Peace to all the Roots fans showing love to the Best of the Roots mixtape. I'm up on here now to chop it up with the roots fans about the mixtape and answer any questions folks might have about the tracklisting or choices behind the joint. Hit me up! - J.Period
6. "RE: i pre-ordered GT so i don't have the mixtape yet" In response to Reply # 1
>but the tracklisting looks nasty. > >so how'd you get thought to freestyle? or whose idea was that? > >i thought he stopped freestylin' a while back. >maybe i'm wrong though. > >thanks. > >peace.
Thought and I had been building on doing a project together since I dropped the Lauryn Hill mixtape last year... We both wanted to get in the studio and do some freestyles/exclusives and the new album was a good reason. We also talked about doing a Vol.2 which would contain more freestyles... so be on the lookout for that down the road...
2. "It is great..." In response to Reply # 0 Wed Aug-16-06 07:34 AM by roberto
...my only issue with it is in the exclusives Black Thought doesn't seem to be mixed in very well. I can't make out a lot of his lyrics to the new shit you recorded with him because it seems like he's a little too far back in the mix and his vocals are noisy or something.
See "Streets of Philly" for an example. "Thought is Like" too.
Also, is Break You Off f. D'Angelo overmodulating like crazy or is it me?
>...my only issue with it is in the exclusives Black Thought >doesn't seem to be mixed in very well. I can't make out a lot >of his lyrics to the new shit you recorded with him because it >seems like he's a little too far back in the mix and his >vocals are noisy or something. > >See "Streets of Philly" for an example. "Thought is Like" >too. > >Also, is Break You Off f. D'Angelo overmodulating like crazy >or is it me?
I feel this and believe it or not, I agree! The project had already been mastered by the time I caught that (that's the prob with having to flip the mixtape in a *very short* amount of time). Both of these errors are currently being corrected for the second round of pressing... welcome to the mixtape game. As for D'Angelo track, it was something I noticed but every version of that remix I found sounded the same and the track was too good to leave out...
"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."
7. "RE: how much creative input did ?uest/the roots have?" In response to Reply # 3
>or was this strictly your project. > >oh yeah, keep up the good work...really enjoyed your best of >big daddy kane mixtape too.
I think because I have a track record with the Nas, Kane, Lauryn Hill or Isley Brothers "Best of"s, they trusted me and gave me the freedom to flip it how I saw fit, but they were definitely involved the whole way thru.
shit is str8 fire. after hearing it, i copped ur lauryn hill and isley brothers mixes. im sure i have questions, but i need the cd in front of me, and im at work. so ill be back later...
Second, they gave up a whopping 130 points per game, a record that will never be broken unless they merge the NBA and WNBA some day. ---Bill Simmons on
12. "RE: Breaking down J.Period's "Best of the Roots"" In response to Reply # 0
...just checked your website to see what i've been missing, and trust, i must do some catch up, 'cause from the samples, had a brother cheezing. looking forward to hear the roots mixtape, waiting patiently, and will be ordering from u two! !luv
True rebels after all, are as rare as true lovers,and in both cases, to mistake a fever for passion can destroy one's life@james baldwin
to take this mix CD out the packaging when I get the Game Theory pack in the mail. One question:
1.) Is Pity the Child (which also appears on the Japanese import version of Game Theory) on the mixtape? Allhiphop.com's review mentions Pity the Child, but it doesn't appear on the tracklisting?
Good look on the mixtape. I'm looking forward to it.
15. "Only one thing bothers me..." In response to Reply # 0
Greetings Why are there not more featured songs from Game theory? Let me explain: as a best of the Roots CD are Music and Feel Right the only two that fit the title? Or did you decide that those are just samples from the new album(which has been credited as their darkest/best in some circles)? Overall I am as impressed as I was w' Best of lauryn Hill if not more, since I am about The Roots since 94'- 95', I actually will have two copies after the pre order.
Oh and cheers for the info @ Paul Robeson in Brooklyn learned alot Ohh Oh yeah how come Break you off was so short? DJ Ameldabee did the same thing on Soul of D'Angelo and I was sooo Bummed! Peace and Passion Strongest Closer in the Game!
23. "RE: Only one thing bothers me..." In response to Reply # 15
Only included a couple Game Theory tracks because it was supposed to be a teaser for the album... but it's always a tough call. For me the focus on this was really in trying to show all sides and dimensions of The Roots in a short timespan so a lot of tough calls had to be made, some favorites of mine I had to cut for lack of time... Max CD time is 80 minutes, so inevitably, some things either have to get cut short or cut off. You just try to put enough of a song so you can vibe to it before moving on to the next one....
