y'all know who

Yes. The legendary Roots crew. They dropped their 9th studio disc this week, How I Got Over. I don't know what's gotten into me lately, but I have been breathing hip-hop. All the old school talk of the last few weeks has stuck with me. I've even gone so far as to investigate some of the newer cats in an effort to quench my thirst. No luck. T.I. can't seem to make a record that actually captures his greatness. Lupe Fiasco is interesting, but not mind blowing. Talib Kweli is dependable, although I almost gave up on him when Eardrum was released. When you start listing guest MCs AND the producers of each track on the outside of your packaging, you're pretty darn close to selling out. Kweli regained my trust with this years Reflection Eternal album, Revolutions Per Minute. And now to really hit that hip-hop sweet spot I've got How I Got Over.

I will admit, when I first heard the Roots were going to be the house band for Jimmy Fallon's late night show I instantly felt it was the end of the band. I didn't understand what ?uestlove and company were thinking. Then Hub quit the band and I really started to lose hope. I don't like it when founding members leave. It changes things. But maybe I just have an issue with change. This is a band that was known for their tireless touring, billed as the best show in the business (I can testify, it's extremely energetic and entertaining) and now they are stuck in New York five days a week for six months out of the year. However, around this time last year I caught a clip of the Roots performing their new song "How I Got Over" on Fallon's show and it suddenly made sense to me. Free air time. In those five minutes they played to their largest audience ever, through TV's across the country. They get to do this five nights a week. That's the kind of exposure most bands drool over. I still wasn't sure about Black Thought dressing up like a cast member of Star Trek and rapping about intergalactic pimping, but I decided maybe they knew something I didn't.

One listen to How I Got Over and I'm completely over the network television thing. It is an obvious return to greatness from one of my most beloved rap groups of all time (it helps that they're from Illadelph, but I can remember listening to '95s Do You Want More?!!??! on cassette after basketball practice in the D.C. suburbs). The album is easily their most cohesive, flowing from one track to the next effortlessly. The live drum sound that made them famous is back and as present as ever after being over taken by production grease and what seemed like a desire for more mainstream appeal on Rising Down and Game Theory. It's almost as if being forced to stay in one place (Fallon's show) has caused the band to regain a sense of who they are and allowed them to create a new sound that is both organic and modern. Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising. I have learned myself that new things are born from stillness. All the touring was necessary for financial purposes I'm sure, but I wonder what they would say about how it effected their ability to create new music.

How I Got Over finds Black Thought taking a more reserved role, sharing the mic with other home grown talent, like old time friend Dice Raw, and more recent addition Peedi Peedi (who has sounded like a completely different MC since joining the fold on Game Theory). Then there are totally new faces like STS, Blu (whose 2007 debut Below the Heavens is also quite good) and Indie darlings Joanna Newsome, Monsters of Folk and the Dirty Projectors. Those last few names certainly made me raise my eyebrows. How does that work? Rather well, actually. Their additions are subtle, with the exception of "Dear God 2.0" which is essentially a remix of the Monsters of Folk original but may also be the best track on this album. All of this makes it seem as if Black Thought has finally let go of his Jay-Z-status ambitions and is fully dedicated to the Roots vision in a way that we haven't heard since their classic Things Fall Apart. Maybe the regular spot light of late night television has satisfied Thought's desire for a broader audience, but whatever the reason he's figured out that less is often more. I found myself waiting for his turn on the mic while enjoying the change of pace when he passes it to one of his comrades.

This album is the whole package. The live sound blended with simple production techniques, the guest shots from familiar names and local unknowns and the refined work of a veteran crew who has really found their stride. My only complaint is the short running time, clocking in at just over 42 minutes it can really breeze by but perhaps that's most appropriate. It's lean, efficient and rediscovered.