Do You Want More?!!!??!

Ok, let's get straight to it. Savvy types will recognise the title of this entry as taken straight from the sophomore album from Philadelphia crew The Roots. You lot probably don't need to answer the question itself, except to concur wholeheartedly that yes, we do want more. More of the musical twists and turns that the band regularly embark on in recordings. More hip-hop that challenges or outright defies traditional genres and labels. More consistently high-quality fare that is thought-provoking, innovative, musically tight and, frankly, often plain speaker-popping.

But ask it to the haters. Those who disregard The Roots as "not real hip-hop", "rap for students" and as simply not very good. Many people I know and whose opinion on these matters I respect! The question is, why? Is it the mix of commercial and critical success? Is it the musical experimentation? Is it their artistic integrity? Does this make it not cool? Maybe it's just not everyone's cup of tea ... Fair enough for sure. But if you ARE a hater who has blindly dismissed, please take some time to re-assess as you WILL be richly rewarded.

And don't even get me started about them live and direct because on that basis, most performers wouldn't be fit to wipe down the sweaty stage, let alone share it.