The Roots – Rising Down (AU Edition CD) (2008) (FLAC + 320 kbps)

It would’ve been easy for the Roots to sell out. Already one of the few groups whose fans extend beyond the typical alternative rap base, tacking on the acoustic-guitary pop-rap song “Birthday Girl” — which leaked the month before Rising Down’s release and features Patrick Stump crooning “What is it we want to do, now that I’m allowed to be alone with you?” — could’ve been a natural, and maybe even excusable move. Excusable as a way to show that the Roots can be lighthearted, fun, and tongue-in-cheek (though anyone who’s heard any of their interviews or has frequented ?uestlove’s blog already knows this to be true); not excusable, however, as the crossover track the label wanted it to be (and in fact, in Japan and Europe, as well as on iTunes, it remains as such). Fortunately, the Roots were smart and thoughtful enough – the very qualities of whose criticism led to the creation of “Birthday Girl” – to realize that its inclusion, even as an afterthought, a bonus track, was detrimental to the effect of the entire album, dumbing down their thoughts on poverty and race and politics with poppy melodies and creepy (albeit ironic) jokes about statutory rape and predatory old men.

Tracklist:

1. Pow Wow
2. Rising Down ft Mos Def,Styles P
3. Get Busy ft DJ Jazzy Jeff,Dice Raw,Peedie Crakk
4. @ 15
5. 75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)
6. (Time Up)
7. Criminal ft Saigon,Truck North
8. I Will Not Apologize ftg P.O.R.N.Dice Raw
9. I Can’t Help It ft Malik B.,P.O.R.N.
10. Singing Man ft P.O.R.N.,Truck North
11. Up There (Unwritten) ft Mercedes Martinez
12. Lost Desire ft Mailk B,Talib Kweli
13. The Show ft Common
14. Rising Up ft Chrisette Michele,Wale
15. Birthday Girl
16. The Grand Return
17. Live @ WPFW, 1994

Download:

FLAC – Wayshare

320 kbps – Wayshare