive....[The] tension makes THE TIPPING POINT's finest moments so electrifying."

BloomReach Content

Tipping Point (Explicit Version) (2004)

Product Details: