| Undun | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 6, 2011[1] | |||
| Studio | A House Called Quest, daCrib, and The Boom Room in Philadelphia; Downtown Music Studios and MSR Studios in New York | |||
| Genre | Alternative hip hop[2] | |||
| Length | 38:08 | |||
| Label | Def Jam | |||
| Producer | Ray Angry, Rick Friedrich, D.D. Jackson, Khari Mateen, Richard Nichols (exec.), James Poyser, Brent "Ritz" Reynolds, Sean C & LV, Sufjan Stevens, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson | |||
| The Roots chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Undun | ||||
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Undun is the twelfth studio album by American hip hop band the Roots. It was released on December 6, 2011, by Def Jam Recordings.
The album was recorded in sessions at several studios in Philadelphia and New York City. Production was handled primarily by Questlove, the band's record producer and drummer. They were joined by guest contributors, including vocalist Bilal and rappers Big K.R.I.T., Dice Raw, and Phonte.
Musically, Undun incorporates influences from neo soul and indie music. Thematically, it is an existential concept album about the short, tragic life of fictional character Redford Stevens, set in urban poverty and told through a reverse-chronological narrative.
The album performed modestly on music charts and sold 112,000 copies in the United States. It was a greater success with critics, being widely praised for its existential subject matter, production quality, and the band's musicianship. Undun was included on several critics' year-end lists of best albums.
- ^ "The Roots Say 'Undun' Taught 'Patience,' TV 'Made Us Better'".
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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