Chimera Star Junction

With every Roots release, the crowns that ?uestlove and Black Thought proudly wear of “arguably the most underrated group in the history of music, period” shine brighter and brighter, brighter than the veteran star of Phonte and the burgeoning star of newcomer Big K.R.I.T., both collaborators on this album.  With their latest release, the surprisingly low key undun, this shine is almost impossible to stare directly into.

Perhaps the most telling thing about this album isn’t the music at all but the very cover.  The simple black-and-white color scheme and the mattress trampoline speak to the theme more than flawlessly.  The Roots tenth album, undun, takes on a new kind of Philly tone, following the story of the fictional Redford Stephens, an unorthodox narrative of the young man from his untimely passing to the start of his melancholy journey and back again.  Redford is almost obviously a hood along the same lines as Lupe Fiasco’s Michael Young History, but Stephens differs from the jump by being a misguided character.  His motivations are in consistent flux and he isn’t just some hood destined to fail, but rather he’s a troubled kid that could go either way.

At least, that’s what you’re supposed to gather through the songs, as the story is told backwards, and Stephens is already dead as signified by the flat line in the opening track.  Rather than a direct tale, undun plays out more like an interpretive piece.  No direct mentions are made to Stephen or those around him so much as the kind of people they are, and the situations aren’t concrete but implied.  As a result, the production and the lyricism meld in a way that few artists have managed to accomplish.  The almost hospice-like production of “Sleep” combined with the haunting hook paint Stephen in his final moments whereas the lead single, the Big K.R.I.T. assisted “Make My” borders on hopeful and sounds like a plea to St. Peter at a time of judgment before the Grim Reaper even reaches him.  This is all the more powerful considering the Sunday Morning drums and repentant feel of “One Time” featuring Phonte and Dice Raw.

Going through each song ruins the beauty of the story and, furthermore, the masterful telling of it.  The narrators throughout are the Roots, and the guest readers never outshine them.  Black Thought’s very voice and wordplay succeeds in a way that he draws you into the sad tale of Redford Stephens by forcing you to think of Redford Stephens as, in some fashion, the very person listening to the album, i.e. – you.  While it is apparent in the guest artists, who seem to channel the nonexistent spirit of Redford Stephens into their words, the listener plays out as the honorary member of the Roots who has to carry on the story.  Not to be cliché, but the message is simple: “YOU are Redford Stephens.”  He is an everyman with a youthful soul, a misguided spirit at crossroads that are addressed in every track, whether they come across as blissfully upbeat (“Kool On”) or just utterly hopeless (“Tip the Scale”). 

Maybe the most telling instances on this album come in the final four tracks, movements void of words that summarize the man’s story in less than six minutes with pianos and lush strings that end with a single, deathly note that doesn’t just end out the album, but brings it full circle.  undun wasn’t meant to be played once and just contemplated, but played repeatedly as the story is continually told and thus contemplated more and more.  Redford Stephens’ tale is therapy and an enlightening view into a side of us, the listeners, that we neglect.  He’s the risk we didn’t take, the road we didn’t go down, the indecision we all feel as we discern the quirks and confusions of our lives. 

How’s that for a group’s first concept album?  The only real issue regarding this album is its brevity.  The movements that comprise of the final four tracks remove nearly six minutes from what is already only 38 minutes long.  The fluidity of the songs simulates the appeal of a mixtape and, while clean, does take away from the prestige of it being a full release.  Regardless, undun serves as a benchmark amongst concept albums in the realm of hip-hop, up there along with Little Brother’s first two LPs and Kool Keith’s debut Dr. Octagonecologyst, going a new route by telling a story that reflects both a standalone story and a narrative we all tell one way or another. 

The DiZ Score: 4.5 out of 5