44. "RE: on Vol. 2 make sure you get Black Thought over T.R.O.Y." In response to Reply # 24
I like that. Will the song on Black Thought's myspace page "Please Don't Go" be on the Vol. 2. That song is tight. A good summer song too bad it isn't on Game Theory I'm disappointed.
25. "RE: what kind of equipment do you use?" In response to Reply # 18
I learned to spin with wax, so that's my first love, but these days you have to be versatile... I use Wax, Serrato, Turntables, CDJs... different tools for different jobs. For production I use an MPC 1000 + 2000XL, Korg Triton extreme
sweeneykovar Member since Oct 26th 2004 10122 posts
Wed Aug-16-06 09:59 PM
19. "were there any instrumentals Thought wanted to spit on but couldnt?" In response to Reply # 0
or werent able to be used? dude is a monster so i know that his choice of tracks was calculated. did that shit have to stay somewhat in the realms of def jam or anything? peace
26. "RE: were there any instrumentals Thought wanted to spit on but couldnt?" In response to Reply # 19
I had a few other instrumentals set aside, but we were on a tight schedule so we could only rock with the ones we used. I chose all the beats based on what I thought his flow and voice would sound good on... the leftovers will definitely get used for Vol. 2!
31. "RE: how did you choose the guests?" In response to Reply # 29
>i really wanna hear more of that zion i/black thought combo
For me it was about putting emcees together that share a vibe and a style... and flipping a combination you *should* have heard before, but haven't. No one ever heard Black Thought and Rakim on a track, or Nas, or Big L, or Busta, or Q-Tip... but if you think about it, all of these are combo's that would have been dope... so I just make em happen myself. As for Zion I, point blank Zion I is one of the illest emcees out there, and also a righteous emcee, a cat who puts substance and spirit into his lyrics... so it felt like a good fit for a track with a powerful and positive message. Kardinal Offishal is another example of a crazy dope emcee who only gets limited shine (probably cuz he's from Canada), who felt like a good fit. He can flip and hip hop or dancehall style, which fit well with the vibe of "Push Up Ya Lighter." Lastly, Def Poet Mayda Del Valle is just sick wit it and is one of the only peeps I know who loves hip hop as much as I do... so she was a perfect fit for "Love of My Life."
32. "smile wide like sunset cause his style was refined" In response to Reply # 31
was there anyone you wanted who you couldn't get on a track? Ever thought about featuring imani (pharcyde) or boots (the coup)? I first heard of Mayda Del Valle in May when I saw her. She's off the hook. Great job! The Zion I track is ill.
rimshot, smooth clack, thought black, bass kick, beat box, guitar shocks, step back, truth told, truth hold, philly soul, real good, roots rhythm grab my heart and take hold you take us back to a time when music still sounded like gold live shows that had us pushin up lighters and left us wanting more hip hop from the source heartfelt like a ?uest for your first love see music's always soothed me but y'all take me back to meeting him beats so heavy i tripped on my tongue, rewind skipped back to the first verse so i could catch his last line smile wide like sunset cause his style was refined i'd hang on the edge of every cipher i'd find hoping he'd pass me the mic and to this day i still need to listen to him make love to his heartbeat and drum line every time that i write cause my poems need to pour so i clutch at his inspiration with a tight fist till my fingers are sore and he knows me seen me grow up from 13 till times maybe a bit more mature still moves me still soothes me familiar like a old groove yet everything he do is still new to to me cause he sounds so nice yeah he sounds so nice
67. "RE: smile wide like sunset cause his style was refined" In response to Reply # 46
Where can i cop some of Mayda's stuff? i couldn't find her website/myspace (fuck myspace by the way). anyone know if she has a tour schedule? I saw her last year at Evergreen college in Washington. She opened for Saul Williams and i gotto give her props for killing the mic better than him (not to say he didn't rock it)...
34. "can somebody up the mixtape?" In response to Reply # 0
they are giving at away for free at various websites (hhs, sandbox) but i'm not going to order game theory from the us cause i want the uk version w/ bread & butter (hello truck!).
i'd still like to hear the mixtape though. thanks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - self-preservation is the first law of nature.
***still rocking to mc safety & the caution crew***
45. "RE: Breaking down J.Period's "Best of the Roots"" In response to Reply # 36
yes be on the lookout for that...! For now, you can find some of my production on the Best of Lauryn Hill, Isley Brothers and Roots mixtapes... Some white labels of my remixes on all those are also coming soon hopefully...
