The Tipping Point (The Roots album)

The Tipping Point is the sixth studio album by American hip hop band the Roots, released July 13, 2004 on Geffen Records. It is named after Malcolm Gladwell's book of the same name (2000),[3] and is the follow-up to Phrenology (2002).[1][4] The album is a musical departure from their previous work, featuring a more diverse, yet pop-oriented sound, and it contains lyrics associated with rapping-prowess, political insight, and social commentary.[5][6][7][8] The Tipping Point has been noted by music writers for exhibiting and emphasizing soul, jazz, and funk influences as well.[9][10][11][12][13] The song "I Don't Care" was featured on the soundtrack of the game Gran Turismo 4.

The Tipping Point
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 13, 2004
RecordedSeptember 2003 – April 2004
GenreHip hop,[1] neo soul[2]
Length65:27
LabelGeffen
ProducerQuestlove, Scott Storch
The Roots chronology
Phrenology
(2002)
The Tipping Point
(2004)
Game Theory
(2006)

The cover image is a stylised rendering of a 1944 Boston police mug shot of Malcolm X, following his arrest for larceny.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [10]
Blender [15]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[16]
The Independent [1]
Los Angeles Times [17]
NME8/10[18]
Pitchfork5.4/10[2]
Rolling Stone [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [19]
SpinB[8]
The Village VoiceA−[20]

The album debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 109,000 copies in its first week.[21] Despite mixed criticism towards its production and lyrical substance,[5][9][17][22] The Tipping Point received generally positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 72 out of 100 on Metacritic.[14]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
103."Star/Pointro" (featuring Wadud Ahmad)7:36
104."I Don't Care" (featuring Dom)
  • Questlove
  • Tidd
  • Walker
  • Richard Nichols
4:02
105."Don't Say Nuthin'"3:35
106."Guns Are Drawn" (featuring Aaron Livingston)
  • Douglas
  • Gray
  • Hubbard
  • Livingston
  • Thompson
  • Tidd
  • Trotter
  • Walker
  • Questlove
  • Tidd
  • Walker
  • Nichols
5:15
107."Stay Cool" (featuring Martin Luther)
  • Jenkins
  • Melvin 'Chaos' Lewis
  • Griffin
  • Trotter
  • Paterno
  • Chaos
3:34
108."Web"
  • Hubbard
  • Trotter
  • Thompson
  • Robert 'LB' Dorsey
3:16
109."Boom!" (featuring Dice Raw)
  • Chaos
2:57
110."Somebody's Gotta Do It" (featuring Devin The Dude, Jean Grae & Mack Dub)
  • Floyd Carson
  • Douglas
  • Gray
  • Tsidi Ibrahim
  • Hubbard
  • Jenkins
  • Trotter
  • Thompson
Tahir Jamal
4:08
111."Duck Down!" (featuring Dom)3:56
112."Why (What's Goin' On?)" (featuring Latif) / "In Love With the Mic" (featuring Dave Chappelle, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Skillz & Truck North) (hidden track) / "Din Da Da" (hidden track)


16:22
Japan / UK bonus track / US vinyl release
No.TitleLength
113."Melting Pot" (cover of song of the same name by Booker T. & the M.G.'s)10:40
Sample credits
Extra Notes
  • i = "Why (What's Goin' On?" only
  • ii = "In Love With The Mic" only
  • iii = "Din Da Da" only
  • iv = "Why (What's Goin' On?)" and "In Love With The Mic" only

Personnel

The Roots
Production
  • Producers: Questlove, Scott Storch, Melvin 'Chaos' Walker, Anthony Tidd, Frank 'Knuckles' Walker, Richard Nichols, Robert 'LB' Dorsey, Tahir, Zoukhari
  • Executive Producer: Richard Nichols

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2004)Position
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40]95
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[41]86

References

Notes

External links