Way Back: Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995)
“Dig the mentals, Papermate, Bic's and No. 2 pencils
My credentials flow on instrumentals”
- Malik B on “I Remain Calm”
On January 17th, 1995, The Roots released their second studio album, Do You Want More?!!?!. High school classmates in Philadelphia, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson would provide the rhymes and beats (respectively) alongside a rotating cast of instrumentalists and vocalists.
While technically the group’s second major recording release, it certainly felt like a first. Their first project, Organix, was self-released and was primarily sold to fans while on tour in Europe during the early 90’s. That initial European tour in the early 90s helped the band build their name. A bigger name came a sweet record contract and the associated bureaucracy. Fresh off of signing a deal with Geffen Records, Do You Want More?!!?! Was set to be released in June 1994, until what Questlove calls “Cobain Day”. The passing of Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain, put all of Geffen Records acts in jeopardy. He lead the label’s most profitable entity, and his death put the entire company’s existence in question. The Roots rushed to record the remaining tracks and perform as often as they could, oftentimes in Europe. Delays wouldn’t allow the album to be released until January of 1995, but critics would agree it was worth the wait.
“Proceed” was a mellow tune where Black Thought told listeners exactly what he would do over the course of his career. It’s a minimalist beat for this group, but a good introduction to their sound.
On “I Remain Calm” Malik B shines. He shares much of the mic duties with Thought throughout their early projects. Here, he shows off his abstract flow over one of the most headnotic beats on the entire project
“I splurge most and bash, capacities mass
I fascinate as I assassinate and show task
Characters and egos get crushed in trust
And my words stampede like herds in the dusk”
“You Ain’t Fly” marks one of the few times you’ll ever hear Questlove on the mic. Both he, Malik B, and Black Thought share verses on times they pursued different women. They all had varying degrees of success, but all came to the conclusion that the girl wasn’t that “fly”.
On “What Goes On Pt. 7”, Thought reveals how his Philadelphia upbrining has impacted his music. He cites both positive and negative influences of his surroundings, a recurring theme throughout the group discography.
This wild environment hostile produce the music in me
So, my style's the blend of what is and was
You could get a buzz from it
But enter too deep and reach a summit, you fall and then plummet
“Silent Treatment” was a unique choice as a single considering its subject matter. Silent treatment isn’t about somebody that doesn’t talk, but more about a girl that won’t engage in certain romantic activities. Thought uses his bars to convince her that he is worth her time. As silly as the song is, it was later sampled in City High’s 2001 hit, “Caramel”.
The title track is notable because it encompasses all of the things that make the Roots crew so great. Questlove is banging away on the drums, while Black Thought is spitting slick rhymes and moving the crowd. It’s a studio recording, but it feels just like a live show! A young Scott Storch gets busy on piano. Both the bass and saxophone are prominent, and we even get bagpipes for a nice twist. Black Thought ends the song toasting the crowd and asking different cities around the world if they want more. For more than 25 years, the answer to that question has always been a resounding “yes”.
