String Quartet Tribute to the Roots features reinterpretations of 12 tracks from the Philadelphia hip-hop group for violin, viola, cello, double bass, and percussion. There are no vocals, but with the percussion and double bass teaming up on the bottom end, tracks like "Adrenaline!," "What They Do" and "Seed 2.0" are closer to their original versions than these string tributes usually get. The set runs together after its formula's been set up -- the beats bump along at mid-tempo as the violin and cello work off what would be the vocal line. Still,
String Quartet Tribute to the Roots will be of some interest to longtime fans of the group. It also says there's still some adventurism in this long-running tribute series. ~ Johnny Loftus