They Walk Alone
In June of 2010 The Roots released their ninth studio album How I Got Over. Its mixture of gospel, hip-hop and indie sounds are manifested through jazzy drum riffs, a soulful bass, optimistic rhymes and casual vocals. The album features artists such as Dice Raw, Blu, Monsters of Folk, Joanna Newsom, Patty Crash and John Legend among others. How I Got Over is for hip hop connoisseurs that can appreciate a progressive album reminiscent of The Roots’ sound a decade ago.
A majority of the album describes perseverance, and keeping an ambitious frame of mind despite negative influences and temptations when coming from an urban neighborhood, with little or no support. The Roots also discuss loneliness and dealing with indifference about life. They urge listeners to take action in their lives and stop waiting for change to come to them. How I Got Over cheers for the underdog, praises the underrated and appreciates the under-appreciated. The album’s uplifting message and positive outlook reflect the religious undertones in the lyrical content on tracks like “Dear God 2.0” and “Walk Alone.”
Although today it seems that many artists change and experiment with their sound on every other album, leaving many of their fans to question their new direction, How I Got Over proves that The Roots are faithful to their humble, pragmatic origins.
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