Phrenology

Phrenology is the fifth studio album by American hip hop band the Roots, released on November 26, 2002, by MCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during June 2000 to September 2002 at Electric Lady Studios in New York. It was primarily produced by members of the band and features contributions from hip hop and neo soul artists such as Cody ChesnuTT, Musiq Soulchild, Talib Kweli, and Jill Scott. Although it did not parallel the commercial success of the band's previous album, Things Fall Apart, the album reached number 28 on the US Billboard 200 chart and sold steadily, remaining on the chart for 38 weeks. On June 3, 2003, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. Upon its release, Phrenology received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised its musical direction and lyrical themes, and it was included in numerous publications' year-end lists of the year's best albums. Background Following the breakthrough success of Things Fall Apart (1999), its release was highly anticipated and delayed, as recording took two years. The album is named after the discredited pseudoscience of phrenology, the study of head shapes to determine intelligence and character, which was used to rationalize racism during the 19th century in the United States. Its cover art was created by artist/printmaker Tom Huck. Music and lyrics Primarily a hip hop album, Phrenology features lyrical themes of hip hop culture and its commodification, with musical elements of rock, jazz, techno, hardcore punk, and soul music. According to music critic Greg Kot, the Roots forge a connection between hip hop and neo soul on the album, while Treble writer says it can "best be described" as progressive rap, and Entertainment Weeklys Raymond Fiore calls it the band's "left-field rock-rap opus". A production of the Soulquarians collective, the album features contributions by Cody ChesnuTT, Musiq Soulchild, Talib Kweli, and Jill Scott.