Philly's Gospel: Celebrating "Illadelph Halflife" 20 Years Later
After recording collaborative albums with Betty Wright and John Legend, earning a reputation for legendary live shows, and winning multiple Grammy Awards, The Roots have become elder statesmen of the rap game while cementing their legacy as a premier American band. When they’re not recording a new album or touring, in their free time they play house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a role they’ve held since 2009. Their presence as a group is so dominant that it is easy to overlook the group members’ impressive individual accomplishments, which include Black Thought and Questlove’s recent work on the Hamilton cast album. For The Roots, their relentless touring schedule over the past 20-plus years has no doubt played a critical role in their popularity and current status. But when looking at their records and trying to identify a moment of transition from little-known rap band to primetime TV mainstays, that transformation started in 1996. Though their first two albumsOrganix and Do You Want More?!!!??!were well received, it was 1996’sIlladelph Halflife that acted as a watershed moment for the group and sent them on their current course.
Revisiting Illadelph Halflife: A 20-Year Retrospective
The Roots watershed moment came during a prolonged moment of crisis for rap music. 2Pac had just been murdered and Biggie’s murder was soon to follow. While the Bad Boy-endorsed Shiny Suit Era wasn’t at its peak yet, it was starting to become a dominant sound within rap. In addition to the anger, sadness, and tension in the industry, The Roots’ sound wasn’t fully-formed and familiar to the general public in 1996. In addition to less-than-ideal industry conditions and a consumer base largely unfamiliar with their style, The Roots were signed as the lone rap act on DGC records. Undaunted, they went about creating a defining moment in music. Their challenge would be maintaining the fans they’d gained through the heavy jazz influence of Do You Want More?!!!??! while making an album that would win over more traditional mid-90s East Coast rap fans.
“I hate gettin’ locked up cause that upstate bus reminds me of the slave ships. But then the bible never saved shyt. I guess that’s why every juvenile is in the same predicament.”— Mars Co-op
The Roots immediately set out to explore new sonic territory with their beats and lyrics in efforts to broaden their fan base. Although Illadelph would see a reduced role from keyboard player and pianist Scott Storch as he sought new solo opportunities, the group honed their production technique by changing up their sound and combining samples with live instrumentation on select songs. They also used their talented lineup of two beatboxers (Rahzel and Scratch), a drummer (Questlove), keyboards (Kamal Gray), and bass (Leonard “Hub” Hubbard) to create instrumentals in the same vein as their sample-based influences. Achieving perfect balance for a rap album with live musicians can be difficult, so The Roots enlisted the help of some trusted collaborators.
To achieve the right balance, The Roots had engineer and producer Kenyatta “Kelo” Saunders at the helm as well asthe legendary Bob “Bob Power You There?” Power mixing the album down. Power is a long-respected behind-the-scenes studio expert whose credits include work with A Tribe Called Quest, Common, and De La Soul. Questlove has credited Kelo Saunders in the past for helping them achieve their sound, calling him a “scientist” and a “human Pro Tools machine.”
Photo: Google+/Kenyatta Saunders
Master of the Mix:: From The Roots to Jay Z to Eminem, this Grand Wizzard has been instrumental in making instruments sound better.
In addition to The Roots, Saunders has also worked with folks like Eminem and Jay Z. According to Quest, Kelo keeps “files of every snare i ever hit since i got a deal” and was instrumental in helping them sound “bigger” and perfecting of their live sound. The “bigger” sound is evident throughout, as the album sounds ready-made to both bump in your car and appreciate the musical subtitles while listening at home.
“At first, I’m like ‘nah,’ I’m nonchalant from afar, then strike to cut the fake rap star jugular.” – Black Thought
After recording collaborative albums with Betty Wright and John Legend, earning a reputation for legendary live shows, and winning multiple Grammy Awards, The Roots have become elder statesmen of the rap game while cementing their legacy as a premier American band. When they’re not recording a new album or touring, in their free time they play house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a role they’ve held since 2009. Their presence as a group is so dominant that it is easy to overlook the group members’ impressive individual accomplishments, which include Black Thought and Questlove’s recent work on the Hamilton cast album. For The Roots, their relentless touring schedule over the past 20-plus years has no doubt played a critical role in their popularity and current status. But when looking at their records and trying to identify a moment of transition from little-known rap band to primetime TV mainstays, that transformation started in 1996. Though their first two albumsOrganix and Do You Want More?!!!??!were well received, it was 1996’sIlladelph Halflife that acted as a watershed moment for the group and sent them on their current course.
Revisiting Illadelph Halflife: A 20-Year Retrospective
The Roots watershed moment came during a prolonged moment of crisis for rap music. 2Pac had just been murdered and Biggie’s murder was soon to follow. While the Bad Boy-endorsed Shiny Suit Era wasn’t at its peak yet, it was starting to become a dominant sound within rap. In addition to the anger, sadness, and tension in the industry, The Roots’ sound wasn’t fully-formed and familiar to the general public in 1996. In addition to less-than-ideal industry conditions and a consumer base largely unfamiliar with their style, The Roots were signed as the lone rap act on DGC records. Undaunted, they went about creating a defining moment in music. Their challenge would be maintaining the fans they’d gained through the heavy jazz influence of Do You Want More?!!!??! while making an album that would win over more traditional mid-90s East Coast rap fans.
“I hate gettin’ locked up cause that upstate bus reminds me of the slave ships. But then the bible never saved shyt. I guess that’s why every juvenile is in the same predicament.”— Mars Co-op
The Roots immediately set out to explore new sonic territory with their beats and lyrics in efforts to broaden their fan base. Although Illadelph would see a reduced role from keyboard player and pianist Scott Storch as he sought new solo opportunities, the group honed their production technique by changing up their sound and combining samples with live instrumentation on select songs. They also used their talented lineup of two beatboxers (Rahzel and Scratch), a drummer (Questlove), keyboards (Kamal Gray), and bass (Leonard “Hub” Hubbard) to create instrumentals in the same vein as their sample-based influences. Achieving perfect balance for a rap album with live musicians can be difficult, so The Roots enlisted the help of some trusted collaborators.
To achieve the right balance, The Roots had engineer and producer Kenyatta “Kelo” Saunders at the helm as well asthe legendary Bob “Bob Power You There?” Power mixing the album down. Power is a long-respected behind-the-scenes studio expert whose credits include work with A Tribe Called Quest, Common, and De La Soul. Questlove has credited Kelo Saunders in the past for helping them achieve their sound, calling him a “scientist” and a “human Pro Tools machine.”
Photo: Google+/Kenyatta Saunders
Master of the Mix:: From The Roots to Jay Z to Eminem, this Grand Wizzard has been instrumental in making instruments sound better.
In addition to The Roots, Saunders has also worked with folks like Eminem and Jay Z. According to Quest, Kelo keeps “files of every snare i ever hit since i got a deal” and was instrumental in helping them sound “bigger” and perfecting of their live sound. The “bigger” sound is evident throughout, as the album sounds ready-made to both bump in your car and appreciate the musical subtitles while listening at home.
“At first, I’m like ‘nah,’ I’m nonchalant from afar, then strike to cut the fake rap star jugular.” – Black Thought
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