Things Fall Apart

by The Roots

Things Fall Apart cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 1999
  • Label: MCA
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 1:08:49
  • Community rating: 4.22/5 from 16 ratings

Artists on this release: Kamal Gray, Rahzel, Leonard 'Hub' Hubbard, Black Thought, Malik B., Questlove

Album Notes & Community Reviews

'Things Fall Apart' solidifies The Roots' signature fusion of live instrumentation and sampling, creating a landmark of the late-1990s neo-soul and conscious hip-hop movements. The album's production, helmed by the Soulquarians collective, weaves a sonically rich backdrop of jazz and soul for Black Thought's incisive lyricism, which explores societal decay, cultural integrity, and the state of hip-hop. Serving as the group's critical and commercial breakthrough, the record's cohesive, focused sound and pivotal tracks like the Grammy-winning "You Got Me" cemented its status as a cornerstone of alternative rap.

Genres

Descriptors: rap, soulful, conscious, storytelling, classic

Tracklist

  1. Act Won (Things Fall Apart) (00:53)
  2. Table Of Contents (Pts 1 & 2) (03:37)
  3. The Next Movement (04:10)
  4. Step Into The Relm (02:49)
  5. The Spark (03:52)
  6. Dynamite! (04:45)
  7. Without A Doubt (04:14)
  8. Ain't Sayin' Nothin' New (04:34)
  9. Double Trouble (05:50)
  10. Act Too (The Love Of My Life) (04:54)
  11. 100% Dundee (03:53)
  12. Diedre Vs. Dice (00:47)
  13. Adrenaline! (04:27)
  14. 3rd Acts: ? Vs. Scratch 2 ... Electric Boogaloo (00:51)
  15. You Got Me (04:19)
  16. Don't See Us (04:30)
  17. The Return To Innocence Lost (05:40)
  18. Act Fore...The End? (04:44)

Credits

  • The Roots - primary artist
  • Black Thought - vocals
  • Malik B. - vocals
  • Questlove - drums, executive producer, producer, mixing
  • Kamal Gray - keyboards, producer
  • Leonard "Hub" Hubbard - bass
  • Rahzel - producer
  • D'Angelo - keyboards
  • Marie Daulne - background vocals
  • Larry Gold - viola
  • Bob Power - mixing, synthesizer
  • James Poyser - keyboards, producer
  • Scott Storch - keyboards, producer
  • Dice Raw - vocals
  • Erykah Badu - background vocals, vocals
  • Igor Szwec - violin
  • Leonard Hubbard - bass
  • Anthony Tidd - guitar
  • Common - vocals
  • Mos Def - vocals
  • Ursula Rucker - poetry, spoken vocals
  • Eve - vocals
  • Beanie Sigel - vocals
  • Warren Wimbly - guitar
  • Spanky - guitar
  • Emma Kumrow - violin
  • David Garnet - viola
  • Deidra Murry - viola
  • Shawn Gee - hand claps
  • DJ Jazzy Jeff - dj
  • The Jazzy Fatnastees - background vocals
  • Lady B - background vocals
  • Eve Of Destruction - background vocals
  • Chaos - producer
  • Jay Dee - producer
  • The Grand Wizzards - producer
  • Keith Cramer - engineer
  • Axel Niehaus - engineer, mixing
  • Kelo - engineer
  • Tom Coyne - audio mixer, mastered by
  • Richard Nichols - mixing

More from The Roots: full discography