With no chorus, a disorienting Black Thought verse smothered in mic fuzz, and a video where the band douses a kidnapped white dude with gasoline before lighting a match, the forbidding “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)” will sadly not end up toppling Flo Rida from Billboard or Chris Brown from TRL, but the band can take some comfort that their latest anti-pop offering moves to one of the nastiest combinations of bass and drum you’re likely to hear on a major label record this year. Especially the bass. [OnSmash]
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The Roots (Literally) Light It Up
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T-minus outraged cries of “hate crime” in 5… 4…
That ominous bass line is a thing of beauty.
This also may be the new millenium version of “By The Time I Get To Arizona” i.e. no play on MTV and probably not BET either because it doesn’t have an accompanying dance…unless there’s a new dance where you can light white people on fire.
Now that’s some provocative rap. I like ?uestlove just kinda hanging out in the background wrapped in a scarf.
The “bass” on 75 bars is actually tuba. It’s played by the dude with the best name in all of music: Tuba Gooding Jr.
is this what Kanye was going for with the Flashing Lights video? Cause he failed miserably, whereas The Roots actually kick ass.
@thatssoraven: Good to know. Thanks.
It’s nice to end Black History Month with a bang..?
@Jon Can Dance: …or up in smoke?
@encyclopediablack: That tuba IS fantastic.
Also, ?uestlove’s drumming skills are just fantastic. There are so many rock bands (*cough*WhiteStripes*cough*) who need to hire this guy for a tutoring lesson.
@slowburn: Are we really gonna have this conversation about the White Stripes this late into their career? It’s INTENTIONAL! Sigh…
I’m one of those people who’ve always admired the Roots without, you know, really ever buying their albums. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the band come quite this much raw anger before. Have I just missed a lot of album tracks?
@Halfwit: Intentional or not, sometimes bad is just bad. I’m one of those people who’s always admired Jack but have never been able to buy one of THEIR albums because listening to Meg destroy the songs makes me wince.
But yeah, this is pretty pissed for the Roots.
Needs more sousaphone.
something tells me there is nothing like this on the Janet or Mariah albums.
The Roots are like the last real rock band…Things fall apart indeed.