The Tipping Point (The Roots album)

The Tipping Point
Studio album by The Roots
Released July 13, 2004
Recorded September 2003 - April 2004
Genre Hip hop, neo soul
Length 55:05
Label Geffen, Interscope
Producer Questlove, Scott Storch
The Roots chronology

Phrenology
(2002)		 The Tipping Point
(2004)		 Game Theory
(2006)

The Tipping Point is the sixth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots, released July 13, 2004 on Geffen Records and Interscope Records. It is named after Malcolm Gladwell's book of the same name (2000),[1] and it serves as the follow-up to Phrenology (2002).[2][3] The album is a musical departure from their previous work, featuring a more diverse, yet pop-oriented sound, and it contains lyrics associated with rapping-prowess, political insight, and social commentary.[4][5][6][7] The Tipping Point has been noted by music writers for exhibiting and emphasizing soul, jazz, and funk influences as well.[8][9][10][11][12]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 72/100[13]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [9]
Robert Christgau A−[14]
Entertainment Weekly B+[15]
Los Angeles Times [16]
Pitchfork Media 5.4/10[17]
PopMatters favorable[18]
Rolling Stone [4]
Spin B[7]
USA Today [19]
The Village Voice mixed[20]

The album debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 109,000 copies in its first week.[21] Despite mixed criticism towards its production and lyrical substance,[4][8][16][20] The Tipping Point received generally positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 72 out of 100 on Metacritic.[13]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Star/Pointro" (featuring Wadud Ahmad) 7:36
2. "I Don't Care" (featuring Dom) 4:02
3. "Don't Say Nuthin'"   3:35
4. "Guns Are Drawn" (featuring Aaron Livingston) 5:15
5. "Stay Cool" (featuring Martin Luther) 3:34
6. "Web"   3:16
7. "Boom!" (featuring Dice Raw) 2:57
8. "Somebody's Gotta Do It" (featuring Devin The Dude, Jean Grae & Mack Dub) 4:08
9. "Duck Down!" (featuring Dom) 3:56
10. "Why (What's Goin' On?)" (featuring Latif) 16:40
Sample credits

Personnel

The Roots
Production

Charts

Chart (2004) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[22] 4
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[23] 2

References

  1. ↑ DeRogatis, Jim. "Review: The Tipping Point". Chicago Sun-Times: 7. July 11, 2004. Archived from the original on 2009-10-05.
  2. ↑ Gill, Andy. Review: The Tipping Point. The Independent. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  3. ↑ Frosch, Dan. "Review: The Tipping Point". Vibe: August 2004.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Wolk, Douglas. Review: The Tipping Point. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  5. ↑ Hoard, Christian. "Review: The Tipping Point". Rolling Stone: 702–703. November 2, 2004.
  6. ↑ Rabin, Nathan. Review: The Tipping Point. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ryan, Chris. "Review: The Tipping Point". Spin: 101–102. August 2004.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bieritz, Erick. Review: The Tipping Point. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved on 2009-12-05.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Jeffries, David. Review: The Tipping Point. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  10. ↑ Columnist. Review: The Tipping Point. IGN. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  11. ↑ Pareles, Jon. Review: The Tipping Point. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  12. ↑ Empire, Kitty. Review: The Tipping Point. The Observer. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Tipping Point (2004): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  14. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: The Tipping Point". The Village Voice: August 3, 2004. Archived from the original on 2009-10-05.
  15. ↑ Fiore, Raymond. Review: The Tipping Point. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Baker, Soren. Review: The Tipping Point. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  17. ↑ Sylvester, Nick. Review: The Tipping Point. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  18. ↑ Sawyer, Terry. Review: The Tipping Point. PopMatters. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  19. ↑ Jones, Steve. Review: The Tipping Point. USA Today. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Wang, Oliver. Review: The Tipping Point. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-10-05.
  21. ↑ Gelder, Laurence Van. Arts Briefing: Thursday, July 22, 2004. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-12-05.
  22. ↑ "The Roots Album & Song Chart History" Billboard 200 for The Roots. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  23. ↑ "The Roots Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for The Roots. Retrieved September 19, 2013.

Notes

  • Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

External links