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Article: The Roots, Hitting Pay Dirt; On 'Things Fall Apart,' A Group Comes Together
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- February 21, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Philadelphia hip-hoppers the Roots spent much of their career
trapped between the underground and the mainstream, a surfeit of
critical and peer acclaim and a shortage of commercial success. They
are in good company, both currently (Common, Black Star) and
historically (A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, De La Soul).
Where the Roots have separated themselves from the rap pack is in
performance: Melding the fire of a live band with the cool precision
of studio technology, they are the best live act in hip-hop--
consistent, compelling and convincing.
In the studio, things have been less assured. The 1997 "Illadelph
Halflife," which incorporated loops and samples noticeably absent
from the ...