The Wall Street Journal
Media & Marketing
In Production / 'Game Theory'
By Christopher John Farley
264 words
17 March 2006
(Copyright (c) 2006, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

The Project: The Grammy-winning hip-hop band The Roots is among the few rap acts whose members play their own instruments. So far, the group has enjoyed critical acclaim but only modest sales. Now, in a bid to raise its profile, the band has signed with Def Jam Recordings, a unit of Vivendi Universal's Universal Music Group. "Game Theory," the group's first album for Def Jam, is due out in September. Roots drummer Ahmir Thompson says the new work is "very mature, very serious, very dark."

The Buzz: Shawn Carter, a.k.a. Jay-Z, the president of Def Jam, is a chart-topping rapper and respected music executive. The Roots's presence on his label may persuade fans of harder-edged hip-hop to check out the band. In addition, the group's link to the storied label, which helped to launch LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys in the
1980s and recently signed veteran rapper Nas -- sends the signal that The Roots have real hip-hop roots.

The Outlook: Artists like Outkast, Kanye West and Lauryn Hill have proved that innovative hip-hop can sell millions of albums. If the Roots can come up with an album that critics embrace, and singles that radio stations want to play, there's no reason they can't
post sales comparable with those of their more successful peers. The rapper Common is scheduled to appear on the album and a guest shot by Jay-Z hasn't been ruled out.