Things Fall Apart

4 (out of 5) - "...the Roots fuse melodic choruses and rap verses into rich, fully-realized grooves... Alternative Press (6/99, p.108)

Ranked #9 in CMJ's "Top 30 Editorial Picks [for 1999]. CMJ (1/10/00, p.4)

...the Roots represent one of the few hip-hop units that genuinely raise the quality level of the genre....from throat-grabbin' raps to silky-smooth sing-a-longs, leaving cliches at the door while pumping in brand new, heavy doses of groove... CMJ (1/25/99, p.5)

...this straight outta-Illadellph septet maintain a high standard of verbal one-upmanship and lyrical inventiveness, spinning out trenchant inner-city dispatches with righteous fury, while the band's judicious Fender Rhodes tinkling and jazzbo fingerpicking help stoke the album's quiet storms..." - Rating: B Entertainment Weekly (2/19-2/26/99, p.140)

4 out of 5 - "...[The Roots] strike gold with their weighty and serious third effort....there's no doubt it's all poetry. Mixmag (2/99, p.105)

...the stunner they've always promised: the first candidate for hip hop album of 1999....in a hip-hop world dominated by well-worn pop samples and rap rewrites of 80's chart hits, such risk-taking should be cherished... Mojo (5/99, p.108)

...their most accomplished album...mixing their trademark human beatbox, live instrumentation and smoothly flowing patter with a gorgeous guest appearance from Erykah Badu. Muzik (1/00, p.69)

Ranked #12 in Muzik's "Albums Of The Year '99 Muzik (1/00, p.69)

4 Stars (out of 5) - "...amidst bubbling bass, jazz guitar licks and snare splats he [main rapper, Black Thought] celebrates original hip-hop virtues without surrendering to nostalgia... Q (5/99, p.114)

4 (out of 5) - "...This minimalist approach is a new avenue for the crew, but one they maneuver with ease, ever careful not to tread lightly and feign a noncommittal stance... Rap Pages (3/99, p.141)

4 Stars (out of 5) - "...The hip-hop vanguard that's ignoring trends - musical, lyrical, sartorial - and experimenting, forging ahead, creating new directions....combining kinetic street energy with fresh, artful musical ideas... Rolling Stone (3/4/99, pp.81-82)

Included in The Source's "Top 10 Albums of the Year [1999]. The Source (2/00, p.95)

4 Mics (out of 5) - "...THINGS FALL APART is the desolate Mad Max-ish soundscape of the post-Armageddon New World....the product of a group who has opened its eyes, and found that the second coming has already arrived in the form of social ills and artistic stagnation... The Source (3/99, p.194)

4 out of 4 - "...The Roots are not only the last Hip Hop 'band'; they are Hip Hop apostles whose love for the art form compels them to push it further musically and lyrically... Urban Latino (4/99, p.75)

...the Roots have finally perfected their sound....The Roots have reconfigured the pyramid again, placing themselves at the top... Vibe (3/99, p.162)