NEW DOUBLE LP
New sealed copy. 2026 repress.
The Tipping Point is the sixth studio album by the Roots, released in 2004 through Okayplayer Records and Geffen Records. Named after Malcolm Gladwell's 2000 book, the album followed Phrenology and moved the group toward a more accessible and pop oriented sound while retaining their live band approach to hip hop.
The record draws heavily from soul, jazz, and funk, with Black Thought's lyrics addressing rap technique, politics, and social issues. Compared with the more experimental direction of Phrenology, The Tipping Point presents a tighter and more direct approach while maintaining the musical interplay that had become central to the Roots' sound.
The Tipping Point debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 109,000 copies in its first week. Its cover uses a stylized rendering of a 1944 police photograph of Malcolm X, connecting the album visually to its broader themes of identity and social commentary.
TRACKLIST:
A1 Star
A2 I Don't Care
A3 Don't Say Nuthin'
A4 Guns Are Drawn
B1 Stay Cool
B2 Web
B3 Boom!
C1 Somebody's Gotta Do It
C2 Duck Down!
C3 Why (What's Goin On?)
C4 The Mic
D1 Melting Pot
D2 Din Da Da
