MCA Records

With their fourth album, Things Fall Apart, The Roots continue to innovate and re-invent the genre of hip-hop. Integrating live instrumentation, percussive samples, and old-school beats, The Roots achieve a unique sound within hip-hop, a sound that represents the heterogeneity of Afrocentric musics. Tracks like ''Act Too (Love of My Life)'' and ''Diedre vs. Dice'' blend intricate string arrangements with funky drum beats. Other tracks, like ''Next Movement'' and ''Without A Doubt,'' invoke the melodic patterns of 80s DJs like Marley Marl and Schooly D. With an acute awareness and respect for their 70s and 80s predecessors, The Roots incorporate staple hip-hop beats into a contemporary context while paying tribute through the lyrics. On ''Without A Doubt,'' Black Thought raps ''Schooly D classic, thought vocally laced it / Taste it swerve on a regular basis.'' As a result, The Roots both consciously and subconsciously transmit the history of hip-hop to the listener.

Progressing like a live performance, Things Fall Apart conveys glimpses of improvisation and spontaneity. Within certain tracks, the rhythm and melody even transform like chord changes in a jazz composition. As the track ''Double Trouble'' seems to fade out, drummer ?uestlove changes the drum beat while keyboardist Kamal enters the scene and creates an entirely new melody that incites rapper Mos Def to freestyle. One of the most remarkable moments of the album occurs during this freestyle when Mos Def recites the onomatopoetic phrase ''Zeh, Zeh, Zeh,'' adding another layer to the polyrhythmic groove. On the tracks ''Dynamite'' and ''Don't See Us'' The Roots insert an electric guitar riff in the midst of the keys, drums, and bass to produce a jazz-funk harmony that sounds extemporaneously fresh. And with appearances by DJ Jazzy Jeff, Common, Erykah Badu, Beenie Siegal, D'Angelo, and a handful of lesser known artists, Things Fall Apart enacts the inclusive and inventive aura of a cipher (for those who don't know, a cipher is basically the hip-hop term for a jamming session).

During one of her acceptance speeches at the Grammy's, Lauryn Hill's proclamation ''This is hip-hop'' signified the current metamorphosis transpiring within the flourishing genre. Although The Roots have been synthesizing soul, instrumentation, and perspicacious lyrics for nearly a decade, the hip-hop community has gradually responded to their avant-garde vibe. Now that Lauryn Hill has both musically and vocally affirmed the evolution of hip-hop to a popular audience, The Roots might receive the record sales and recognition they deserve. Like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Things Fall Apart embodies a keen cognizance of the limitless potential in hip-hop music.