The Roots – Birthday Girl

Written by Rizoh. Posted in Gumbo

Published on March 10, 2008 with 18 Comments">18 Comments

questo-and-brooke-hogan.jpg

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Their slap-happy razzle dazzle single from Rising Down. It’s got that “I’ve heard this before” attribute, but it works. I can see this getting major spin at birthdays everywhere.

[Shout out to Dee-Bo for the email]

Rizoh

Rizoh is the most powerful man in all the lands. He lives in Houston where he earned a BS in Nerf Herding. He's the founder of The Rap Up, the editor of Roc4Life.com, and is in the Grammy-awaiting band Pervertable Disciples.

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  • Don Dada

    who’s the snow bunny with questlove?

  • Don Dada

    who’s the snow bunny with questlove?

  • l_train

    looks like brooke hogan.

  • l_train

    looks like brooke hogan.

  • bubbaparis

    i love the roots and their new shit has impressed me, but this song is like twenty steps backwards. the dude from fall out boy? could they be any more boring? it’s such an obvious “let’s get a laid-back song of the summer” deal.

  • bubbaparis

    i love the roots and their new shit has impressed me, but this song is like twenty steps backwards. the dude from fall out boy? could they be any more boring? it’s such an obvious “let’s get a laid-back song of the summer” deal.

  • http://www.therapup.net Rizoh

    yeah, that’s Hulk’s spoiled lil brat Brooke

  • http://www.therapup.net Rizoh

    yeah, that’s Hulk’s spoiled lil brat Brooke

  • Manna

    It’s a bland, single-by-numbers barely rescued by a decent vocal performance from Riq.

    Not impressed personally, but I can see why The Roots are doing it. They gotta keep roping in new fans. They did it with Break You Off a few years back, nothin new..

    Apparently this one started out as a joke..I’m not laughing but if this joint gets a few more people listening then all power to Philly (I’m saying this through gritted teeth cos I really really don’t like this track..)

    Now I’m thinking that if its this hard for me as a long time Roots fan to put a positive spin on this then The Roots are doomed lol

  • Manna

    It’s a bland, single-by-numbers barely rescued by a decent vocal performance from Riq.

    Not impressed personally, but I can see why The Roots are doing it. They gotta keep roping in new fans. They did it with Break You Off a few years back, nothin new..

    Apparently this one started out as a joke..I’m not laughing but if this joint gets a few more people listening then all power to Philly (I’m saying this through gritted teeth cos I really really don’t like this track..)

    Now I’m thinking that if its this hard for me as a long time Roots fan to put a positive spin on this then The Roots are doomed lol

  • http://my.rawkus.com/xn/detail/u_1rnv6htl6q3uo NorthSide

    “Hey Ya”

    I sense a similar crossover… actually maybe a more interesting comparison is The Fugees “Killing Me Softly”… because that album is fairly rugged with a couple glossy singles (the other being “No Woman No Cry”). It sold millions. So did “Hey Ya” for Outkast. If this even does a tenth of that output then The Roots can come off of hip hop’s endangered species list and back and live off of the wave of this for years to come.

    I can’t see the teeny-boppers (who are pretty much the only demographic that still buys music) turning away from this song.

    Stakes is High… this is a real gamble, but the rest of the album is supposed to be craaazy undeniable with guests from Common, Talib, Mos, etc., etc. They wanna get both audiences, I hope people aren’t turned off just by this single, cuz “Get Busy” and “75 Bars” sounded amazing.

  • http://my.rawkus.com/xn/detail/u_1rnv6htl6q3uo NorthSide

    “Hey Ya”

    I sense a similar crossover… actually maybe a more interesting comparison is The Fugees “Killing Me Softly”… because that album is fairly rugged with a couple glossy singles (the other being “No Woman No Cry”). It sold millions. So did “Hey Ya” for Outkast. If this even does a tenth of that output then The Roots can come off of hip hop’s endangered species list and back and live off of the wave of this for years to come.

    I can’t see the teeny-boppers (who are pretty much the only demographic that still buys music) turning away from this song.

    Stakes is High… this is a real gamble, but the rest of the album is supposed to be craaazy undeniable with guests from Common, Talib, Mos, etc., etc. They wanna get both audiences, I hope people aren’t turned off just by this single, cuz “Get Busy” and “75 Bars” sounded amazing.

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  • Tray

    “the rest of the album is supposed to be craaazy undeniable with guests from Common, Talib, Mos, etc., etc.”

    Who all suck now (and Talib was never good to begin with).

  • Tray

    “the rest of the album is supposed to be craaazy undeniable with guests from Common, Talib, Mos, etc., etc.”

    Who all suck now (and Talib was never good to begin with).

  • Manna

    Nope, I’ve listened and listened and I can’t take it any more. I’ve posted a few half-assed “positive” comments elsewhere (it’s “just business” etc.) but I’m lying to myself…

    This track is a washed-out, souless piece of cheese-stinking crud. That the Philly crew had to stoop this low for attention breaks my heart.

    It’s not just a bad by their standards, it’s bad by ANY standard. Will even the high-school emo rock crowd feel this s***? I doubt it. Even Riq can’t rescue this one.

    Wait, perhaps it’s a *joke*, did I hear that? Well, is anyone laughing? Are the Okayplayer crowd winking and nodding sagely, exchanging knowing looks at ?uesto’s wry send-up? If it’s a joke, nobody gets it. Even if its a joke…its not funny. Either a bad song, or a bad joke. Either way it stinks.

  • Manna

    Nope, I’ve listened and listened and I can’t take it any more. I’ve posted a few half-assed “positive” comments elsewhere (it’s “just business” etc.) but I’m lying to myself…

    This track is a washed-out, souless piece of cheese-stinking crud. That the Philly crew had to stoop this low for attention breaks my heart.

    It’s not just a bad by their standards, it’s bad by ANY standard. Will even the high-school emo rock crowd feel this s***? I doubt it. Even Riq can’t rescue this one.

    Wait, perhaps it’s a *joke*, did I hear that? Well, is anyone laughing? Are the Okayplayer crowd winking and nodding sagely, exchanging knowing looks at ?uesto’s wry send-up? If it’s a joke, nobody gets it. Even if its a joke…its not funny. Either a bad song, or a bad joke. Either way it stinks.

  • http://www.therapup.net Rizoh

    Tray, what are you smoking?

  • http://www.therapup.net Rizoh

    Tray, what are you smoking?

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