Review Summary: A message of hope.
I am frequently asked how I can deal with inner city students. There is very little about my appearance that suggests I would be capable of teaching, and when the occasion arises, subduing at-risk youth referred to me by the local court system. I am about 5’9, 150 lbs and as my students tend to point out on a daily basis, I am extremely white. And I don’t just mean in terms of my skin pigmentation. I don’t know any of the hip new slang, so half of their insults go over my head (or should I say
under), I pack a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, and my office radio is always on alt-rock stations that play mostly grunge and 90’s rock (what do you have to do to find some goddamned Bon Iver on the radio these days?) Who knows what they would say if they heard me blasting Taylor Swift every morning as I roll into the parking lot. But the point is, even though their assumptions about me are based on cultural biases, they are mostly true. I don’t know what it is like on the block, and I most certainly have no desire to find out. I was raised in a middle-class suburban neighborhood by my religious mother and my overprotective father, and the closest thing to a near death experience I had was choking on a hard candy at elementary school. I mean sure, I’m a big boy now with my own car and my own apartment…but becoming an adult doesn’t prepare you for the kind of lifestyle gap that exists between your average college graduate and students who are one bad break away from being locked up for good. For this reason especially, I can’t blame people for looking upon me with a bit of hesitation and doubt when I tell them what I do for a living.
I’m not here to tell you that The Roots’
How I Got Over is what bridged that gap and instituted a harmonious balance in my classroom; but more just to comment on the importance of the album to its audience and how it helped me understand
my audience. Once again, I am going to throw a stereotype out there, and I don’t think I’m crossing any lines when I say this – but a lot of black people listen to rap. If this is a shocking revelation to you, or if it offends you, then you are kidding yourself. My students are almost exclusively African American, and they all listen to hip-hop, rap, etc. because a lot of the artists speak to them in a way they can easily relate to. Just like I connect with the lyrics and themes of bands like Brand New and Thrice, they heed the words of Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and not shockingly, The Roots. I'm not saying that there can't be any crossover, as I also listen to a little Kanye and Roots, just as I am sure that some of my students listen to plenty of rock n' roll. But for the most part, that's the way the cookie crumbles. Too many rap/hip-hop artists nowadays focus on the negative aspects of growing up “on the streets”, such as drugs, domestic abuse, murders, and thefts. However, The Roots use their status within the genre (as well as their own history rising above the challenges of inner city Philadelphia) as a platform to preach to their young audience that hope really
does exist. Even if judged solely on its objectives,
How I Got Over serves an admirable purpose.
The title track may serve as the best example of The Roots’ compassionate mission statement, “Out in the streets where I grew up, first thing they teach you is not to give a fuc
k. That type of thinking can’t get you nowhere, someone has to care.” To someone who is
actually in that predicament, it sheds some much needed light on the idea that an every-man-for-himself society is no reasonable path to progress. It doesn’t end there, as ‘The Day’ possesses something of a carpe-diem theme, “I wake up, I look into the mirror, I can see a clearer vision, I should start livin’ today”, while ‘Now or Never” succeeds in its motivational message of “I feel different today, don’t know what else to say, I’m gonna get my shi
t together, it’s now or never.” Positive messages of rising above one’s challenges permeate the entire record, and you can’t help but swell with pride over what The Roots are trying to do for their following. I have witnessed firsthand how troubled youth respond to their idols preaching constructive messages, and the results are a lot more positive compared to the ones who reinforce drug and violence dictated mentalities. Of course, you don’t have to be a real-life embodiment of the messages that
How I Got Over immerses itself in to enjoy the album. Even if you are just a typical college kid or nine-to-five office worker looking for a pick me up, The Roots will have some answers for you.
How I Got Over backs up its inspirational messages with The Roots’ solid-as-always musicianship. The album is definitely the group’s most accessible to date, arguably even “safe”, but it accomplishes a great deal through the remarkable rhythms and melodic verses that make it so easy to get into. ‘Walk Alone’ and ‘Radio Daze’ are clear highlights in terms of accessibility, with sung verses and choruses that make them almost impossible to forget. The majority of the album opts for easy listening, and while that might add fuel to critics’ arguments that
How I Got Over is begrudgingly harmless, the songwriting is simply too good to ignore. It’s the kind of record that despite its target audience can transcend all kinds of boundaries – from race to class to musical preference. A number of featured artists also make guest appearances, the most recognizable of which would be Joanna Newsom and John Legend, both of whom contribute masterful performances in ‘Right On’ and ‘The Fire’, respectively. Even the interludes and instrumentals make valuable contributions, as ‘A Peace of Light’ and ‘Dillatude: The Flight of Titus’ help in keeping up the album’s impeccable flow. All in all,
How I Got Over provides an extremely alluring canvas on which they paint their lyrical triumphs.
I’m not saying that you have to be of a specific race or social class to “get” this record, because its positive messages are actually pretty universal. But to those who look up to The Roots and hang on their every word,
How I Got Over is almost a public service. Whether musicians like it or not, they are in a spotlight that they can’t escape from, and this is a group that is making the most of its status and overall popularity. This is the most complete album that The Roots have recorded, and when you add in their own awareness of their influence on listeners across the globe,
How I Got Over becomes more than just a good hip-hop/rap album in the eyes of fans – especially those who are right where The Roots were not too long ago.