41. "Man if ONLY it came to my attention a week or so earlier" In response to Reply # 0
im amazed you got ANYTHING outta riq for this time period. simply cause i know he was going on about 3 hours sleep 9 nights in a row. he sounds raw and tired on it. but he really a trooper on that shit yo.
NO! LIST Tom Petty M J Zeppelin Springsteen Neil Young Eagles Ray Charles Madonna Chuck Berry South Park TV Songs Justin Timberlake "Food Glorious Food" "Twilight Zone" theme "A Boy Named Sue" "Night Moves" "The Situation" "Superbowl Shuffle"
47. "RE: Man if ONLY it came to my attention a week or so earlier" In response to Reply # 41
agreed... but tried to make the best of it! he already asked if we can do round 2 - i'm down... next time we're doing that breakbeat routine... i had it all mapped out too when i came to philly!
49. "RE: just wanna say that" In response to Reply # 43
put that man on any kind of beat and watch him kill it. one of the things i hope from the mixtape is that when you put thought verses back to back to back, headz will start to recognize that he really is one of the illest of all time....
Second, they gave up a whopping 130 points per game, a record that will never be broken unless they merge the NBA and WNBA some day. ---Bill Simmons on
54. "Question about one beat" In response to Reply # 53
This mixtape really rocks (got it on mp3), can't wait to get it on CD with my Game Theory bundle. I'd like to ask what beat is used for background music in the Influences / Native Tongue Interlude? It starts about 00:20 when Thought says "Later on...". I know I've heard it but I just can't remember what's it from, but it's really good. Keep up with works like this one, cause it is really impressive. Especially for me, cause I'm making my first mixtape at the moment
58. "That "thought @ work" remix you did..." In response to Reply # 0
...was fuckin dope. is there a full version of that song floating around somewhere? homies and i were rollin around in the car and some of these fools went bananas after they heard the apache drop!
65. "RE: That "thought @ work" remix you did..." In response to Reply # 62
a full version of my new favorite song? you mean to say that my new favorite song is even longer than i had thought? damn, all i gotta say is THANK YOU JPERIOD, THANK YOU
just had to say that the Lauryn Hill mixtapes are sooo good. I was amped for weeks when I first got hold of it...so thanks...so i´m sure the roots one is dope
I just copped the lauryn hill mixtape. all i can say is holy shit. j. period, you make some incredible music. both the roots and both lauryn hill joints knock harder than ll. shit.
J. Period, when and where will the second pressing with better audio quality be available? I stopped listening to my copy because Black Thought is so hard to understand on the exclusives.
69. "RE: 2nd Pressing...?" In response to Reply # 68
...and how would we know the difference just by looking at the cd cover, knaamean? cuz i'd be willing to cop another copy, but i'm not tryin to be surprised, finding out that i just bought another copy of the same version i already had...
78. "RE: 2nd Pressing...?" In response to Reply # 68
Sorry for the delayed response... been runnin... Sorry to hear you're not happy with the CD. The truth is, the only joints that I felt needed replacing are "Thought is Like" and "Streets of Philly," both of which should be swapped out starting with next week's batch... I will post them when they are done.
74. "Amazing! What are you most proud of?" In response to Reply # 0
Seeing your website is dangerous, there are many things on there I can't wait to order. I love CL Smooth, so the freestyle one is a must. Thanks so much for reinventing some already great material. I'm blasting the new CD at work right now, people keep looking in my office, trying to see where the beats are coming from. They all want to say thanks, you've brightened our day.
75. "RE: Amazing! What are you most proud of?" In response to Reply # 74
this cd has been circulating in my office all week - as a matter of fact, i better go track it down so some fool in human resourses dont play the five finger discount!
"when's the last time you heard a funky diabetic?"
80. "RE: Amazing! What are you most proud of?" In response to Reply # 74
I think the joint I am most proud of on the Roots CD is "Come Together," both cuz I have always thought Black Thought & Zion I would be a dope combo, and also cuz I love the idea of bringing back hip hop that is about something, and has a positive message. A lot of people have responded to that track, too, which is dope.
76. "RE: Breaking down J.Period's "Best of the Roots"" In response to Reply # 0
fucking love it. i popped it in the car, and i felt like i was listening to the hottest new shit ever. like even though some of these songs are almost 10 years old, it felt soo fresh. and the exclusives, damn, those are tight as hell. i would kill for a full version of streets of philly.
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