Like all music publications, we at Pitchfork are not above contradicting previously rendered statements when confronted with evidence that reverses an earlier opinion. If at any point we had bitched about the state of hip-hop, indie rock, modern jazz, avant- polka or any of the other genres of pop music, we hereby revoke said musings (although we will not un-publish anything) because, today we're talking about the Roots.

Despite what you may have heard, and what we may have told you, there are still some great hip-hop artists around these days (but good luck finding them in your local store). Sadly, most of its most urgent and vital proponents are relegated to the hipster- only underground ghetto. The Roots were once there, but with three great records under their collective belts, they're finally poised to start gaining the wide audience that makes hip-hop vital.

Their stat sheet is enough to make anyone drool. A fully live outfit possessed by a supremely funky rhythm section, a prodigy on keyboards, an intelligent rapper and, in a fitting tribute to hip-hop's old school traditions, a Rahzel-- the Godfather of Noize who is able to sample drum beats, rhymes, and a variety of sound effects with his muthafuckin' mouth! With so many more weapons than your average rap set up, the Roots are able to push hip-hop's rhythmic and sonic boundaries like almost nobody else, and Things Fall Apart, for the most part, does fabulous justice to that promise.

The record begins with a series of old- school- like tributes, propelled by drummer Questlove's relentless Roland impersonation. Things really pick up with the infectious and jazzy "Dynamite," and the shameless funk of the Schooly D tribute "Without a Doubt". From there on in, it's track after track of stuff nobody does. "Act Too (The Love of My Life)," with its muted trumpet sample, is silky and soulful, and unlike every other rap song that suits those adjectives, it's actually good. "100% Dundee" features a drum-n-bass breakdown from Rahzel that simply has to be heard to be believed. And the first single, "You Got Me," featuring vocals from Erykah Badu is hip-hop's first truly affecting sad song.

The Roots are, on their own, ample proof that nobody should whine about the state of hip-hop. Salman Rushdie once said something along the lines of, "If there was one truly great book written in a year, it would be cause for celebration." The same could be said about CDs. Here's to one of this year's most tasty party favors.

-Samir Khan