Roots take hold on ‘Halflife’

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Oct. 1, 2004 | 8:42 a.m.

Far too many top hip-hop recording artists struggle when it comes time to bring their acts to a live stage.

Rhymes are often hard to make out. Samples can be difficult to re-create. And generally speaking, well-balanced acoustics don't seem to be at the top of rappers' priority lists.

Veteran Philadelphia crew the Roots has no such issues, however. One of the genre's few well-known "bands," Roots members play instruments in concert, setting themselves apart from traditional MC-and-DJ outfits.

The group's frenetic live energy is legendary, and has attracted a considerable fanbase to go with tremendous critical acclaim.

So for the Roots, the challenge has been a most atypical one in the world of hip-hop: harnessing a successful live approach in the studio.

It didn't take long for the Roots to pass that test. Major-label debut album "Do You Want More?!!!??!" hinted at greatness, and its follow-up, "Illadelph Halflife," quickly fulfilled that promise.

That 1996 disc builds on the organic, jazzy brand of hip-hop popularized by such groups as A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul during the early 1990s.

Stellar kickoff cut "Respond React" sets a relaxed pace, with MCs Black Thought and Malik B. trading intelligent, fluid lyrical lines atop a hypnotic groove laid down by the band.

From there, the diverse collection of tracks includes fun party anthems ("Section," "Push Up Ya Lighter"), somber, socially conscious pieces ("It Just Don't Stop," "The Adventures in Wonderland") and soulful jams ("What They Do," "One Shine").

The Roots also employ an all-star cast of guest musicians, from rappers Q-Tip and Common to saxophonist David Murray to vocalists Raphael Saadiq and Ursula Rucker, adding to the unique vibe captured on "Illadelph Halflife."

Roots newcomers might be best off starting with 1999's "Roots Come Alive," a concert document that does a solid job showcasing the group's calling card live sound.

But unlike so many jam bands similarly famous for what they bring to a stage, the Roots are quite capable of getting it right in the studio, as they continue to prove with each successive release.

Artist: The Roots.

Title: "Illadelph Halflife."

Year of release: 1996 (Geffen Records).

Tracklisting: "Intro," "Respond React," "Section," "Panic!!!!!," "It Just Don't Stop," "Episodes," "Push Up Ya Lighter," "What They Do," "? vs. Scratch (The Token DJ Cut)" "Concerto of the Desperado," "Clones," "UNIverse at War," "No Alibi," "Dave vs. US," "No Great Pretender," "The Hypnotic," "Ital (THe Universal Side)," "One Shine," "The Adventures in Wonderland," "Outro."