Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) opens the verse with imagery so visceral it hurts:
The album How I Got Over is meticulously sequenced to take the listener on an emotional journey. According to Pitchfork, "everything before its halfway-mark appearance is the tunnel and everything afterwards is the light". The first half is filled with "glowing downtempo neo-soul" and lamentations as Black Thought navigates a world of malaise and solitary desperation. Then, at the halfway point, the album begins to transition into something more energized and defiant, with songs like "The Fire," featuring John Legend, serving as declarations of purpose: "You came to celebrate / I came to cerebrate". the roots how i got over zip
After years of aggressive, minor-key compositions, How I Got Over saw the band leaning back into their soulful foundations. Inspired partially by the band's transition into their role as the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , the album features a "live" feel that captures the group's unparalleled chemistry. The project moved away from the grim nihilism of the mid-2000s toward a sound that was somber yet hopeful. Key Themes and Collaborations Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) opens the verse with
So, go ahead. Find the zip. Download the files. Put on your headphones. And ask yourself: How did I get over? Because if you listen closely, The Roots already have the answer. Then, at the halfway point, the album begins
The album also serves as a historical document of its moment, capturing the complex emotions of the post-Great Recession era. Critic Jon Pareles of The New York Times noted, "The group’s first album since starting the 'Late Night' job is a serious deliberation on perseverance: a message for an era of recession". After the dark and often bleak themes of their previous albums, Game Theory (2006) and Rising Down (2008), How I Got Over marked a purposeful shift, focusing on survival, self-determination, and navigating a world where the deck is stacked against you.