About

What makes Illadelph Halflife so endlessly compelling is how many different identities it embodies simultaneously. All at once, the album is a behemoth, a statement, an evolution, and a crossroads. If one conceptualizes the group’s moniker literally, Illadelph represents the moment in which The Roots emerged from the soil to permanently leave their imprint upon the rap scene, to become the moment.

“Respond/React” is as thematically explicit about this desire as you can get, punctuated by Black Thought and Malik B trading rhythmically nested bars over Questlove’s production, his sonic fingerprints adding a sleek polish heretofore absent in the group’s output. Imagery of expanding territory and a militant push to the top of the game display a hunger that propels the record’s momentum forward and becomes its mission statement.

Around the time Illadelph Halflife was taking shape in the studio, drummer Questlove was settling into a different role in D’angelo’s Voodoo sessions as a percussionist/producer hybrid, soaking in information like a sponge and forming bonds that would lead to the formation of the loosely defined Soulquarians posse. While these relationships would have much more overt and obvious influence on the Roots’ follow-up Things Fall Apart, their effect on the band’s output can be seen much earlier, and nowhere is it more obvious than on Illadelph’s crown jewel, the unbelievable “What They Do”.

Featuring an addictive hook from Raphael Saddiq, three top tier verses from Thought, and a Questlove beat that veers firmly into neo-soul territory, no track here hits the bulls-eye (or forecasts the group’s future endeavors) quite like this one, and it understandably remains a fan favorite to this day. — (via Sputnik Music)

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There isn't much else I can touch upon the band itself that everyone in North America (and beyond!) doesn't already know (live hip-hop band, etc.), and I haven't given myself ample time to digest this particular release further. It's like, sure, this was the tastiest item in that smorgasbord, but to truly appreciate it, I need more than just a couple servings of it; really let it marinate on my taste buds. Or I just feel 'ill'-equipped to talk this album up as it deserves at this point. See, there I go, already falling back on bad puns.

I guess an adequate start is why Illadelph Halflife, what makes this album the one I wanted to nab first above all others. Beyond having that irresistible mid-'90s Eastcoast hip-hop aesthetic, I mean. Okay, that's a big reason, hands down. Whether it was getting in the grime of it was the Wu or ample raiding of funk, jazz, and soul records from the likes of DJ Premier and Tribe Called Quest (among many others), it's a sound I really vibe on, and kinda' wish I'd jumped on it a lot sooner than just these past few years. Sure, I had a few obligatory records here and there (Gang Starr, Big L, that one Nas everyone must have), but was missing so many more. Just... so many more.

Still, The Roots are Philly, not New York, which may account for how much soulful their style is. Or maybe it is just that live-band approach to their craft. Which is cool and all, but if I wanted to hear strictly that, I could have nabbed their first two albums (or the live one). Naw, what properly got me hooked in was hearing more of their studio production, which I feel really came into its own with Illadelph Halflife. They'd get more polished and bolder in later records, but here everything's given ample oomph over all their funky, jazzy rhythms and, where warranted, soulful backings (What They Do, No Alibi, No Greater Protector).

Lyrical content, then. After all, this is a hip-hop group, where lyrics are paramount. And honestly, I think that's why I like this record so much, Black Thought, Malik B, and all their guests given plenty of prominence. If anything, the 'musicians' part of Roots is put on a back-burner, far less jam sessions and solos indulged than before. I imagine this was done to help sell them to a wider rap audience not so keen on musical ability beyond what a dope, looping sample provides. I'd say the trick worked. — (via EM Critic)

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Label: DGC
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Reissued: 2016 / Originally Released: 1996
Genre: Hip Hop
Style: Rap, Conscious

File under: Hip-Hop
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