* Someone in here mentioned that one aspect to SOT:1 they didn't like was that the production ran together. I didn't think that about 9th's beats, but that's how I feel about this album. There are a couple of beats which stand out as far as tone and rhythm and drums. But the first three songs seem like one long song.

* This isn't a mark against the album or Salaam specifically but hearing the live instrumentation made me really appreciate ?uest and The Roots. Mostly because of the subject of the above point.

Throughout the The Roots' 5011 albums, very few songs share similar musical motifs, which seems easier for a producer using a sampler.

Then again, I think I'm just not as into live instrumentation or as accustomed to it like I was in the mid 90's when I fell in love with The Roots. I wasn't blown away by the instrumentation like I seem to constantly be with The Roots album.

But again, the dissatisfaction I feel with this album is more about my misaligned expectations with the final product.

* I know some folks in here have mentioned the improved engineering of this album, and I admit to being out of touch with modern developments in that field since I don't listen to alot of newer hip hop, but Thoughts vocals seem too low. They sit right in the middle of the instrumentation. Which isn't necessarily bad but I'm working a lot harder to make out his words and delivery than I did with SOT:1.