# Undun

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For other uses, see [Undun (disambiguation)](/source/Undun_(disambiguation)).

2011 studio album by the Roots

Undun Studio album by the Roots Released December 6, 2011 (2011-12-06)[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 Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson Ray Angry Brent "Ritz" Reynolds D.D. Jackson Hot Sugar James Poyser Khari Mateen Richard Nichols (also exec.) Rick Friedrich Sean C & LV Sufjan Stevens The Roots chronology Betty Wright: The Movie (2011) Undun (2011) Wise Up Ghost (2013) Singles from Undun "Make My" Released: November 1, 2011

***Undun*** (stylized as ***undun***) is the twelfth [studio album](/source/Studio_album) by American [hip-hop](/source/Hip-hop) band [the Roots](/source/The_Roots). It was released on December 6, 2011, by [Def Jam Recordings](/source/Def_Jam_Recordings).

The album was recorded in sessions at several studios in Philadelphia and New York City. Production was handled primarily by [Questlove](/source/Questlove), the band's record producer and drummer. They were joined by guest contributors, including vocalist [Bilal](/source/Bilal_(American_singer)) and rappers [Big K.R.I.T.](/source/Big_K.R.I.T.), [Dice Raw](/source/Dice_Raw), and [Phonte](/source/Phonte).

Musically, *Undun* incorporates influences from [neo soul](/source/Neo_soul) and [indie](/source/Indie_rock) music. Thematically, it is an [existential](/source/Existentialism) [concept album](/source/Concept_album) about the short, tragic life of fictional character Redford Stevens, set in urban poverty and told through a [reverse-chronological](/source/Reverse_chronology) narrative.

The album performed modestly on [music charts](/source/Music_chart) 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.

## Writing and recording

At the time of recording, the Roots comprised lead rapper [Black Thought](/source/Black_Thought), drummer and producer [Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson](/source/Questlove), keyboardists [Kamal Gray](/source/Kamal_Gray) and [James Poyser](/source/James_Poyser), percussionist [F. Knuckles](/source/F._Knuckles), guitarist [Captain Kirk Douglas](/source/Captain_Kirk_Douglas), sousaphonist [Damon Bryson (Tuba Gooding Jr.)](/source/Tuba_Gooding_Jr.), and bassist Mark Kelley.[3] The band also worked with other rappers for the album, including [Big K.R.I.T.](/source/Big_K.R.I.T.), [Dice Raw](/source/Dice_Raw), [Phonte](/source/Phonte), and Truck North, as well as vocalists such as Aaron Livingston and [Bilal](/source/Bilal_(American_singer)).[2]

Questlove said that the band benefited from the security and practice time provided by their job as the house band on *[Late Night with Jimmy Fallon](/source/Late_Night_with_Jimmy_Fallon)*. Working for NBC, the band is expected to write "short, concise songs, even if they don't get used on air. We have to create three to seven songs every day." Many of these short pieces were used for *Undun*. Questlove said the new practice space refocused the band's songwriting style, which was previously dependent on jamming during soundchecks on tour. Questlove said the financial stability of the new job also allowed the Roots to be more musically adventurous: "we could finally follow all those crazy ideas that we've had without fear of being dropped by our label... Now we have a safety net. Our Def Jam life is now an evening job. We now have the comfort and confidence to start making the albums we want to make. That's why *undun* feels like our second album. There's no pressure."[4]

The album was recorded and [mixed](/source/Audio_mixing_(recorded_music)) primarily at Downtown Music Studios in New York City and the Philadelphia recording locations A House Called Quest, daCrib, and The Boom Room.[5] The track "Will to Power (3rd Movement)" was recorded and mixed at [MSR Studios](/source/MSR_Studios) in New York City.[5] *Undun* was [mastered](/source/Audio_mastering) at The Mastering Palace in New York City.[5]

