Features
Friday, December 24 2010
The 70 Best Albums of 2010
PopMatters is on its annual publishing break until 3 January 2011, except for some film reviews and blogs. In the meantime, enjoy some of the year's best...
The year's best albums are highlighted by the emergence of a future superstar, two veteran and virtuoso rappers, and a Dream Team of indie bands releasing career peaks.
Friday, December 24 2010
The 60 Best Songs of 2010
Sixty slices of musical greatness highlighted by one of the most delightful expletive-ridden hits in pop music history.
Wednesday, December 8 2010
The Best Hip-Hop of 2010
Epic, sleek, weed rap, emo, sociopolitical, gangsta, or house party? In which direction will hip-hop go? This was a year for all of the above.
Friday, December 19 2008
The Best Albums of 2008
PopMatters presents our 60 best albums of 2008, highlighted by the return of British trip-hop legends and some infectious American indie rock by way of the Cascade Mountains.
Friday, December 12 2008
The Best Hip-Hop of 2008
A return to the mic nine years in the making, a hip-hop supergroup of sorts, and Tom Waits beatboxing: this year's top-shelf hip-hop is equal parts anticipation, teamwork, and wha?!
Reviews
Tuesday, December 6 2011
The Roots: undun
It's undun that truly signals the Roots are every bit as capable of maturing with grace, pride and praise-worthy work as those consistently unpredictable rockers from Oxfordshire (Radiohead).
Friday, June 25 2010
The Roots: How I Got Over
How do these guys celebrate their cushy late night gig? By delivering a resilient and timely, and ultimately brilliant record about making it through hard times.
Tuesday, April 29 2008
The Roots: Rising Down
Eighth studio album from Philly's legendary hip-hop crew, a minor-key rush of synthesizer-heavy vamps and distrustful rhymes, features cameos from Mos Def, Talib Kweli and more.
Tuesday, August 29 2006
Roots: Game Theory
What in the name of Memphis Bleek were the elegant, politically fiery, underappreciated Roots, who could establish a foundation to begin donating the street cred they’d amassed over the years, doing hanging the hat on the door of the blingiest big-shot in the game, the guy re-touring with R. Friggin’ Kelly by day and spooning with Beyonce by night?
Tuesday, November 29 2005
The Roots: Home Grown! The Beginners Guide to Understanding The Roots
Spectacular hip-hop from A to Z, a collection of depth and wonder from Philly's hometown heroes -- beats, rhymes and riffs to end the discussion of how 'musical' rap really is.
Blogs
Friday, November 6 2009
Monsters of Folk - "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)" (live on Fallon) (video)
The Roots joined Jim James, Conor Oberst, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis on stage Wednesday night to kick out the jams, as they say. The…
Thursday, June 11 2009
Mos Def and the Roots - "Casa Bey" (Live on Jimmy Fallon) (video)
Mos Def joined up with the Roots for a live version of "Casa Bey" on Jimmy Fallon's show this week. Andrew Martin says of Mos…
Wednesday, March 4 2009
Hey, something seems different about Max tonight
As you probably already know, SNL alum Jimmy Fallon made his debut Monday night as a late-night talk show host in an attempt to fill…
News
Wednesday, April 13 2011
French 'roots' the inspiration for 'Philly-Paris Lockdown'
PHILADELPHIA — For Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, the roots of "Philly-Paris Lockdown," the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts classical-pop mashup that he and Parisian chanteuse…
Wednesday, June 30 2010
On CD and TV, the Roots stay in a good groove
NEW YORK — It's lunchtime at Studio 6-B at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, but the Roots are not ready to take a break. On the day…
Thursday, April 16 2009
As Jimmy Fallon's TV house band, the Roots adapt to a new way to work
NEW YORK - It's 10 minutes to show time backstage at "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson is wondering what the Roots…
Thursday, May 1 2008
The Roots, in new album, tangle with the big issues
The Philadelphia band the Roots has always made socially aware, stylistically varied music that's kept it on the leading edge of left-of-center hip-hop. But the…
