"Out in the streets where I grew up First thing they teach us, not to give a fuck That type of thinking can't get you nowhere Someone has to care"
A standout track that showcases the band's willingness to recontextualize, featuring a reworked version of Monsters of Folk's "Dear God".
If you take one thing: pick a micro-target today and build a trivial ritual around starting it. Consistency over grandeur. The roots grow slow—but they hold.
Actionable move: for the next three rejections, write down three hypotheses explaining why and one testable change. the roots how i got over zip
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The title track, featuring frequent collaborator Dice Raw, perfectly encapsulates the album's core message. Far from a triumphant victory lap, the song is a raw and honest confrontation with despair and the daily grind of survival.
The phrase “how I got over zip” now functions as a nostalgic keyword—a reminder of a time when discovering an album required downloading a compressed file, unzipping it, and loading the tracks onto an MP3 player. For those who lived through that era, the search term is a digital fossil. For younger listeners, it may simply be a means to access a classic album. "Out in the streets where I grew up
If you'd like to dive deeper into The Roots, let me know if I should: Break down on this album Compare this record to their earlier "jazz-rap" era
Released on June 22, 2010, How I Got Over is the band’s ninth studio album, arriving at a pivotal time in their career. Just a year earlier, The Roots had become the official house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , a move that sparked debates about whether the group had sold out or lost its edge. Instead, the role provided stability and a new creative avenue, allowing them to create their most cohesive album in years without sacrificing their signature sound.
The title takes its name from the gospel classic by Clara Ward, famously performed by Mahalia Jackson. The roots grow slow—but they hold
A brilliant reimagining of Monsters of Folk’s original track, featuring Jim James. Black Thought delivers a poignant, existential prayer, questioning faith and human suffering over a hauntingly beautiful acoustic loop.
But the song itself is about more than just acquiring files. It’s about acquiring survival .
It is a record that rewards listeners who take the time to sit with its lyrics and let its complex instrumentation wash over them.