## Music and lyrics

*Undun* is an existential [concept album](/source/Concept_album) about the fictional character Redford Stevens,[6] who is named after a [Sufjan Stevens](/source/Sufjan_Stevens) song.[7] Its [reverse-chronological](/source/Reverse_chronology) narrative discusses his short, tragic life set in urban poverty.[8][9] Expanding on the [indie](/source/Indie_rock) influence of the band's *[How I Got Over](/source/How_I_Got_Over_(album))* (2010),[10][11] the album's music is characterized by [snare](/source/Snare_drum)-driven beats, [neo soul](/source/Neo_soul) elements,[12] keyboard soundscapes, strings, choral arrangements, and tight [dynamics](/source/Dynamics_(music)).[13]

### Plot outline

"Illegal activity controls my black symphony Orchestrated like it happened incidentally Oh, there I go, from a man to a memory Damn, I wonder if my fam will remember me"

— [Black Thought](/source/Black_Thought) on "Sleep"

The plot of the album takes place in reverse over the course of a day in Redford's life,[14] with the multiple featured rappers all speaking from Redford's [first-person perspective](/source/First-person_narrative).[15] The album opens with the sound of a flatlined [EKG](/source/Electrocardiography) on the instrumental track "Dun", signifying Redford's death.[16] This leads into the second track, "Sleep", where Black Thought's verse portrays Redford's dying thoughts on his life, fate and whether he will be remembered.[17] "Make My" depicts the killing of Redford,[18] with an extended outro modeled on [Mobb Deep](/source/Mobb_Deep)'s "[Shook Ones (Part II)](/source/Shook_Ones_(Part_II))" that conveys Redford's spirit beginning to leave his body.[19]

"One Time" finds Redford feeling remorse and contemplating the course of his life; he reflects on the time that he stopped caring about school.[20] "Kool On" and "The OtherSide" depict Redford living successfully as a drug dealer.[21] "Kool On" hints that Redford is deluding himself, and the song's lyrics are about "how successful street hustlers might fool themselves in believing they are living the 'good life' but, in reality, 'living on borrowed time.'"[22] "Stomp" is meant to be the song on which "he's either gonna live or he’s gonna die with whatever path he has chosen to go down."[23] While Redford feels that he has been forced into crime, he is also decisively choosing his path.[23] On "Lighthouse", Redford contemplates suicide,[20] and the song's hook "there’s no one in the lighthouse/Face down in the ocean" is a metaphor for Redford being caught up in crime and questioning the direction of his life.[23] Redford recalls his life before crime on "I Remember".[21] "Tip the Scale" explores "how the odds are already stacked against a black man growing up in the ghetto even before he is born".[22]

The album is concluded with a four-part instrumental [movement](/source/Movement_(music)).[24] Part one is [Sufjan Stevens](/source/Sufjan_Stevens) performing his "Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)", originally from the album *[Michigan](/source/Michigan_(album))*; part two has a [string quartet](/source/String_quartet) reinterpret the song. Part three is a [free jazz](/source/Free_jazz) performance by Questlove and pianist [D. D. Jackson](/source/D._D._Jackson).[4] The album concludes with the fourth part, another string quartet piece that ends abruptly with an [unresolved](/source/Resolution_(music)) piano chord.[16] Roots manager Richard Nichols described the final four tracks as a "birth-cycle" and said "It’s almost like he was undone upon birth ... your outcome of your life is definitely gonna be affected by your surroundings, statistically."[23]

### Redford Stevens

The concept of following the story of a central character, Redford Stevens, on the album was the idea of band manager Richard Nichols.[25] According to Questlove, the album's protagonist Redford is "the prototypical urban kid — young, gifted, black, and unraveling before our eyes,"[26] and is based on "a combination of maybe four to five people that we know in Philadelphia."[14] Regarding the character, Black Thought said, "Redford's story isn't uncommon in Philadelphia ... I remember not being able to imagine being alive as a 30-year-old. I didn't know many people who had lived to 30."[27] Inspiration for Redford was also culled from the [Sufjan Stevens](/source/Sufjan_Stevens) song "Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)" from his album *[Michigan](/source/Michigan_(album))* and the character [Avon Barksdale](/source/Avon_Barksdale) from TV series *[The Wire](/source/The_Wire)*.[14] Some sources have interpreted Redford as an African-American [everyman](/source/Everyman),[11] though others have cautioned against this view, emphasizing his individual characteristics. For instance, Hilary Brown of *[Down Beat](/source/Down_Beat)* called Redford "a romantic, not a thug; a philosopher, not an everyman,"[28] and Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah wrote "The mistake is to read Redford as being like anyone who has their back to the wall, or to see the album’s narrative as a universal story."[29]

