More aggressive and in your face than they’ve been for some time, the Roots flip The Tipping Point on its head with follow-up Game Theory, pouring in the guest slots. Indeed, only two cuts (the thirty second intro doesn’t count) here don’t feature guest performers.

Of course, this being the Roots, it doesn’t matter overly that guests of the quality of John-John of Nouveau Riche appear on the likes of “Baby” and “Livin’ in a New World”. Elsewhere, former Roots member Malik B marks his return with a furiously polemic rant on the title cut, spitting out his rhyme with a vicious passion.

“Don’t Feel Right” featuring Maimouna Youssef is a natural sure-fire winner with a sing-song hook, but Black Thought offers an excellent counterpoint to her chorus smoothness with a wickedly staccato verse delivery. The band sound as good as ever on Game Theory, amazing to consider that it marks their eighth outing, and their first for Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter’s Def Jam label.

As they state on “In the Music”, for the Roots it’s always been about the music that they have produced, and none of the politics that cloud so many hip-hop careers these days. There’s a darker vibe to it than anything they’ve done in the past, but it works well for the group as they combine natural inventiveness with a more focussed and determined approach to their craft.