((The Dark Trinity)) by The Roots / 1Track@aTime 6.14.2014

1Track@aTime 6.14.2014
((The Dark Trinity))

Back in March I got a $25 dollar b-day gift card from the folks I work with and I decided to save it for the next trip to my favorite music shop in El Paso, All That Music.  I had been holding off a trip to All That Music until I was able to make a copy of a mixtape I was working on for them... wanted to pass the owner George a copy of the Lee Jun-fan Tape, Tao 1 (click here for more info).  A couple years back after stalling on getting the mixtape together it was George who led me to a section in the store where I found the Xavier Cugat Viva Cugat record to start off the project.  I was waiting on a very specific sound and the Cugat LP was it.

With a  copy of the mixtape in hand, I made my way out to All That Music for a lunch break dig.  After greeting George at the counter I went straight over to the vinyl Jazz section to look for some Weather Report.  Found a piece from 72' and flipped through the discount LPs and found some Flip Wilson, Aretha Franklin, and a few other dollar records I set to the side.

One of my missions was also to pick up the new Roots album ...and then you shoot your cousin.  Though I know CDs are cheaper at a spot like Best Buy, I didn't feel like risking the chance of not finding a CD copy in the two disorganized skeleton racks they've got over there.  It's something I experienced when I thought they'd have the Kweli record.  I bet soon, on stock will mean the handful of CDs underneath the candy rack as you make your way out through the check out line.  If you gotta walk past refrigerators to get to the music section... then yeah, we're definitely in what theorist and financial people have been predicting would be the end of the CD purchase as we know it.

This past week I've been listening to the new CD from The Roots.  A fan going back to Do You Want More?!!!??!... I'm more than 20 years in listening to Hip Hop's longest running band and one of, if not the only band that can speak for a level of consistency that you just don't find amongst bands, not only in Hip Hop but any music for that matter.  Every Roots project is deep and connected to each other by this running track list that ends with track 181 on their latest effort.  Even back when records like Phrenology were catching flack from critics, it was experiencing the record live that helped me understand its value outside of how people were responding initially.   With their latest effort, The Roots challenge listeners, including fans like myself who may have had certain expectations.  And as consumers of music culture who doesn't have expectations?  Especially for fans who's expectations in many ways have been trained either by corporate marketing, region bias, or even the artist themselves who attempt to commit to the success they feel got them to where they are.

With ...and then you shoot your cousin, before I knew it the record was over.  It's short and my first rotation through I wasn't sure what track to pass on to the Fresh Produce show.  What I did know was I wanted to listen to it again and would need to give this record some time.  After viewing some the visuals below I liked what Questlove says about the record and its exciting to see a group like The Roots in a position where they could challenge expectations and give fans a work of art that is not defined by what other groups or artist in their position are doing to quote on quote, stay relevant.  The expectations with ...and then you shoot your cousin provoke thought in a time when it may not be expected from the channels we consider popular or commercial.  Especially for products we identify as commodities which has been the case with many artist that don't last.  And as a fan of The Roots, this record is a musical statement moving forward and it gives listeners the impression (and artist the option) that even at that level, there are choices that can be made for the sake of art and music is no exception.  Especially Hip Hop.

For June 14th on the Fresh Produce show, we focused on track no. 179 of more than two decades of The Roots.  It's called ((The Dark Trinity)) featuring Dice Raw, Greg Porn and of course Roots front lyrical gunner Black Thought...the all time greatest MC in my book.

You can hear a recording of the Fresh Produce show on the mixlr showreel and can peep other selections from around the globe at the Soundcloud archive show No. 18.

Here are several videos to check out for ...and then you shoot your cousin.

The Roots ...and then you shoot your cousin added to the LHHS Charts 6/15/2014.


Keywords + Tags: The Roots, Jimmy Fallon, ...and then you shoot your cousin, Black Thought, Ahmir Thompson, drums, Questlove, Tarik Trotter, Kirk Douglas, Captain Kirk, Kamal Gray, keyboards, James Poyser, keyboards, Frank Walker, percussion, Frankie Knuckles, Damon Bryson, Tuba Gooding Jr., sousaphone, Mark Kelly, bass, the legendary Roots crew, The Dark Trinity, Greg Porn, Dice Raw, All That Music, George Reynosa, Do You Want More?!!!?!, Fresh Produce, The Fresh Produce Show, B.Dune, repshowhost, repshowdigital, LHHS Charts, Hip Hop, hip hop, bands, hip hop bands, 1Track@aTime, 1 track at a time, mixlr, soundcloud, longevity