Before all you kids knew them as the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Roots were (and still are) known as one of the most eclectic hip-hop bands that’s gained universal acclaim for their approach to writing songs with elements of soul, jazz, gospel, rock, funk and more. Their album, How I Got Over, a 42 minute portrayal of their feelings toward the end of the Bush presidency and the beginning of the Obama presidency, was finally released last month and it deserves nothing but rave reviews.
Even though this album is much shorter than ones in the past, the lyrical content expressing their messages come across crystal clear in their collaborations with a ton of indie acts. These guest appearances include My Morning Jacket and Monster of Folk‘s Jim James, members of Dirty Projectors, Phonte of Little Brother, the lovely Joanna Newsom and more.
“Right On” featuring Newsom and STS was the first track I heard off of the album and I must admit it has all the right components for an indie crossover hit. Personally, I think Newsom’s Have One On Me is one of the best albums to come out of 2010 but I also know there are some crazy fans of hers out there that will or already have gone crazy over this track. I enjoy the fact that it samples her song, “The Book of Right-On” (taken from her album The Milk-Eyed Mender). It’s interesting to hear how they’ve reworked it. Black Thought and STS also fill the track out in a nice flow making it a brilliant cohesive piece.
Check it out below!
WILD TONIC 