Spin (11/94, p.94) - Highly Recommended - "...The Roots have beats like no one else because they grow their own...and will be in greater demand than an undiscovered Meters sample after this..." Spin (11/94, p.94) - Highly Recommended - "...The Roots have beats like no one else because they grow their own...and will be in greater demand than an undiscovered Meters sample after this..." Spin (p.102) - "A new sound with one foot in the past and the other in the future." Entertainment Weekly (1/20/95, pp.52-53) - "...[The Roots] have elevated the fusion of rap and jazz into something more than a commercial hip-hop trend..." - Rating: A Entertainment Weekly (1/20/95, pp.52-53) - "...[The Roots] have elevated the fusion of rap and jazz into something more than a commercial hip-hop trend..." - Rating: A The Source (11/94, p.97) - 4 Mics - Slammin' - "...they create a mod funk energy that many artists approach but, until now, have yet to master. The Roots come through with some raw, even progressive material without forsaking hip-hop tradition..." The Source (11/94, p.97) - 4 Mics - Slammin' - "...they create a mod funk energy that many artists approach but, until now, have yet to master. The Roots come through with some raw, even progressive material without forsaking hip-hop tradition..." Option (5-6/95, pp.125-127) - "...Roots crank everything out themselves, in a jazzy style replete with...their own incredible live `samples'..." Option (5-6/95, pp.125-127) - "...Roots crank everything out themselves, in a jazzy style replete with...their own incredible live `samples'..." Musician (4/95, pp.73-78) - "...combines all the spare stylishness of a Tribe Called Quest album with the fluid power of a loose funk band having fun. Importantly, the group's musical core--keyboard, bass and drums--is truly hip-hop informed, armed with grooves spacious enough for the rhymers to play in..." Musician (4/95, pp.73-78) - "...combines all the spare stylishness of a Tribe Called Quest album with the fluid power of a loose funk band having fun. Importantly, the group's musical core--keyboard, bass and drums--is truly hip-hop informed, armed with grooves spacious enough for the rhymers to play in..." Rap Pages (11/94, p.26) - 8 - "...Unlike several inocuous attempts at jazzrapwhatever, the Roots' MCing does not suffer for the "groovy, groovy, jazzy, jazzy" MTV buzz bin....Forget that bad acid you took with those futile Hip-Hop/jazz hybrids--this is all natural." Rap Pages (11/94, p.26) - 8 - "...Unlike several inocuous attempts at jazzrapwhatever, the Roots' MCing does not suffer for the "groovy, groovy, jazzy, jazzy" MTV buzz bin....Forget that bad acid you took with those futile Hip-Hop/jazz hybrids--this is all natural." NME (Magazine) (11/12/94, p.44) - 7 - Very Good - "...More astounding jazz rap, this time littered with bits where everyone raps over everyone else, like the mad sections of Steely & Clevie dubs....vocally assertive, rhythmically laid-back, brightly produced..." NME (Magazine) (11/12/94, p.44) - 7 - Very Good - "...More astounding jazz rap, this time littered with bits where everyone raps over everyone else, like the mad sections of Steely & Clevie dubs....vocally assertive, rhythmically laid-back, brightly produced..."

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