at a glance...

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Formed: circa 1992

Members:
?uestlove (Ahmir Thompson) -drums
Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) -lead vocalist
Malik B. (Malik Abdul-Bassit) -vocals
Kamal -keyboards
Leonard Hubbard -bass
Rahzel -vocal percussion, beat box
guests:
Dice Raw -vocals
Scratch -vocal percussion, beat box

Related Artists :
Common, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Bahamadia, Erykah Badu, Black Star, Mos Def, D'Angelo, Jill Scott

Anyone who's been to a few hip-hop shows knows all too well the difficulties the genre has in parlaying great albums into equally great live performances. Problems range from poor sound quality to incredibly intoxicated and/or apathetic artists. While neither of these problems is exclusive to hip-hop, black music is historically grounded in the performance, and somehow that art has been lost in this particular form of black music, with few exceptions.

That said, anyone who's been to a Roots show knows that no group rivals the energy and diversity of a Roots' live performance, with the lone possible exception of Lauryn Hill's first solo tour. The Roots Come Alive isn't a concert recording-it's a block party, full of the thrills and blemishes that are only attainable live. Although the group doesn't intend for Come Alive to be the definitive live Roots record and plans to release several more live records in the future, the sound quality, energy level and creativity make this a gem.

First, the sound: the album was recorded over four shows, but instead of making this a greatest hits-type album, songs from different venues are seamlessly mixed into one another, and the clarity on the drums, keys and vocals is impeccable. Unbeknownst to many, the Roots have two primary MCs, Black Thought and Malik B., but the latter never tours for personal reasons. Instead of cutting out Malik's lyrics in his absence, Thought does double-duty, which is no small feat considering the differences in style and delivery between the two. His enthusiasm for performing often leaves him breathless, which serves as a welcome imperfection on the landscape of overproduced records.

What truly distinguishes a Roots show from other hip-hop acts and puts it in the company of jam-rock shows is improvisation - the ability to perform different versions of the same song from night to night. A quick signal from Thought to ?uestlove turns the blazing "100% Dundee" from Things Fall Apart into a smoky jazz club-type funk number, while Thought's alternate verses for different songs and call-and-response sequences with the crowd are prevalent throughout.

Stand-out moments include Thought's impromptu James Brown impersonation in his quest for the crowd's "Adrenaline," the fiery "The Next Movement" opener, and a soulful rendition of the hit "You Got Me." Three studio-generated tracks conclude the album, including the oddly out-of-place but catchy "What You Want" single from "The Best Man Soundtrack" and "The Lesson Part III," a ferocious battle-style lyrics fest that finds Black Thought, Malik B. and Dice Raw spitting verbal venom over a blistering piano-driven track.

In between a raw version of "The Love of My Life" with Common and the sizzling "The Ultimate," Black Thought notes that "We are the original article - no additives, no preservatives." There's no buffer on this album to conceal the rough texture of The Roots' live performance, nor to hide their unparalleled talent.