versymp henricus almira
Julia Kozub
In 1999, Philadelphia based hip-hop group, The Roots, would reach a turning point in their career. They would release their fourth studio album, Things Fall Apart, which would help them achieve mainstream success and solidify them as pioneers in rap culture. Prior to its release the band had amassed quite a following but it never really translated into commercial success that other acts saw. This album showcases their musical abilities with their thought provoking lyricism and genre-spanning beats. The group experimented with hip-hop, jazz and even psychedelic beats. It is considered a classic.
Taijahnai Scott is a student at the University of Georgia studying Marketing and Music Business with hopes of finding a job in music marketing post grad. Growing up she always had a deep love and cultural connection to music, especially Hip-Hop/Rap, Pop, R&B and NeoSoul. She is fascinated with all things music including the business aspect of it. She hopes to bring her opinions to the Athens music scene and expanding her tastes.
The quote could be read as a message to those who dislike the album for being something they do not want, as a disclaimer that "this will be different but bear with us". But really, I think it is more personal than that: It is a message to you, the listener, to remember that we sometimes should fall in love with a sound, even if it is one we hate.
A quarter-century later, The Roots\u2019 album Things Fall Apart remains a musical triumph and a statement on the band\u2019s artistic evolution. Its opening moments, sampling Spike Lee and the biting commentary of Media Assassin Harry Allen set a provocative tone. The Roots grappled with commercial success, seeking a wider audience without sacrificing their unique essence.
The result is music that connects with hardcore hip-hop fans and the broader public. Black Thought\u2019s lyricism reaches new heights, each verse solidifying his place in the upper echelon of emcees. Malik B, often undersung, burns brightly on tracks including \u201CThe Spark,\u201D his final full album with the group, adding a bittersweet depth.
\u201CThe Next Movement\u201D is a prime example of this duality: Elegant piano and background vocals anchor Black Thought\u2019s lyrical acrobatics. \u201CDynamite!\u201D feels effortless, the J Dilla beat (crafted before his legendary status) a playground for Thought and Elo the Cosmic Eye\u2019s traded rhymes. Yet, the album isn\u2019t afraid of the rough cut. \u201CTable of Contents\u201D delves into a purposeful lo-fi chaos, while \u201CWithout a Doubt\u201D pays homage to Philly hip-hop history with help from the one and only Lady B.
There\u2019s risk-taking at play. \u201CStep into the Realm\u201D is a short, razor-sharp blast showcasing Malik B and Thought unleashed. On \u201C100% Dundee,\u201D Rahzel\u2019s beatboxing is a revelation, Kamal\u2019s keyboards a soaring counterpoint. The track pushes every notion of what a hip-hop song should be.
This creative ferment echoes that of Electric Ladyland. D\u2019Angelo, Common, and Erykah Badu were sculpting their groundbreaking albums (Voodoo, Like Water for Chocolate, Mama\u2019s Gun). Things Fall Apart shares that spirit but stands distinct \u2013 The Roots weren\u2019t chasing trends but finding new power within their identity.
The Roots have a knack for championing rising stars, and their signature track, \u201CYou Got Me\u201D, is a prime example. Beyond its smooth production, Questlove\u2019s signature drumming, and Badu\u2019s soulful hook lies a lesser-known gem: a blistering early verse from Eve, then known as \u201CEve of Destruction.\u201D But here\u2019s an insider twist: Badu, though undeniably adding her magic to the chorus, was a late replacement for the track. Originally, it was Jill Scott, then still an up-and-comer, whose sultry vocals graced the recording. Legend has it that MCA Records pushed for Badu\u2019s star power to boost the single\u2019s commercial potential.
Philly firebrand Beanie Sigel blazes onto \u201CAdrenaline!\u201D just months after his blistering appearance on JAY-Z\u2019s \u201CReservoir Dogs.\u201D The track channels that same high-octane energy, with Sigel and Black Thought trading punches over a frantic, piano-driven beat. Though Thought kicks things off with sharp jabs, Beanie\u2019s reflections on fame\u2019s impact hit hard, each bar ending in \u201Cthem.\u201D
The Roots\u2019 love of collaboration shines through on \u201CDouble Trouble\u201D, where Black Thought and Yasiin Bey exchange verses like a seasoned tag team. The track leans into old-school vibes with a beat reminiscent of Bob James\u2019 \u201CNautilus\u201D, a perfect backdrop for their effortless rhyme schemes. Yasiin sets the tone, while Thought delivers a knockout blow. Sadly, the track leaves you wanting more, but apparently, Talib Kweli was considered; however, the leaner duo proves more than enough.
