<BR>> Even the dopest poets sometimes <BR>>land offbeat (I think even Common <BR>>is guilty sometimes - no flames <BR>>please!!) <P> you ain't lyimg yo......i joke with com all the time. did you know we did about 3 remixes for "one day..." that never came out? wanna know why? (read the above quote) it's unique though. but i challenged com to write a rhythmic joint full of iambic pentameters and the like. and my man came through. the song is ill. it's called "coldblooded" too ill. it's his first joint. and that'll be out in october.<BR> you don't know how great it is for someone to understand your work. i love it when people love my work. but i really love it when people can give me specifics. i do this alot when i write of another artist' work. i'm just....wow......it makes working in this industry worth it. especially when i just got through a painful on the spot interview with spin magazine who's doing a 90 best albums of the 90's. i was so excited i didn't even focus that they wanted me to talk about records. i figured that since all 3 of my records got a rare 9 out of 10 (the equiv. of 4 1/2 mics in the source) i was being asked about our shit. instead i read further and it wanted me to comment on ll's "mama said knock you out" and "the score" (fugees).i had to talk about why these two records were "so great". i obliged. but i could only speak of one........................and as i was singing ll' praises i decided to reach out to the editor to see if i could talk about another record (maybe "amerikkka's most wanted"..or my own i half heartedly joked...hoping that he would surprise me by saying 'yeah, you guys made it' but we all know the deal. he said we are on some "honorable mention" list. initialy i was cool. but as it sank in i realized that i was about to type the praises of a album that i couldn't artisticly appreciate. i couldn't lie and say they pushed the envelope using rare breaks.the only two things i could come up with was that it brought lauryn to stardom (but that would've hurt clef and pras' feelings....i'm sure they didn't need to be reminded that her light shines brighter than theirs). and they put a nice piece of change in diamond d's pocket (he did a song).<BR>so after coming to grips with the fact that i'm sitting in a european hotel yet again so i can pay my rent (which i could easly do by doing a collabo with dru hill, or monica). feeling dumbfounded. because the only pleasure i get out of making records is the acclaim. and now i get the feeling that those same publications that have us on their top 10 lists year after year, are now gonna wimp out and act like we never existed in their decade end issues. it's like "yeah we gave you 5's and all these stars and mics and hard rods (black tail). and you make records like no one else. but since you made no impact.....".....<P>"god returned the letter back 3 days later...return to sender.....damn"

check the resume

organix-93
(from the ground up)-94
do you want more?!!???!-95
illadelph halflife-96
things fall apart-99
(the legendary)-99
the roots come alive-99
phrenology-2002
the tipping point-2004
(the roots present...) 2004
homegrown: the beginne