Originally released in 1995, this sophomore studio album from the hip-hop outfit The Roots sure did impress a lot of people. It eventually reached Gold status while being hailed as a masterpiece in the area of jazz tinted hip-hop.

This Deluxe vinyl edition brings us the original in its entirety, five bonus tracks, a 24-page booklet of images captured by Mpozi Tolbert, essays by Questlove and Black Though, and even track-by-track commentary.

“Intro/There's Something Goin' On” gets the listen off to a soulful and stylish start that's part lounge music and part calm hip-hop. “Proceed” follows with a vocally strong and musically warm climate that benefits from clever bass work and agile drumming.

Further into the original album, “Lazy Afternoon” recruits impactful female backing vocals amid flowing vocal acrobatics and a dense beat, while the title track emerges as the best track with its crisp drumming, group vocals and infectious energy. “Swept Away,” another strong track, then resembles jazz more than hip-hop as atmospheric brass meshes with the dreamy backdrop and poetic singing.

“The Lesson Part 1” and “The Unlocking” exit the non-bonus portion. A dense beat and firm rapping illuminates the former, while the latter is musically mature, even eloquent, and is met with Ursula Rucker's forthright spoken word that surrounds sexual abuse and pulls no punches lyrically.

The bonus tracks are several different version of the tracks “Proceed” and “Silent Treatment” and feature artists like Roy Ayers and Bahamadia and remixes by Beatminerz and Black Thought's 87 You And Yours, among others. While none of these alternates trump the originals, for the completist or diehard fan, they offer a fun glimpse into other avenues the songs can take.

Remastered from the original tapes and packaged superbly, if you missed this the first time around, well, this reissue far exceeds the 1995 release. It documents the groove-filled and R&B and jazz influenced hip-hop in a way that illuminates its many strengths, and houses it on three LPs.

Rating: B+

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