I have a small confession to make. I'm a longtime fan of The Roots, but I've always harbored a little hate towards these icons of hip-hop. It wasn't the sort of jealousy aspiring artists sometimes have towards people more successful or famous than themselves; I'm not that dude. And it certainly wasn't the music. How I Got Over is the ninth album in their impressive discography, and even surface-level hip-hop fans have heard about their legendary live show. Truthfully, The Roots' ability to deliver repeatedly is the only thing that has kept me from coming forward with my dark secret before.
This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2010.