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Phrenology Phrenology

Phrenology

The Roots

Phrenology, the fifth album by the legendary Philly rap group the Roots, is here on marbled brown vinyl.
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Nutrition Facts
VMP Exclusive Pressing

This record was pressed by Vinyl Me, Please and you can't get this specific variation anywhere else.

Exclusive Features
color Marbled Brown
foil stamped Yes
Other Features
exclusive VMP Exclusive
jacket style Chipboard with gold foil
jacket type Widespine
label Universal
pressing location GZ Vinyl
release type Reissue
remastering details Lacquers cut by Ryan Smith, Sterling Sound
By the Numbers
2 lp
format
2002
original release year
33 1/3 rpm
speed
12 inch
vinyl size
180 gram
weight
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Description

After three years reeling from a new visibility, The Roots resurfaced on the other side of the new millennium by making the deliberate choice to move forward. Phrenology, a flip of the discredited racialized pseudoscience, surges to life through a retracing of the lineage of Black music. The album revels in reinvention, leaving traces of Soulquarian magic while blatantly swerving the neo-soul box that brought them success. 

On its face, it’s frantic, indulgent, and the signature raucous Roots energy; beneath, it’s an extended meditation on what happens to hip-hop post-commodification, supported by a ceaseless barrage of beats and rhymes. The social tensions loop in the background, Black Thought aims in every direction, and The Roots crew lean into their pop/crossover potential without compromising their massive vision. While something’s always in the way of things, The Roots never stray from keeping one in the chamber, pivoting towards a darker future with the blueprints of our own.

Categories
Album Preview
*Audio and/or tracklist may vary slightly from the vinyl version.
Tracklist
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LP 1 / Side A
1
Phrentrow
2
Rock You
3
!!!!!!!
4
Sacrifice
5
Rolling With Heat
6
WAOK (Ay) Rollcall
LP 1 / Side B
1
Thought @ Work
2
The Seed (2.0)
3
Break You Off
LP 2 / Side C
1
Water (The First Movement / The Abyss / The Drowning)
2
Quills
3
Pussy Galore
LP 2 / Side D
1
Complexity
2
Something In The Way Of Things (In Town)
3
Rhymes and Ammo
4
Thirsty!
Phrenology
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