Tipping Point

The most dangerous band in hip hop. Like most of the intellectual hip hop artists, The Roots talk to the problems facing young black people in America from a standpoint that there are answers other than dealing and stealing. On tracks like Everybody Is a Star they take a big risk and talk about sexism within the black community, which has been a very touchy subject. Taking their name from the sociology work of Malcolm Gladwell and his book on the influence of small numbers of people in creating change. Black Thought delivers in a rapid fire of anger and disappointment and hope and questions that can be overwhelming but is nicely couched in the tight backing of the band.

Hot Spots: Don't Say Nuthin', Boom, Somebody's Gotta Do It, Guns Are Drawn, The Web, Why