In an era when mainstream hip hop music lacks variety, originality, and substance, The Roots stand tall. With musical careers spanning over 15+ years, Questlove, Black Thought and company have always delivered great music filled with live instruments and thought provoking rhymes. Many wondered if The Roots would lose their edge after becoming the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show but their sound and edge is as strong as it's ever been.

Their new album, How I Got Over, is a record unlike the synthy sound and tone of their 2008 album Rising Down. However, just like Rising Down, How I Got Over is loaded with guest appearances and produced almost entirely by The Roots crew. It has a near perfect blend of soul, jazz, and hip hop fused into a solid album.

The somber piano medley on the albums opener, Walk Alone, serves as a clear indicator that the legendary Roots crew haven't lost their edge. Former group member Dice Raw and newcomers Truck North & P.O.R.N. assist Black Thought on the track. The song sets up one of Black Thought's rare solo tracks. Dear God 2.0 is The Roots at their finest. After being drawn in by the chorus, Black Thought begins to question some of the ills of the world today. Referring to God, the strongest lines within the song are towards the end: "Why is the world ugly when you made it in your image? And why is livin' such a fight to the finish? For this high percentage, when the sky's the limit, a second is a minute, every hour's infinite."

West Coast emcee Blu delivers a solid verse alongside Dice Raw & P.O.R.N. on Radio Daze. But even then Black Thought outshines them both and again is the song's standout. That healthy competition is harder to call on the next track Now Or Never. The up-tempo track is solid from top to bottom and Phonte, Black Thought & Dice Raw all deliver great verses. 

Black Thought steps out of his comfort zone on the title track How I Got Over when he sings (sort of). While singing is clearly not his greatest gift, he saves the song from complete disaster with a nice verse: "When you on the corners, it's too much drama, livin' with the police right behind ya, it's always more than a slight reminda, we livin' in a war zone like Rwanda... We uninspired, we unadmired, and tired and sick of being sick and tired."

Blu and Phonte show up again, this time on the same song titled The Day. The cool mellow vocals of Patty Crash (think a softer sounding Chrisette Michele) is perfect for another stellar track from How I Got Over. Halfway through, the album is nearly flawless, every feature is just right, every lyric is solid and production is smooth and laid back. A small, minor setback comes with the track Right On. As a whole it doesn't seem to fit the vibe of the album and slows the momentum down a bit, plus the style of emcee STS makes the song seems un-Roots-like.

All the energy and momentum that was lost is quickly brought back with the soulful John Legend-assisted Doin' It Again. With a vibe similar to their 2008 single Rising Up, this jam stands on its own. Production is flawless and lyrics sharp as a knife. Black Thought says: "Doin' it again like Poiter and Cosby, I'm like Martin Luther King, You're like Rodney. The difference is I give it everything inside me. Dear diary, the fans still swear by me even though I'm Late Night now like 'Here's Johnny.'"

The next track, The Fire, also features John Legend but has a completely different tone to it. A song more about struggle and determination, Black Thought delivers each verse with such passion you would think he was currently going through the issues within the song while Web 20/20 has a unorthodox beat that may take a few listens to be able to vibe to but Truck North, Black Thought and Peedi Peedi make the track worth a few listens. 

How I Got Over is a modern day throwback, an album that blends rock, rap and jazz to near perfection. But that's nearly another notch under the belt for The Roots' ever growing sound. How I Got Over stands out from almost any rap record released in 2010. Longtime followers of The Roots should find much to love about this album. Even occasional fans can vibe to beautiful piece of music. The only real downside I can find is the lack of Black Thought's solo songs. He has four on the album and delivers on them all but his verses make you want more of just Black Thought rhyming. With an album under 45 minutes, it leaves little room for error and even less for filler material and they excel at both.

The luster of The Roots is still strong as it was back on their acclaimed album Things Fall Apart and even after 9 albums and being the house band for Jimmy Fallon, The Roots continue to deliver music as refreshing and thought provoking as some of their most classic of records.

- By Eric Merriweather