The Roots Got Game
Philadelphia's legendary Roots Crew lay another brick in their legacy
The latest installment from Philadelphia's finest shows why the legendary Roots crew play in a league of their own.
Game Theory is the study of strategic interactions and decision-making between players within a system. Its used in fields such as economics, evolutionary biology, international relations, political science, and the military to determine optimal strategy. This theme resonates clearly on The Roots sixth and most recent album, playing out in both its socio-political commentary and the band's measured agility. Signature monologues and interludes punctuate the tracks, but this time around the poems are laced with deconstructions of an empire in disarray: an over-medicated, hyper-stimulated nation misled to war, fascinated with sex and violence and awash in mass misinformation and hip hop blasphemy.
The Roots roll out their always towering wall of sound and take us on a journey to decipher the angles, moving briskly from heavy stadium anthems like "Game Theory" and "Here I Come" to smooth soul jams like "Long Time" and "Atonement" or the vintage rock inspired cut, "Baby", all without skipping a beat. The album unfolds like a live show, a progression that's been more pronounced with each of their releases, the tracks blending seamlessly carried by ?uestlove's steady snare and the deliberate drone of Black Thought's poignant verse. The Roots ain't playin', Game Theory is no doubt a field worth studying with close attention.
Rating: 4/5
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