By focusing the narrative on an ordinary middleman in the drug trade, Questlove said the band attempted to subvert rap music genre conventions, which often glamorize a life of crime with a powerful "[Don Corleone](/source/Vito_Corleone)" figure.[14] *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_Media)*'s Nate Patrin said the album "isn't a sprawling, rise-and-fall crime story, not a condemnation or a veneration of a man living outside the law, not a bullet-riddled *grand guignol* heavy on explicit details of soldiers getting cut down. It's a character study of a man whose existential crisis ends only with his death—a death gone largely unspecified, the glamor and tragedy washed over with a doomed resignation."[30] Asad Khawaja wrote that the willingness to stray from genre norms enhanced the album's dramatic realism: "Rather than fall prey to the hip-hop illusions of high life grandeur, the Roots weaves a tale of spiralling downward, made all the more poignant by a character wholly self-aware of his [Faustian bargain](/source/Deal_with_the_Devil)."[31]

## Cover

The cover art is a black-and-white rendering of the photo "Flying High" by [documentary photographer](/source/Documentary_photography) [Jamel Shabazz](/source/Jamel_Shabazz),[32] which depicts a child flipping on a mattress outdoors.[33] The cover art has been compared to the 1978 [Charles Burnett](/source/Charles_Burnett_(director)) film *[Killer of Sheep](/source/Killer_of_Sheep)*.[34]

## Release and sales

*Undun* was released by [Def Jam Recordings](/source/Def_Jam_Recordings), first on December 2, 2011, in continental Europe,[35] then on December 5 in the United Kingdom,[8] and on December 6 in the United States.[36] The album's [lead single](/source/Lead_single), "Make My" featuring Big K.R.I.T., was first released on November 1 to [iTunes](/source/ITunes_Store).[3] When *undun* was released in the US, it debuted at number 17 on the [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200) and sold 48,200 copies in its first week.[37] By January 2012, it had sold 112,000 copies there.[38]

## Critical reception

Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating AnyDecentMusic? 7.9/10[39] Metacritic 88/100[40] Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [2] The A.V. Club A[41] Chicago Tribune [42] The Daily Telegraph [43] Entertainment Weekly A−[44] The Independent [24] MSN Music (Expert Witness) B+[45] Pitchfork 7.3/10[30] Rolling Stone [46] Spin 7/10[11]

*Undun* was met with widespread critical acclaim. At [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic), which assigns a [normalized](/source/Standard_score) rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an [average](/source/Weighted_arithmetic_mean) score of 88, based on 32 reviews.[40]

Reviewing the album for [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic), Andy Kellman praised its "existential rhymes" and found its ideas "grave and penetrating".[2] James Lachno from *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)* was highly impressed by its music and how The Roots avoid "over-moralising or glorification".[43] *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)* writer Ernest Hardy said the record offers "a psychological depth and complexity rarely afforded black folks in modern pop culture, including (or especially) the borough of contemporary hip-hop."[9] [Jon Pareles](/source/Jon_Pareles), writing in *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, said it is "complete in itself ... made brief to be listened to as a whole."[47] Andy Gill of *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)* said the record is possibly the group's best, offering "opportunities for more considered reflection on the values we choose in life" instead of "the sense of inevitability and the tragic bravado found in comparable hip-hop tragedies".[24] In the *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*, [Greg Kot](/source/Greg_Kot) cited *Undun* as The Roots' best work and called it "both chilling and beautiful at once".[42] At the end of 2011, Kot named it the year's second best album,[48] while [Ann Powers](/source/Ann_Powers) from [NPR Music](/source/NPR_Music) ranked it tenth on her year-end list.[49]

