Illadelph Halflife represents an advance in hip hop that has been coming for a long time. Just like Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest and the Wu-Tang Clan, The Roots searched with their debut album Do You Want More? !!! ??! (1995) for a way of broadening hip-hop, using live instruments and a jazzy funk feel. Critics praised the CD, but the positive message did not reach the core of the rap audience
… (just like the Fugees did not succeed before either). It was as if the group had already started teaching before their students listened. With Illadelph Halflife, The Roots stay closer to the old-fashioned boom-bap hip-hop sound, without leaving those elements that made their debut special. Rapper Black Thought and Malik B still put textual depth into their lyrics, and are assisted by co-educators Q-Tip, Bahamadia and Common. With Illadelph Halflife, The Roots can finally make their own specific mark on the world of hip hop.more