Pitchfork: The Roots to Drop New Album in June

The Roots to Drop New Album in June
Joss Stone uninvited, despite assertion that her flow is "funky fresh"

Backpacking hip-hop headz The Roots are reportedly gearing up for the release of their follow-up to 2002's ridiculously divisive Phrenology. Titled The Tipping Point, the album is slated for a June 29th release via Geffen Records, and will feature a diverse array of guest performers. Early reports have listed underground hip-hop queen Jean Grae, Oakland mainstay Devin the Dude, and comedic legend Dave "This Racism Is Killing Me Inside" Chappelle, as well as Bilal, Jaguar Wright, Martin Luther, and guitarist Captain Kirk Douglas as having cut tracks for the album.

A September Rolling Stone story revealed that the band worked with Jill Scott and ex-Public Enemy/Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, as well, and also listed Talib Kweli, Musiq, Common, saxophonist Joshua Redman, and The Neptunes' Pharrell Williams as possible contributors. "Our objective," Roots drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson told the publication, "is to write as many songs as possible with a bunch of different people... [The guests] all want an atmosphere where they can try stuff out."

Additionally, Hip-Hop Elements mentions that the band have worked with a ridiculous number of prestigious producers, from 9th Wonder, to The Neptunes, to Def Jux's Rjd2-- although the first single, "Don't Say Nothin'", was wisely reserved for hip-hop hitmaker Scott Storch (Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Dr. Dre). And then there's the so-called "virtual duet" with Sly & The Family Stone, which, according to Undercover, has The Roots inserting themselves into that band's 1970 hit, "Everybody Is a Star".

The album title refers to Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, which is a memetic dissertation on social phenomena that suggests that one person's ideas and behaviors can "spread just like viruses," eventually having an impact on a global scale. ?uestlove recently told Billboard that the album is the "sum of our six records and our 12 years as a band. Most of our album titles are chosen to reflect on the mood of where the group is and we feel as though this album is our biggest step."

No tracklist has yet been made available, but titles include the aforementioned "Don't Say Nothin'" and "Everybody Is a Star", as well as the Chappelle cut "In Love With (The Mic)". The Tipping Point is currently slated for a June 29th release on Geffen Records.