Some reviewers expressed reservations. In *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*, [Jody Rosen](/source/Jody_Rosen) said Black Thought's "skilled but stolid rapping adds nothing new to the idiom" of the "morally ambiguous gangster tale", even though *undun* succeeds musically.[46] Patrin found the storyline's "inevitable familiarity" to be "almost an end in itself" and that it "feels almost relentless in its singleminded dejection".[30] Ian Cohen of *[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))* said Black Thought's reading of Redford Stephens sounded "business-like" and "consummately bland".[11] [Robert Christgau](/source/Robert_Christgau) was also critical of the concept in his review for *[MSN Music](/source/MSN_Music)*, feeling that the [song cycle](/source/Song_cycle) lacks a feel for its fictional character, although he added that the album showcases a sound from The Roots "that shows no sign of standing pat". Of Black Thought's performance, he said the rapper offered "flashes of insight and articulated feeling" rather than wisdom.[45]

## Track listing

Track numbers continued from *[How I Got Over](/source/How_I_Got_Over_(album))*.

No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 157. "Dun" Ray Angry Ahmir Thompson Questlove Ray Angry 1:16 158. "Sleep" Nicolas Koenig-Dzialowski Thompson Tariq Trotter Aaron Livingston Questlove Hot Sugar 2:15 159. "Make My" (featuring Big K.R.I.T. & Dice Raw) Khari Mateen Trotter Thompson Angry Justin Scott Karl Jenkins Questlove Khari Mateen Ray Angry 4:27 160. "One Time" (featuring Phonte & Dice Raw) Brent Reynolds Jenkins Trotter Thompson Phonte Coleman Questlove Brent "Ritz" Reynolds 3:55 161. "Kool On" (featuring Greg Porn & Truck North) Gregory Spearman Jamal Miller Trotter Dewayne Julius Rogers Sr. Questlove 3:48 162. "The OtherSide" (featuring Bilal & Greg Porn) Thompson Betty Wright Jenkins Trotter Spearman James Poyser Angelo Morris Sean McMillion Ralph Jeanty Questlove James Poyser Richard Nichols 4:03 163. "Stomp" (featuring Greg Porn) Trotter Spearman Deleno Matthews Levar Coppin Sean C & LV 2:23 164. "Lighthouse" (featuring Dice Raw) Richard Friedrich Thompson Jenkins Trotter Questlove Rick Friedrich 3:43 165. "I Remember" Mateen Trotter Thompson Questlove Khari Mateen 3:15 166. "Tip the Scale" (featuring Dice Raw) Thompson Angry Wright Jenkins Trotter Morris Questlove Ray Angry Richard Nichols Khari Mateen 4:17

Redford Suite No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 167. "Redford" (For Yia-Yia & Pappou) Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens 1:52 168. "Possibility" (2nd Movement) Angry Thompson Nichols Questlove Ray Angry Richard Nichols 0:55 169. "Will to Power" (3rd Movement) D.D. Jackson Thompson Questlove D.D. Jackson 1:03 170. "Finality" (4th Movement) Angry Thompson Nichols Questlove Ray Angry Richard Nichols 1:31

## Personnel

Credits for *Undun* adapted from liner notes.[5]

Ray Angry – producer Clifton Bell – inlay photography Mark Bengston – assistant engineer Leesa D. Brunson – A&R Dame "Tuba Gooding Jr." Bryson – group member, sousaphone Roberto Caiaffa – marketing Phonte Coleman – composer Levar Coppin – composer Robert "LB" Dorsey – engineer Kirk "Captain Kirk" Douglas – group member, guitar Daniel Felsenfeld – string arrangements Rick Friedrich – engineer, producer Larry Gold – arranger, cello Jason Goldstein – engineer, mixing Kenny J. Gravillis – art direction Kamal Gray – group member, keyboards D.D. Jackson – composer, producer Karl Jenkins – composer Karl B. Jenkins – A&R Doug Joswick – package production Mark Kelley – bass, group member Nick Koenig – engineer Phil Kramp – viola Dave Kutch – mastering Kristin Lee – violin Sean Lee – violin Tai Linzie – art coordinator, photo coordination Aaron Earl Livingston – vocals Steve Mandel – engineer, mixing Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearance Mercedes Martinez – background vocals Khari Mateen – engineer, producer Hiro Matsuo – cello Deleno Matthews – composer Tracey Moore – background vocals John Morgan – assistant engineer Richard Nichols – A&R, art direction, executive producer, producer James Poyser – group member, keyboards, producer Brent "Ritz" Reynolds – engineer, producer Todd Russell – art coordinator, photo coordination Lenny S. – A&R Chris Sclafani – mixing assistant Sean C & LV – producer Jamel Shabazz – cover photo Jon Smeltz – engineer, mixing Sufjan Stevens – composer, engineer, mixing, producer Mark Tavern – A&R Anna Tes – design Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson – composer, drums, group member, producer Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter – composer, group member, vocals Frank "Knuckles" Walker – group member, percussion Kristen Yiengst – art coordinator, photo coordination

## Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2011) Peak position Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[50] 30 US Billboard 200[51] 17 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[52] 4 US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[53] 2 Year-end charts Chart (2012) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[54] 50

## See also

- *[A Prince Among Thieves](/source/A_Prince_Among_Thieves)*

## References

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** Stairiker, Kevin (May 29, 2012). ["Even After 25 Years, The Roots Are Still Pushing Boundaries"](http://jumpphilly.com/2012/05/29/even-after-25-years-the-roots-are-still-pushing-boundaries/). *Jumpphilly.com*. Retrieved April 29, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-?L_HuffPo_26-0)** [Questlove](/source/Questlove) (November 21, 2011). ["'undun': The Story Of A Gifted Black Youth Unravels"](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/questlove/undun-the-roots-album_b_1105719.html). *[Huffington Post](/source/Huffington_Post)*. Retrieved April 29, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-V-L_27-0)** Vozick-Levinson, Simon (November 15, 2011). ["The Roots Set to Deliver Their 'Most Realized' Album Yet"](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-roots-create-their-most-realized-album-yet-20111115). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. Retrieved April 28, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** Brown, Hilary (January 2012). ["The Roots, *Undun* (Def Jam)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130411015029/http://www.downbeat.com/defaultl.asp?sect=editorspicks201201). *[Down Beat](/source/Down_Beat)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.downbeat.com/defaultl.asp?sect=editorspicks201201) on April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Ghansah_29-0)** Ghansah, Rachel Kaadzi (December 14, 2011). ["Don't let the green grass fool you: The Roots are one of the most respected hip-hop acts in the world; why can't they leave the sad stuff alone?"](http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/culture/2011/12/4608911/dont-let-green-grass-fool-you-roots-are-one-most-respected-hip-hop-a?page=all). *Capital*. Retrieved April 28, 2013.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Patrin_30-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Patrin_30-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Patrin_30-2) Patrin, Nate (December 6, 2011). ["The Roots: Undun"](http://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16102-the-roots-undun/). *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))*. Retrieved December 6, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-31)** Khawaja, Asad (February 5, 2012). ["Reviews previews: Undun by The Roots"](https://www.dawn.com/news/693311/reviews-previews-undun-by-the-roots). *[Dawn](/source/Dawn_(newspaper))*. [Dawn Group of Newspapers](/source/Dawn_Group_of_Newspapers). Retrieved April 27, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-32)** Moore, Jacob (November 1, 2011). ["Album Cover: The Roots "Undun""](http://www.complex.com/music/2011/11/album-cover-the-roots-undun). *[Complex](/source/Complex_(magazine))*. Retrieved April 26, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-33)** DeLuca, Dan (December 4, 2011). ["Roots reach a creative height in 'undun'"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120106210456/http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-04/news/30474610_1_tariq-black-thought-trotter-uestlove-ahmir). *Philly.com*. [Philadelphia Media Network](/source/Philadelphia_Media_Network). Archived from [the original](http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-04/news/30474610_1_tariq-black-thought-trotter-uestlove-ahmir) on January 6, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-34)** Mahfix, Alif Omar (January 11, 2012). ["The Roots: Undun"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130721002155/http://msn.juiceonline.com/the-roots-undun/). *Juice Online*. [MSN](/source/MSN). Archived from [the original](http://msn.juiceonline.com/the-roots-undun/) on July 21, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2013.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-Amazon_36-0)** ["Undun / \[Explicit\]: The Roots: Music"](https://www.amazon.com/Undun-Explicit-Roots/dp/B005VR9328). *Amazon*. Retrieved December 3, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-37)** Montana, Gina (December 14, 2011). ["Drake's Take Care Drops to No. 7 on 200 Chart, Roots Undun Debuts at No. 17"](http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/12/drakes-take-care-drops-to-no-7-on-200-chart-roots-undun-debuts-at-no-17/). *[XXL](/source/XXL_(magazine))*. [Harris Publications](/source/Harris_Publications). Retrieved December 21, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-38)** Jacobs, Allen (February 1, 2012). ["Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 1/29/2011"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120615120830/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.18503/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-1-29-2012). HipHopDX. Archived from [the original](http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.18503/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-1-29-2012) on June 15, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-39)** ["undun by The Roots reviews"](http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/3970/The-Roots-undun.aspx). AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved January 26, 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-MC_40-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-MC_40-1) ["Reviews for Undun by The Roots"](http://www.metacritic.com/music/undun/the-roots). [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic). [CBS Interactive](/source/CBS_Interactive). Retrieved December 3, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Rabin_41-0)** [Rabin, Nathan](/source/Nathan_Rabin) (December 6, 2011). ["The Roots: Undun"](https://www.avclub.com/the-roots-undun-1798170754). *[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club)*. [Onion, Inc](/source/The_Onion). Retrieved December 6, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Kot_42-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Kot_42-1) [Kot, Greg](/source/Greg_Kot) (December 2, 2011). ["Album review: The Roots, 'Undun'"](https://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-roots-album-review-undun-reviewed-20111202-column.html). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*. [Tribune Company](/source/Tribune_Company). Retrieved December 29, 2019.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-Kot2_48-0)** Kot, Greg (December 2, 2011). ["Top albums of 2011; Wild Flag top album of 2011"](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/12/02/top-albums-of-2011/). *Chicago Tribune*. Tribune Company. Retrieved December 2, 2011.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_Switzerland_The_Roots_50-0)** "[Swisscharts.com – The Roots – Undun](http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Roots&titel=Undun&cat=a)". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_Billboard200_The_Roots_51-0)** "[The Roots Chart History (*Billboard* 200)](https://www.billboard.com/artist/The-Roots/chart-history/TLP)". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved July 31, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_BillboardRandBHipHop_The_Roots_52-0)** "[The Roots Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)](https://www.billboard.com/artist/The-Roots/chart-history/BLP)". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved July 31, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ac_BillboardRap_The_Roots_53-0)** "[The Roots Chart History (Top Rap Albums)](https://www.billboard.com/artist/The-Roots/chart-history/RLP)". *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. Retrieved July 31, 2020.

