The Legendary Roots Orchestra - "undun" (Part 1)

While the majority of their peers are busy rapping about bitches, drugs, and money... The Roots spend the bulk of their time producing Conscious Hip-Hop, concerning the trials and tribulations of life. I've personally been an avid Roots aficionado since first hearing "Don't Say Nuthin'" and it's accompanying album, The Tipping Point (2004). But many fans may be most familiar with the Philly 8-piece because of their 2003 commercial break-out single, "The Seed (2.0);" De facto re-envisioning of Cody ChesnuTT's own Funky original composition.
The band really is so much more than "Hip-Hop," a group made up of true musicians, actively led by drummer ?uestlove since 1987. Between albums #9-10 [counting "The Roots Come Alive"] The Roots Crew became the official in-house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, fully on board for it's 2009 debut. For what it's worth, How I Got Over was hands down my favourite album of 2010, and without a doubt one of the most cohesive records I've ever heard!


Orchestrating quite the quick between-album turn-around, The Roots will release undun this coming Dec. 6th. The Guess Who name-checking album has already been dubbed an "orchestral [concept] album," the 10-track collection was originally over-forecasted for a 2012 release; Essentially, it chronicles the painfully short life of one "Redford Stephens" (1974-99), albeit deconstructed and told from end to beginning. Rumored guests are set to include Sufjan Stevens, Big K.R.I.T and Avant-Garde pianist D.D. Jackson, as well as an extended cast of Roots regulars [Dice Raw, Bilal, Peddi Crakk].
Kick-staring what has become their run-of-the-mill promotional campaigns, The Roots have now uploaded a short music video treatment for "Make My" to okayplayer. 1/4 of a larger mini-film, it was solely directed, shot, and edited by Clifton Bell... Parts 2-4 will simultaneously be uploaded to the site @ 12:06 the next 3 Tuesdays, leading up to undun's Dec. 6th release date. Capped off with a famous Chanakya quote, "Make My" (Track 02) seemingly re-enacts Redford Stephens' mysterious tragic death, finding himself @ the wrong end of a rapid-fire gunfight.