The Roots are bringing in elite talent for their next LP. In a new interview, Black Thought revealed that 9th Wonder and Salaam Remi are set to produce tracks on The Roots’ upcoming End Game album. The two producers join Stro Elliot and Karriem Riggins, whose involvement was announced by Questlove last year.
Black Thought also noted that the group feels no pressure to rush End Game. Since The Roots are no longer on Def Jam, there is a lot of freedom involved in the recording process.
“I think what people do nowadays is to catch people off guard and take the industry by storm,” he said. “I think our campaign will be unlike that new sort of wave. We will announce it when it’s done and it will going to come out when it comes out. We’re not under any constraints of this is the date where the album must be completed and submitted. That’s not us anymore. We’re free agents now, we’re our own brand, our own label. When the joints are done, we’re just going to put it out.”
End Game marks the first Roots album since the death of their longtime manager Rich Nichols. Black Thought explained how the LP will be a showcase of a new spin to their art now that Nichols cannot be involved in their creative process.
“We’re coming into our own in a different way,” he said. “This is going to be our first record since the untimely passing of our long-term mentor and manager and executive producer Richard Nichols so this record is going to be a testimonial to The Roots’ creative power.”
please don’t drop crap…The Roots Crew are my favorite hip hop group/band, please drop something the people can feel. The last few efforts fell short. Black Thought is criminally slept on!
No more concept albums. I understand why it had to be done, and I liked them, but now it’s time to return to that classic Roots sound.
Wouldnt mind hearing just blaze production for the roots,shit would be nice.
Last album was disappointing, i hope this one is better.
I love the roots… But the last 3-4 albums were poor… Less drums.. Just Blaze, Neptunes.. No.ID and Preemo.. Questlove stay away from production. You a great drummer, writer (his books rock), and so forth.. but the sound needs to be updated a lot. Roots catalog still dope.. Half Life, Want More, Phrenology, Things Fall Apart, Tipping Point my favorites … Five classics not bad at all
You forgot Undun, that is one of the greatest albums I have ever heard
How I Got Over and Undun were top-tier Roots albums though…
But I agree that Shoot Your Cousin was wack
So How I got Over, UnDun and And Then you Shoot your Cousin was weak??? Wow… The last album was creative to say the least but it was a classic just like the other two mentioned! The last album they dropped came out the same time Yezzus dropped and it was better. I remember both albums having a experimental sound but it was dope. I was just listening to The Dark from that album. The Roots haven’t lost yet. After Mos Def’s album they are all we have left lol…
And Then You Shoot Your Cousin was terrible by their standards. That might be their worst album. The other recent albums dropped post 2010 are straight!!
you didnt have any love for Undun i still play that record to this day, and what about the Betty Wright collab??? I do want to hear more of Black Thought throughout the album
Naw Undun, How I Got Over, Rising Down and Game Theory were excellent. And then you shoot your cousin was too short for me and didn’t have enough black thought. That album was subpar, I will agree with that one.
I’ve been specifically waiting for this annoucement for a while.
Much respect to the legendary Roots crew for holding down the culture.. Be Healthy
the legendary roots crew, making my day , been waiting on this. from all the roots album the last one was the wackest ‘ and then you shoot your cousin…hope end game will be tight. my favourite hip hop band.. BLACK THOUGHT THE ILLEST MC
Better be a dope album! I didn’t enjoy the currently latest album a bit, it needed way more actual rapping.
stop trolling. Black Thought would hurt those boys feelings.
Yall cats dissin the Roots Crew, straight buggin, if you listen to any of their last 5-7 albums they reflect the tenor of the political and social climate of the US and give you something to party to as well, musically they were well crafted and lyrics are always on point. Were they “perfection” of illadelph or things fall apart but they were hella dope in their own way.