Illadelph Halflife

by The Roots

Illadelph Halflife cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 24 September 1996
  • Label: DGC
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 1:18:42
  • Community rating: 3.91/5 from 9 ratings

Artists on this release: Cornel West, Wendy Goldstein, Rozell Brown, Tre Hardson, Kamaal Fareed, Joe Young, Antonia Reed, Ahmir '?uestlove' Thompson, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, Phillip Blenman, Chuck D, Rahzel, Harry Allen, Julia Haines, Jai Silk, D'Angelo, Leonard 'Hub' Hubbard, Smart Abdul-Basit, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Kyle Jones, Karl B. Jenkins, MC Power

Album Notes & Community Reviews

On 'Illadelph Halflife', The Roots solidify their legendary status by heavily integrating raw boom-bap aesthetics with their signature live-band jazz rap. The album is incredibly poetic and conscious, delivering deeply rhythmic, nocturnal, and serious reflections on urban reality.

Genres

Descriptors: conscious, rhythmic, rap, soulful, live, classic

Tracklist

  1. Intro (0:34)
  2. Respond/ React (5:07)
  3. Section (4:09)
  4. Panic !!!!!!! (1:24)
  5. It Just Don't Stop (4:33)
  6. Episodes (5:56)
  7. Push Up Ya Lighter (4:36)
  8. What They Do (5:57)
  9. ? Vs. Scratch (The Token DJ Cut) (1:44)
  10. Concerto Of The Desperado (3:38)
  11. Clones (4:54)
  12. Universe At War (4:55)
  13. No Alibi (5:11)
  14. Dave Vs. US (0:50)
  15. No Great Pretender (4:25)
  16. The Hypnotic (5:19)
  17. Ital (The Universal Side) (4:53)
  18. One Shine (5:40)
  19. The Adventures In Wonderland (4:34)
  20. Outro (0:15)

Credits

  • The Roots - primary artist
  • Wendy Goldstein - a&r, voice
  • Richard Nichols - executive-producer, mixed by
  • ROBO - illustration, layout, design
  • QuanZilla - illustration [assistant illustrator]
  • Emily-Kate Berger - layout, design
  • Julius Niskey - layout, design
  • Watch Your Back Management - management
  • Tom Coyne - mastered by
  • Michael Lavine - photography by
  • Brother ? - voice, drums [south philly rhythmatist], drums, electric piano [rhodes], performer [sedohr], tambourine, producer, drums [beats], drums [hi hats & triggers], drums [del.val.percussion.al], drums, keyboards [keys], producer, drums [the percussive side], drums [dec. '93]
  • Chuck D - voice
  • Cornel West - voice
  • Harry Allen - voice
  • Jai Silk - voice
  • Joe Young - voice
  • MC Power - voice
  • Hub - bass [the lowdown low], bass [germantown bottom provider], bass [key bass], bass [bass manifestations], cello, bass [on the bass], bass [fend.al.bassist], bass [the lowend side], bass [dec. '93]
  • Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter - co-producer, rap [south philly lyricist], rap [the only rapper to be in bed before 1 a.m. (?!!??)], rap [the voice terrorizer], rap [south philly tour guide], rap [s.e.p.t.a. rider], rap [original vocalizations], rap [the desperado], rap [100% real], rap [illadelph rep], rap [vit.al.lyric.al.scientist], rap [lead vocals], rap [vocals (dec. '93)], rap [guard], written-by, mixed by
  • Questlove - drums [on the trigger], remix, producer, co-producer, drums [percussive manipulations], keyboards [keys], drums, kalimba, co-producer
  • Julia Haines - harp
  • Kamal Gray - keyboards [the keymaster], keyboards [mt airy groover], written-by, piano, electric piano [rhodes], keyboards [keyboard wizzidrations], piano [piano man], keyboards [key man], piano [ding-da-ding, ding ding.ding!], piano [on the piano], piano [on the pian.al], bells [sleigh bells], keyboards [the 88 side]
  • Bob Power - mixed by, recorded by [battery studios]
  • Kelo - mixed by, producer, co-producer, drums [kicks], co-producer, performer [willie wonka bubble machine], producer, gong [the gong player], recorded by [?uestions soup kitchen]
  • Tim Donovan - mixed by [assistant]
  • Bad Lieutenant - rap [the attractive assassin]
  • M-Ill-Itant - rap [the leader of the 5th gorilla chant], rap [no great pretender]
  • Martin Czembor - recorded by [battery studios, assistant], recorded by [assistant]
  • Chris Trevett - recorded by [battery studios]
  • Otto Capobianco - recorded by [nebula sounds]
  • Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson - written-by, mixed by, recorded by [?uestions bed and breakfast]
  • Kenyatta Williams - written-by, recorded by [lotheflex's dungeon]
  • Smart Abdul-Basit - written-by
  • Grand Negaz - compilation producer, co-producer
  • Malik B. - rap [west oak lane brain shocker], rap [the backslapper], rap [1/15th of scully wearers in philly], rap [(cr)iminal general], rap [always in areas that you fear to walk], rap [the islamic extortion.al]
  • Vince Kershner - recorded by [ivory productions, assistant]
  • David Ivory - recorded by [ivory productions]
  • Mark Davis - recorded by [nebula sounds, assistant]
  • Rahzel - co-producer, human beatbox [rhythmic nations], human beatbox [noise!], human beatbox [vocal beats], horns [vocal horns]
  • Ken "Duro" Ifill - mixed by
  • Hans Gutknecht - recorded by
  • Carlton Lynn - recorded by [assistant]
  • Rozell Brown - written-by
  • Tracey Moore - vocals [ahhhhhhhhs], written-by, vocals [voc.al sensation.al], vocals [jfns '89-'96 (r.i.p.)]
  • Fatin Dantzler - vocals [ohhhhhhs], vocals [hmmmmmm], vocals [hmmmmmmmm]
  • Leonard "Hub" Hubbard - written-by
  • Dice Raw - featuring [logan valley storyteller], featuring [corner-stone terrorist]
  • Chaos - mixed by, producer, co-producer
  • Melvin "Chaos" Lewis - recorded by [?uestions halfwayhouse], written-by, mixed by
  • Jazzyfatnastees - vocals [sights you won't believe your eyes]
  • Karl B. Jenkins - written-by
  • Bahamadia - featuring [the anti-gangsta bitch]
  • Antonia Reed - written-by
  • Raphael Saadiq - bass, backing vocals, featuring [swiss bank account cashstrations (knuck, knuck, knuck)], co-producer, written-by
  • Spanky - guitar [wes mongomerations]
  • Gerry E. Brown - recorded by [brilliant studios]
  • Digital - recorded by [pookie studios]
  • Vince Reynolds - recorded by [soundtrack studios, assistant]
  • David Dachinger - recorded by [soundtrack studios]
  • Angela Slates - vocals [vocal titillations]

More from The Roots: full discography