The Roots - Don't Feel Right (Island Def Jam)

With their first single from The Game Theory, The Roots have showcased once again that consistency is not an elusive feat in hip-hop.

No preambles. No false starts. Basically, no beating about the bush. The Roots jump right into the track without prancing around, and the outcome is a serious jam that will engage your behind as much as it'll dump a thinking cap on your head. ?uestlove's stabbing drums almost divulge his J Dilla influence, but, definitely not at the expense of originality. While ?uest and co provide a heart-rending soundbed, Black Thought layers some biting lyrics: "The struggle aint right up in your face its more subtle/But its still coming across like the bridge in tunnel vision// I try to school these bucks but they don't wanna listen/ That's the reason the system making this paper from the prison//"

From the acerbic lyrics to the intense production to Maimouna Yousef's soulful crooning, everything about this song feels absolutely right.

A free download of "Don't Feel Right" is available on ?uestlove's MySpace Page.