This week’s hip-hop track of the week is I Will Not Apologize from The Roots’ new album “Rising Down.” I Will Not Apologize features quotable verses from Black Thought, Porn & Dice Raw. Click below to listen:

And follow along with the lyrics after the break. (more…)

  Rating:
  Review Date: May 12, 2008
  Website: The Roots Website
  Label: Def Jam

The Roots “Rising Down” Album Review
Black Thought is in my opinion the best emcee in hip-hop. All those cats that say shit like “He’s not charismatic enough” or “He doesn’t have enough passion” don’t know what they’re talking about. Whatever characteristics you judge a rapper by – lyrics, flow, rhyme style, versatility, individuality – Thought has them all. However, this opinion and the expectations associated with it caused an initial disappointment with “Rising Down.” (more…)

Only five days left!!! The Roots “Rising Down” hits stores next week.

A hip-hop celebration hits the road.

For the last three years, music network VH1 has been honoring hip-hop legends with a night of music. The annual VHI Hip Hop Honors program matches old school acts with new millennium stars. Overseeing the entire event is The Roots drummer ?uestlove, who acts as the show’s musical director. (more…)

Determined by user votes on VH1.com, Antonio Gonzalez AKA “DJ Satisfaction” of Camden, NJ has been crowned the winner of “The Score.” DJ Sat will work with Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson from The Roots to turn his work into the official score of this year’s “VH1 Hip Hop Honors.”

VH1.com’s online contest “The Score,” which is part of MTV Networks’ larger digital strategy to launch targeted vertical sites across their brands, challenged music producers from across the country to show off their best beats for the opportunity to make hip hop history. Close to 8,000 60-second-beat tracks were submitted for consideration.

Source:
CNN Money

VH1 announced today the selection of Redginald “Redgee” Thompson, Ryan Barouch (Trackslammers), and Antonio “DJ Satisfaction” Gonzalez as the three finalists in VH1’s “The Score” hip-hop production contest. “The Score” challenged over 7000 contestants to produce the sound track for VH1’s Hip Hop Honors 2007 award show. 
 
The three finalists must compete for a chance to produce the sound track for VH1’s Hip Hop Honors 2007 award show with Philadelphia ’s own national recording artist Quest Love from The Roots. (more…)

  Rating:
  Release Date: August 29, 2006
  Website: The Roots Website
  Label: Def Jam

The Roots “Game Theory” Album Review
A handful of reviewers, mostly mainstream, said this album succeeded in showing the world what was wrong with hip-hop. The rest pretty much said the same three things: (1) that leading MC Black Thought’s often angered performance helped to beat back claims that his style is plain and emotionless; (2) that a handful of guest MCs, most notably the return of the group’s other dope lyricist Malik B, offered a needed occasional shift in direction, perspective and style; and (3) in the words of a rock-n-roll linguist … the band still rocks dude! I can’t disagree with any of these statements. Game Theory is yet another example of the brilliance of the entire Roots crew. (more…)