The Roots have an undeniable knack for balancing sparse, yet perfectly textured musical backdrops with elite lyricism. Their music thrives on making sonic complexities seem simple. The array of emcees, fronted by Black Thought, are given ample room to rock over subtle melodies and Questlove’s masterful drum arrangements.

Questlove is neither an ostentatious drummer nor merely a human metronome, but a musical architect with an impeccable ear for detail; his drums are always perfectly placed and layered. Black Thought, known for his unwavering consistency, never fails to impress with his precise flow permeating every track he’s on. This is unquestionably Black Thought’s show, but Malik B, Dice Raw and others help form a solid supporting cast. ”Things Fall Apart” begins with dialogue sampled from Spike Lee’s “Mo’ Better Blues” followed by an excerpt about the supposed disposability and lack of artistic credit in hip hop. This dialogue is significant because of the conflict that many hip hop artists face in attempting to appease their audience while remaining true to themselves.

“Things Fall Apart” is not dark in a sinister manner, but dark like an eerily quiet city in the wee hours of the morning. The one-two punch of “Step Into The Realm” and “The Spark” are like walking in a dark, damp alleyway as each layer of music blends together like the city’s opaque surroundings under the moon light. “Dynamite” has Black Thought going back and forth with Elo over Jay Dee‘s chopped up guitar samples while “Without A Doubt” has the legendary Roots crew paying tribute to Schooly D’s “Saturday Night”. I could continue until I’ve mentioned every track on the album as “Things Fall Apart” is packed front to back with highlights that range from the delicately arranged “Act Too (Love Of My Life)” to the hypnotic hit “You Got Me”. Simply put, “Things Fall Apart” is, in my opinion, The Roots’ masterpiece and that’s no small feat considering their amazing discography.

by Kyle