\u201CAct Too (The Love of My Life)\u201D sees The Roots reunite with Common for a poignant sequel to his classic \u201CI Used to Love H.E.R.\u201D It\u2019s a standout cut, lush with strings and ethereal vocals, as Common and Black Thought both profess their unwavering love for hip-hop. Their sincerity further suggests why Things Fall Apart remains such an important work. Here, amidst the era of jiggy rap and gloss, The Roots embrace vulnerability, a reminder of hip-hop\u2019s true power.
It's the utter and ineffable fear on the teenage girl's face, I think. Or the uncaring and blank look of the police officer furthest to the right. Perhaps it's the fleeing boy, whose face we only see in semi-profile, looking back as he runs. In reality, it's all of it and the fact that we know this was real. This happened. That is what makes the album cover to the Roots' Things Fall Apart so harrowing, so bothersome.
Named after Chinua Achebe's novel of the same name, itself named after the above line from Yeats' poem, Things Fall Apart was originally released with five different cover photos. The one seen here became the standard that you will find on new copies of the record today. The other four are just as disturbing -- a crying child, the inside of a burned church, an infant crying in the rubble of Shanghai following Japanese attacks during World War II, the bloodied arm and hand of mafia boss Giuseppe Masseria after his shooting death in 1931 -- and echo the chaotic implications of the album title. Yeats' original poem was written in the aftermath of World War I and reflected on the fractured nature of humanity in the wake of the "war to end all wars," the events that gave us the Lost Generation. Achebe's novel took Yeats' theme and applied it to the destructive chaos of colonialism in Africa, specifically Nigeria. The novel's main character, a highly successful yet problematic member of his tribe, slowly has his view of the world torn asunder by the invading forces, both spiritual and physical, of the colonial powers.
That the varied album cover photos come from different periods of the 20th century connects to Yeats' theme while the images of the Civil Right era -- the main picture comes from a riot in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn during the 1960s -- echo Achebe's. The album was released in February of 1999, a time when many Americans saw things as generally positive due to an economic boom that had resulted in an actual government budget surplus. But the reality was grimmer -- gaps between ethnicities in education, ongoing depression in real wages, widening of income disparity, economic colonialism, and genocide. The photograph on the front may have been more than thirty years in the past, but there were many arguments for why society was no less broken. By juxtaposing documentation of the past on the cover with the content of the album, its lyrics and mindstate firmly planted in the present, the Roots were calling on their listeners to understand how the more things change, the more they stay the same.
It's interesting, too, to note that the band saw its own fissures in the wake of the album. Things Fall Apart was in many ways the band's breakthrough, reaching as high as number four on the Billboard 200 Albums chart as their first album to go gold and sell 500,000 copies. But it was also the last to feature one of the band's original members, rapper Malik B, who left the band following tours for this album to deal with drug addictions. Though the band would emerge from this to release the excellent Phrenology, this was the last time that the original founding lineup would all perform together on an album.
Things Fall Apart's cover art is the epitome of what happens when artists look outward to look inward, to find the universal in the specific. What looks like merely a black and white documentation of the Civil Rights era becomes something more in the context of the album and the era in which it was released. It's a call to consider one of the hoariest, but truest, clichs -- that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And more than that, perhaps, to witness the rough beast, its hour come round at last, being born. words/ j neas
Embarking on this assignment I quickly realized that the "most powerful" and "greatest" album covers are not necessarily the same thing. Some of the most powerful album covers aren't great from a design standpoint, but they make bold statements and have powerful messages. On the other hand, some of the greatest album covers are beautifully designed and memorable, but don't actually say or mean very much.
Growing up in South Africa in the '80s and '90s, I was exposed to a wide range of local and international music. Theater, choral and classical music played major roles in my upbringing. You'll notice some this reflected in my selections below.
At the start of this assignment, I decided to just close my eyes and try to picture the most powerful album covers I could think of. Things Fall Apart immediately came to mind. The Civil Rights era photo taken in Bedford-Stuyvesant is firmly etched in my memory. It's powerful, incredibly disturbing and, sadly, something we as a society are still struggling with today. No words could ever describe the look on that poor girl's face. The music itself is also extremely powerful, with some songs overtly addressing inequality and racism. "You Got Me" featuring Erykah Badu is one of my all-time favorite tracks.
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