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Article: The Roots' 'Phrenology' takes on hip-hop ho-hum
- Article from:
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI)
- Article date:
- November 29, 2002
- Author:
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Copyright informationCopyright 2002 The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The Roots' 'Phrenology' takes on hip-hop ho-hum
By TOM MOON Philadelphia Inquirer
Friday, November 29, 2002
Even if you don't know much about hip-hop, you probably know the
latest formula for a hit single.
There's a beat and a machine-gun barrage of rhymes that ideally
end with a repeatable slogan. That's followed by a hook, sung by an
emerging R&B singer -- this summer it was the ubiquitous Ashanti --
that complements the theme. Then comes a breakdown. Then more back-
and-forth until the fade.
The tandem approach has worked for artists from Ja Rule to Missy
Elliott to Jay-Z: Just as folks are getting bored by the wordplay,
along comes a pretty melody they can understand.
But success breeds ...
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Article: On 'Tipping,' The Roots Lose Their Balance
The Washington Post;
July 14, 2004 ;
572 words
...Contrarians by nature and innovators to their core, the Roots are always zigging while the rest of hip-hop zags...rappers toast their good looks and their Bentleys; the Roots worry in rhyme about drugs, crime and poverty. The...always been a turntable (or two) and a microphone; the Roots have always been a ...
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