Customer Reviews

Organix

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're already a fan of The Roots, then run out and get this album. Actually, anyone that claims to love rap music should experience this album at least once. The production is more stripped down when compared to later releases, but the raw energy dispensed by this album more than makes up for it. You can tell that they hadn't quite begun to gel as a group yet (they hadn't even settled on a name yet because the refer to themselves as SQT or The Square Roots on several occasions), but they still manage to create the same magic vibe that's present on their other albums. You can tell that this was a young, hungry group that had a great time making a fun album. You can hear the jazz influence throught out the entire album. Be warned though, you won't find any appearances from Ursula Rucker, Rahzel, Scratch, or Dice Raw. It's still a tight LP though.

There are one or two rough spots on the album though. "The Session", while incredibly dope, is a bit long-winded (12:45). And there are times when the production can be VERY dry. All complaints about this album end there.

In short: This album is basically a rough draft of what was to come later on down the road. It's dope, but it's also stripped down and raw......and this listener loved it. I highly reccomended picking up this album if you want to witness the magic and early hunger of a classic group. The Roots never drop anything wack and this album is no exception.

Standout Tracks: Leonard I-V, The Anti-Circle, Good Music, Essaywhuman!!! (Live At The Soulshack), Grits, Pass The Popcorn (My Favorite), The Session (Longest Posse Cut In History), and Popcorn Revisited

P.S. - Whoever was responsible for the marketing and promotion of this album should've been demoted to the mail boy or something. The lack of promotion for this album borders on criminal.

Q-Tip, from A Tribe Called Quest, says within their track Excursions: "Back in the days when I was a teenager - before I had status and before I had a pager - you could find the abstract, listenin' to hip-hop - my pops used to say it reminded him of bebop". The Roots bring this connection to life within Organix. A masterful album, their first and best, Hip-Hop's brightest illustrate the future of Jazz and quality music.

Fan of The Roots have to secretly tell themselves that this is one of the bands best albums. Personally, I discovered The Roots after some time they were already in the game, but that does not diminish how much I believe this album is one of the best ever. The blend of raw, organic instruments with incredible, fresh, eye (and ear) dropping rhyming spits by Black Thought can prove that true hip hop does not have to have the expletives, the mysogynism, and materialism other second-rate "artists" display. What you can tell from The Roots in this album is that their love of music, and overall creativity, is evident in their music. This album also transcends time, as while this album was made in 1993, the music here can still be played, full blast on 12" Infinity subs, and can still carry a groove.

I remember becoming aware of exactly who the Roots were (like the majority of their fans not raised in Philly, I suspect) thru the video "What They Do" from "Iladelph Halflife", which featured Raphael Saadiq...Huge fan of Tony, Toni, Tone; thought this was a new group, dug the video, end of story...Fast forward to 1999 and "Things Fall Apart"...By this time, I'm totally digging Erykah Badu and am totally impressed with the production of "Baduism", thanks in large part to the Roots(I read all credits on everything I buy)...Decided to buy "TFA" and bought "Illadelph Halflife" at the same time...Upon listening to both, I immediately made it my mission to get my hands on any and everything they'd ever done...Imagine my surprise when I finally get my hands on "Organix" (in 2000), seven years after its release, to find it's their best project and in my opinion, is still better than 90% of what has been released since then...Mind you, I don't claim to be a hip-hop head, but in the beginning, pre-NWA, I bought more than my fair share of rap and hip-hop(y'all know the difference, right?), both what was popular enough to get airplay and what was decidedly "undergound", so I can only deduce that I was in a COMA in my early twenties(as the DJs and know-nothing radio programmers in my hometown must've also been) because I cannot believe that as good as this joint is, it took me and the industry at large at least five or six years to catch up (wake up is more like it) and give these brothas their due...Granted by the early nineties, I was a full grown woman(as grown as 22, 23 can be) and was no longer loving hip-hop and it's depiction of women, but there were a few groups that didn't sell out to the whole misogynistic, gansta gansta thing that was (and is) selling large, but I digress...The difference (imo) between this and what was popular back in "93 is that Black Thought is clearly a poet, a lyricist, if you will, and not just a rapper...For example, MosDef--poet; JaRule--rapper; Common--poet, 50 Cent--rapper; Talib Kweli--poet; you get the idea...And the band on a whole is ridiculous...Don't believe me, check out Jay-Z "Unplugged"; the Roots is the band that backed him up on that set...Anyway, you don't have to be a hip-hop head to appreciate the art of this work...I like to think that "Organix" is a perfect example of what can happen when a group as talented as this is left to their own devices to do what they do, and execs stay the LLL out of the way and allow them to lead and not follow for the sake of record sales...And I'm glad to report that I have since come back to the fold and am loving hip-hop (not just rap) again...

I first thought that "Do You Want More!?!" was the Roots first album. So I was surprised to discover this gem. You'll recognize some of the beats in this album, which have been taken by later artist. Such as a portion of "You're All That I Need", by Method Man. It is sad to see that that song was a hit, but where the beat came from is not recognized. You could lay back and close your eyes and feel the soothing relaxation feeling while listening to this CD. The Roots are destined to be hip-hop legends, but also as one of the least recognized. All of their albums (which are 3 with another one coming out) are hip hop classics. Hip hop heads need to wake up and listen to the real, and remember "Don't believe the hype!" (Flava Flav). Peace to the real hip hop!

I've had this album in my possession for well over 3 years now and for some reason I was reluctant to give it a thorough listen. This past weekend I said fugg it I'll give it a shot and listen to it with no skips. Boy was I glad I decided to do that. From "Pass the Popcorn" to "The Session" I felt like I'd been warped back to the early/mid 90's nodding my head inside my black hoodie. This album is near flawless, from the funky bass grooves, to the infectious drums knocks from ?uestlove I immediately fell in love with this album. Fans of Jazz and mellowed out hip-hop should definitely cop this.

This is the first CD released by the amazing Roots crew. For any fan of their music, this is a MUST have. Its sort of hard to find, but well worth it. Organix sets of the tone for their later releases, "From The Ground Up", (which I don't own...yet)..."Do You Want More"..."Things Fall Apart"..and "Roots Live"...all of which are 5-star true Hip Hop CD's. Thought's and Maliks flow is amazing, and with ? and the rest on instrumentals, its an amazing mix of jazz, rhythym and blues, and hip hop. For any Roots fan I can't stress enough that you should try and get their whole set. You won't regret it. One

There is just no touching this band.I just bought thisa few months ago and it is asgood if not better than theresecond and third record,not that I think "Do you want more" or "Illadelph" are not good,there's just something about this one that really grabs me.PEACE TO ALL AND ESPECIALLY TO THE LEGENDARY ROOTS CREW.I'M OUT.

This is it one of the most solid records I've ever listened to. Buy it and you'll not be the same man after you've listened to it. I guartee that. Peace.

The "Organix" album is probably one of the best lead off albums a group can make. That album helps prepare the Roots fanbase for some of the best rhymes Black Thought and Malik B could deliver, and some of the best music a band could put together for a rap album. A very good investment and a very good album to add to the collection.