Two of the most anticipated Hip-Hop albums reviewed

I wanted to get both of these reviews out earlier (Idlewild on Friday--hoping I'd get to review the album and movie at once-- and Game Theory yesterday), but unfortunately it's a case of better late than never. I still haven't been able to see the film Idlewild yet, but expect a review soon. Anyway, without further adieu I give you two albums that were well worth the wait.

The Roots Game Theory

Funny to think that a move to Def Jam Records would spark The Roots making their most eclectic and innovative album. With that said, if you haven't bought this album already, I don't know what you're waiting for.

After releasing back to back masterpieces with the releases of Things Fall Apart and Phrenology in 1999 and 2003, respectively, The Roots scratched a ton of heads when they released The Tipping Point. Any whispers from fans of how the group wasn't the same without Malik B. when Phrenology was released became roars after The Tipping Point. While Malik B. certainly brings the most out of both the band and fellow MC Black Thought, BT himself is no amateur. Certainly one of the most underrated MC's out there, I've yet to understand why everyone dogs him as being hardly more than mediocre just because he doesn't have the persona like many of the other more outspoken rappers possess. If the fans weren't talking about that, though, they were talking about which record label The Roots would end up with next. After news of signing to Def Jam, there was a noticeable split in public opinion-- did this mean that The Roots were going mainstream? Will they finally get the marketing support they've always deserved? There were so many questions that had yet to be answered, and given the disappointing Tipping Point, going to work on Game Theory had to have been one of the most challenging missions for the band.

Now, after finally getting my hands on Game Theory, I can say without a doubt, that this is The Roots at their absolute best. If it weren't for the masterpiece Things Fall Apart, this would be considered their best album ever, hands down. This album also happens to be their darkest album ever, which is apparent from the opening track "False Media," which really brings The Roots' oft-hidden social and political commentary to the forefront. The following title track, which marks the return of Malik B. (who also appears on a couple other tracks), is an immediate highlight as the interplay between Malik B. and Black Thought over ?uestlove's well-executed beats makes you forget that these guys ever spent time apart. "Don't Feel Right," "In the Music," and "Here I Come," all of which had been previously released on both the Pre-Game EP and through independent leaks are also highlights, as is the single "Long Time."

The main difference between the eclectic energy of Game Theory and Phrenology can be best exemplified on the tracks "Take It There," "Atonement," and the closing "Can't Stop This," which serves as an outstanding dedication to Jay Dee. "Take It There" starts off much like some of the other funkier Roots tracks before the music spins off into a heavily abstracted piano riff that works wonders with Black Thought's meticulous rhymes. The result is a very poignant piece despite clocking in at under three minutes-- compare this to some of the more meandering experimentation that occurred on Phrenology. "Atonement" is a real treat, as it uses a sample of Radiohead's "You and Whose Army?" as its foundation and churns out one of the most somber and effective hip-hop tracks I've heard in a very long while. Speaking of effective, the eight-minute closer "Can't Stop This" is an extremely touching tribute to J Dilla. The song samples "Time: The Donut of the Heart" from his Donuts album-- the last album that would be released during his lifetime-- and also includes commentaries about J Dilla in both the beginning and end from various artists.

While an incredibly dark and gritty affair, Game Theory is a beautiful masterpiece. Easily, the most gripping hip-hop album I've heard. It elevates the gene to yet another notch, and, as always, The Roots prove that their at least five years ahead of the game.

Overall Rating: 100

Outkast Idlewild

This might be the first album they've released since their debut that can't be considered great. Still, being really darn good isn't bad either.

Welcome to the world of Idlewild: Big Boi and Andre 3000 still hardly work together on this album, but this time, the old-fashioned roots add a new dimension on Outkast's music, and that's really what separates this album from Stankonia/The Love Below. That's both a blessing and a curse, as it forces the ever-eclectic Dre to actually focus on a single idea, but it confines both artists to a certain extent, not to mention some tracks sound a bit like they might've been leftovers from their previous effort. All of these elements culminate into what is essentially a very good, but messy album. Both the lead single "Mighty O" and "Peaches" suffer from the familiarity factor. Sure, both are equally solid, but "Mighty O" has a few too many shades of "The Whole World" going for it, with the Cab Calloway based chorus to dress it up, while "Peaches" essentially blends in with everything that was on Speakerboxxx. It's from "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me)" on that things really start to get interesting. Dre pulls off a relatively successful blues song on this track, and while he's certainly no Muddy Waters, it's an addicting and fun song nonetheless. Big Boi's best contributions come afterwards with the tracks "N2U" and the infectious college band-driven "Morris Brown." These are by far the best tracks on the album, and bring out the best aspect of the album, it's incredibly fun and always addicting. "The Train" is another standout, with its soulful horns and solid beat backing Big Boi's highly refined raps.

So what about Andre Benjamin you ask? Well his best moments besides "Idlewild Blue" come in the form of "PJ & Rooster," which gets an extra boost from Big Boi's rapping, and the cliched yet sweet "When I Look In Your Eyes." While it might be disappointing for most that Dre doesn't rap on any track outside of "Mighty O," both of the aforementioned standouts from him are a lot of fun and hold their own against Big Boi's best. These are clearly more directly related to Idlewild as well, with the sound heavily steeped in traditional ragtime, blues and depression-era musical genres. Another fun track from Dre is the ridiculously silly "Makes No Sense At All," which features PJ from the movie clearly improving a song for lack of having any music. As the title indicates, the song makes no sense at all, but it's a lot of fun and is something I think only Dre would be able to pull off. As per usual, Outkast's album ends with the epic "A Bad Note," which is also an appropriately titled song. Besides that it sonically comes out of left field, the song never really goes anywhere, taking about six minutes of a distorted electric guitar before the George Clinton vocals come in. This song easily hearkens back to Stankonia, unfortunately it's not as good, and really doesn't make for a good note to end the album on. Overall this is a good album, and if it weren't for the fact that Outkast had been spending the past ten years making perfect music, I don't think it would be considered as much of a blemish. Instead, as it is, Big Boi and Dre need to start figuring out a way to work together again, because you can only release so many two-disc solo projects as Outkast albums before people start figuring it out..

Overall Rating: 85

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