Things Fall Apart (album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Things Fall Apart | ||
 |
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| Studio album by The Roots | ||
| Released | February 23, 1999 | |
| Recorded | ? | |
| Genre | Rap | |
| Length | 70:34 | |
| Label | MCA | |
| Producer(s) | The Grand Wizards | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Roots chronology | ||
| Illadelph Halflife (1996) |
Things Fall Apart (1999) |
The Legendary (1999) |
Things Fall Apart is a hip hop album by the Philadelphia based group The Roots, released in 1999. Considered by many to be the group's breakthrough album, it contained the hit "You Got Me", which won a grammy award for best rap performance by a duo or group. The album takes its title from Chinua Achebe's novel of the same name.
Contents |
[edit] The Making of Things Fall Apart
The recording of Things Fall Apart began in 1997 and was completed in early 1999. ?uestlove has stated that during this period, the group recorded upwards of 100 songs, later whitling down their choices to 14 songs (intros and interludes withstanding). The last song to be included to the final selection was "Double Trouble", featuring Mos Def. Initially, the song was supposed to feature a guest appearance from Mos' Black Star partner, Talib Kweli but due to the format of the track, it was decided to make it a throwback to the Run D.M.C./EPMD tag-team style of rap, with just two MCs.
The track "Act Too (The Love of My Life)", originally an interlude that evolved into a fully song, features Common, whose verse is a continuation of his classic "I Used to Love H.E.R.", in which Common speaks of hip hop as a woman. Beanie Sigel made his debut appearance on the track "Adrenaline!", after tagging along to a weekly jam session held by the group in Philadelphia. Eve (at the time, signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath label, and known as Eve of Destruction) also made her debut appearance on Things Fall Apart, on the smash hit, "You Got Me".
"You Got Me" was co-written by Jill Scott who recorded vocals for the song's chorus and bridge. Her part was subsequently re-recorded by Erykah Badu at the insistence of MCA, who wanted a higher profile collaboration for the album's official lead single (at the time, Scott was relatively unknown outside of Philadelphia). When the group later went on tour, Scott joined them during performances of the song. "You Got Me" caught on quickly with radio and later MTV, giving the group a much needed boost in terms of sales and exposure. Its Grammy win provided a second round of success. The musicians who contributed to the album (mainly D'Angelo, James Poyser, and Jay Dee) went on to form the Soulquarians collective with ?uestlove and Pino Palladino.
[edit] Reception
The album was widely regarded as the group's most fully realized work. Critics praised it for its sobering themes, sonic quality, and fluid sequencing, with Rolling Stone calling it a "top-flight record" and lead MC, Black Thought a "lyricist's lyricist with a hard, earnest voice that doesn't flow like water but bobs and weaves with less-predictable rhythms" [1]. Fans responded with as much enthusiasm, and the album shipped Gold in sales. Later in 1999, Okayplayer.com was launched, taking its moniker from the "Okayplayer" logo, visible on the bands' releases.
[edit] Trivia
The album's opening track, "Act Won," contains an excerpt from the Spike Lee film, Mo' Better Blues. The excerpt is from a scene where Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes are discussing the current state of African American music (or culture in general) after a gig.
[edit] Track listing
- "Act Won (Things Fall Apart)" :55
- "Table of Contents (Parts 1&2)" – 3:37
- "The Next Movement" – 4:10 (featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff)
- "Step Into The Realm" – 2:50
- "The Spark" – 3:52
- "Dynamite" – 4:46
- "Without A Doubt" – 4:13 (featuring Lady B)
- "Ain't Sayin Nothin' New" – 4:34 (featuring Dice Raw)
- "Double Trouble" – 5:50 (featuring Mos Def)
- "Act Too (The Love of My Life)" – 4:55 (featuring Common)
- "100% Dundee" – 3:54
- "Diedre Vs. Dice" :47 (featuring Dice Raw)
- "Adrenaline!" – 4:27 (featuring Dice Raw & Beanie Sigel)
- "3rd Acts:? Vs. Scratch2...Electric Boogaloo" :52
- "You Got Me" – 4:19 (featuring Erykah Badu & Eve)
- "Don't See Us" – 4:30 (featuring Dice Raw)
- "The Return To Innocence Lost" – 5:36 (performed by Ursula Rucker)
- "Act Fore (The End?)" (Hidden track) :05
[edit] Album singles
| Single cover | Single information |
|---|---|
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"Adrenaline!" (Promo only)
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"You Got Me"
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"The Next Movement"
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[edit] Credits
Performance Credits
The Roots - Primary Artist
D'Angelo - Keyboards
Marie Daulne - Background Vocals
Larry Gold - Viola
Bob Power - Synthesizer
James Poyser - Keyboards
Scott Storch - Keyboards
Dice Raw - Vocals
Erykah Badu - Background Vocals
Igor Szwec - Violin
Anthony Tidd - Guitar
Common - Vocals
Mos Def - Vocals
Ursula Rucker - Poetry
Eve - Vocals
Beanie Sigel - Vocals
Technical Credits
Kamal - Producer
Dave Ivory - Engineer
Axel Niehaus - Engineer
James Poyser - Producer
James Yancey - Producer
Scott Storch - Producer, Engineer
Richard Nichols - Producer
Tom Coyne - Mastering
Chaos - Producer
Todd Fairall - Engineer
Gordon Rice - Engineer
Kenny J. Gravillis - Artwork
Ahmir Khalib Thompson - Producer
Tariq Trotter - Producer
Blair Wells - Engineer
Melvin Lewis - Engineer
Russell A. Robinson - Artwork
Keith Cramer - Engineer
Erik Steinert - Pro-Tools
Corbis/NewYork - Cover Image
MobHouse - Photography
[edit] Album Covers
For a limited time period, Things Fall Apart was made available with a choice of five different front covers.
[edit] External links
| The Roots |
|---|
| Black Thought | Captain Kirk Douglas | Kamal Gray | Hub | F. Knuckles | ?uestlove Malik B. | Ben Kenney | Kid Crumbs | Martin Luther | Rahzel | Scratch | Scott Storch |
| Discography |
| Organix (1993) | From the Ground Up (1994) | Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995) | Illadelph Halflife (1996) | Things Fall Apart (1999) | The Legendary (1999) | The Roots Come Alive (1999) | Phrenology (2002) | The Tipping Point (2004) | Game Theory (2006) |
| Related articles |
| Dice Raw | Okayplayer | Ursula Rucker |
