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.

Because of this, what the Roots’ new album did for me was provide yet another example of how emotionless, repetitive and, dare I say?, hypocritical the hip-hop journalist community remains to be. I can’t believe that an album like this, with so many points, themes and changes to discuss, gets reviewed by everybody in the world in the same exact way . with the same five points. How can we, as critics, demand innovation and experimentation in hip-hop music if we can’t be innovative and experimental in the manner in which we review it and present it to the fans?

Therefore, I have decided to give us all a break from the same monotonous journalism, and investigate the meaning of the album’s title, Game Theory. Many of the Roots’ album titles, such as Things Fall Apart, Phrenology, The Tipping Point, and now, Game Theory, have been based on real ideas, philosophies or trains of thought common in current events-related sociological studies (look up each if you don’t know what I’m saying). With this kind of track record, isn’t anyone else interested in why the Roots may have titled their latest effort Game Theory?

The Game Theory
For those of you who don’t know, game theory is basically a branch of study pertaining to fields from mathematics, economics and biology to political science, philosophy and sociology . and yes, even popular culture. It studies decisions that are made and actions that are taken in strategic situations or interactive environments. Some scholars even argue that game theory can serve as a suggestion for how people ought to behave in such situations. Perhaps the Roots are saying that hip-hop is the game, and this album is their strategic response to it . their suggestion for how hip-hop ought to be. Or, in the words of Thought:

Stand up, stretch for the stars
Get somebody else involved right next to ya
Y’all elected me to keep it so fresh for ya
Just cause I make it possible for the rest of ya
To just take it there
Get your head ringing from the sting of the snare
Spine tingle elevating every single hair
All the way from South Philly on a wing and a prayer

However, maybe this is not the meaning behind Game Theory. Under the game theory, there exists a concept called the Nash equilibrium. This is basically based around a situation in which a player in a game cannot benefit by changing his or her strategy if the other players’ strategies remain unchanged. In other words, in some situations a person has nothing to gain by trying to play the game in a new or innovative fashion. Perhaps the Roots are tired of the lack of attention a group tends to see while keeping it real, and are now trying to play the game like everyone else. As Thought might say:

If I can’t work to make it, I’ll rob and take it
Either that or me and my children are starving and naked
Rather be a criminal pro, than follow the matrix
Hey, it’s me – a monster ya’ll done created

Maybe that’s why they signed with Jay-Z and Def Jam to put out this album … to join teams with the industry’s best players and enjoy success in their game. Still … I do not think this is the case.

Opponents of the Nash equilibrium point to an idea referred to as the prisoner’s dilemma. This is generally a situation in which a player in a game decides to cooperate with, and in most cases, betray another player in the game. Within the prisoner’s dilemma, the only concern of each individual player is to maximize his own payoff, so the partnership is often created with knowledge of betrayal in mind. Perhaps the Roots have joined with larger forces to increase their exposure, but had always planned to release a real underground hip-hop album nonetheless. Again, Thought might say:

My name’s Rik Gees, the endangered species
For what I do, I’m bout to up the fees
I’m paperchase motivated
I ain’t the one to play with
These cats get set ablaze
You can have it ya’ll way
But I’d rather parlay
Just smoke og and get cabbage all day

Although there’s no way to know, I hope this is what Game Theory means. I hope that this exceptional album is the group’s strategic response to the current environment of mainstream hip-hop. I hope that they somehow planned to join forces with the world-famous Jay-Z and Def Jam with the ultimate goal of introducing real hip-hop to a larger audience . to play the mainstream game with the prisoner’s dilemma while keeping their underground roots intact. In their own words, maybe the Roots are:

Trying to find our spot
Amongst the ruckus
And be sucker free
Flee chumps and busters

So which is it? Man, you know I don’t know. I’m just speculating here. In any case, pick up The Roots’ Game Theory and figure it out for yourself. I guarantee there’s more to discuss than what all the main publications are talking about. And at the least, it should prove to you that the Nash equilibrium does not apply to hip-hop, because a group like the Roots can obviously change its strategy and succeed, even if everyone else continues to play by the same game. Therefore, so can we … Peace.