The Tipping Point is the sixth studio album by American
hip hop band
the Roots, released July 13, 2004 on
Geffen Records. It is named after
Malcolm Gladwell's
book of the same name (2000),[3] and is the follow-up to Phrenology (2002).[1][4] The album is a musical departure from their previous work, featuring a more diverse, yet
pop-oriented sound, and it contains lyrics associated with
rapping-prowess, political insight, and social commentary.[5][6][7][8]The Tipping Point has been noted by music writers for exhibiting and emphasizing
soul,
jazz, and
funk influences as well.[9][10][11][12][13] The song "I Don't Care" was featured on the soundtrack of the game Gran Turismo 4.
The cover image is a stylised rendering of a 1944 Boston police mug shot of
Malcolm X, following his arrest for
larceny.
The album debuted at number four on the U.S.
Billboard 200 chart, selling 109,000 copies in its first week.[21] Despite mixed criticism towards its production and lyrical substance,[5][9][17][22]The Tipping Point received generally positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 72 out of 100 on
Metacritic.[14]
"Why (What's Goin' On?)" (featuring
Latif) / "In Love With the Mic" (featuring
Dave Chappelle,
Ol' Dirty Bastard,
Skillz & Truck North) (hidden track) / "Din Da Da" (hidden track)
The Tipping Point is the sixth studio album by American
hip hop band
the Roots, released July 13, 2004 on
Geffen Records. It is named after
Malcolm Gladwell's
book of the same name (2000),[3] and is the follow-up to Phrenology (2002).[1][4] The album is a musical departure from their previous work, featuring a more diverse, yet
pop-oriented sound, and it contains lyrics associated with
rapping-prowess, political insight, and social commentary.[5][6][7][8]The Tipping Point has been noted by music writers for exhibiting and emphasizing
soul,
jazz, and
funk influences as well.[9][10][11][12][13] The song "I Don't Care" was featured on the soundtrack of the game Gran Turismo 4.
The cover image is a stylised rendering of a 1944 Boston police mug shot of
Malcolm X, following his arrest for
larceny.
The album debuted at number four on the U.S.
Billboard 200 chart, selling 109,000 copies in its first week.[21] Despite mixed criticism towards its production and lyrical substance,[5][9][17][22]The Tipping Point received generally positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 72 out of 100 on
Metacritic.[14]
"Why (What's Goin' On?)" (featuring
Latif) / "In Love With the Mic" (featuring
Dave Chappelle,
Ol' Dirty Bastard,
Skillz & Truck North) (hidden track) / "Din Da Da" (hidden track)