Some of you may know about these, but for those who don't, the Roots released videos to go along with their newest album, Undun. Undun is a concept album that follows the ghetto life of a young man named Redford Stephens, backwards. This part 1 of my review of Undun, and I am reviewing the concept and how it was captured in the album and videos.
Hook 1/Downside 1: the story and message. Or, the lack of story. Stephens's life is a very generic story of a young man in the hood, starting with his entry to crime for lack of a better option, and ending with his dying young because it is a dangerous game he started playing. This is a downside because it is not very interesting, and is the movie we rap listeners have seen too many times. The videos just give views of his hood, his crimes, and his death. On the other hand, this hooked me because what better way to point up the terrible life in the hood than by making it dreary and repetitive. Also beginning the album with a heart rate meter going flat was enough to convince me to stay out of the hood. The Roots definitely embody this message, as they used music to get famous and leave traces of the hood behind, and now they are preaching that to all of their listeners.
OH!! and Roots? Why did you take K.R.I.T.'s verse out of the "Make My" video??? I LOVE K.R.I.T.
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