The Roots
Undun (Def Jam)
The Roots, Philadelphia’s kings of hip-hop, and the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, have their first concept album with undun, released earlier this month on Def Jam. The story of a fictional deceased character, Redford Stevens, is presented in reverse as Black Thought and other Roots crew rappers breath life into a man, his back up against a wall, whose life — and death — plays out as a modern-day tragedy. Perhaps not the most accessible of the Roots’ many fine albums. undun, through killer lyrics, tough beats and subtle soundscapes, along with its unique narrative style, succeeds in documenting a life lost in the money, drugs and gun game. It’s a depressing story, which is obviously a composite of so many unfortunate real-life characters whose lives have been lost for questionable reasons and unfortunate circumstances. The Roots don’t provide any answers here, just an eerie glimpse into one man’s short life, one in which too many young men in America can identify with. — Jeff Schwachter
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