Article: `Tipping Point' could mean wider appeal for The Roots.(Newsday)

Byline: Glenn Gamboa

The Roots are ready to rumble.

On "Don't Say Nuthin," the Philadelphia-based quartet's current single, it throws down against the seemingly endless parade of gangsta rap wannabes.

First, it rolls out a gritty, hard-edged beat that most could only dream of. Then, rapper Black Thought spits a torrent of nonsense, linking together gangsta cliches into a verse before mumbling through a chorus where the only recognizable words are "Give it here," "Cut the check" and "Don't say nuthin." By the end, Black Thought offers a warning to the here-today- gone-by-lunch hitmakers: "I'll still be on the ground when it all collapse and if ...

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