The Roots, "How I Got Over" (Def Jam) Rating: 4/4
For nearly two decades, the Roots have justified their oft-cited reputation as the best live band in hip-hop, though that title pays short shrift to the wild musical creativity and inspiring revolutionary themes of their best albums, “Things Fall Apart” (1999) and “Phrenology” (2002), as well as the fluid, genre-defying diversity that landed them their current gig as the house band on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” Fans might have feared that this high-profile entre into the mainstream would dull the Philadelphia collective’s edge on its non-televised activities, especially since its last two albums, “Rising Down” (2008) and “Game Theory” (2006), both were darkly moody affairs that for the first time hinted at the group repeating itself.