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## External links

- [Official website](http://theroots.com/undun/)

- *[Undun](http://www.discogs.com/Roots-Undun/master/389758)* at [Discogs](/source/Discogs)

- *[Undun](http://www.metacritic.com/music/undun)* at [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic)

v t e The Roots Black Thought Captain Kirk Douglas Damon "Tuba" Bryson Kamal Gray Mark Kelley James Poyser Questlove Stro Elliot Ben Kenney Dice Raw F. "Knuckles" Walker Leonard "Hub" Hubbard Malik B. Martin Luther Nikki Yeoh Owen Biddle Rahzel Scratch Scott Storch Studio albums Organix (1993) Do You Want More?!!!??! (1994) Illadelph Halflife (1996) Things Fall Apart (1999) Phrenology (2002) The Tipping Point (2004) Game Theory (2006) Rising Down (2008) How I Got Over (2010) Undun (2011) ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014) Collaborations Wake Up! (2010, with John Legend) Betty Wright: The Movie (2011, with Betty Wright) Wise Up Ghost (2013, with Elvis Costello) Live albums The Roots Come Alive (1999) Jay-Z: Unplugged (2001, with Jay-Z) Extended plays From the Ground Up (1994) The Legendary (1999) Songs "You Got Me" (1999) "The Next Movement" (1999) "The Seed (2.0)" (2002) "Wake Up Everybody" (2010) "My Shot" (Rise Up Remix) (2016) "You'll Be Back" (2016) "Who Tells Your Story" (2016) "It Ain't Fair" (2017) Related articles Discography Late Night with Jimmy Fallon The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Brooklyn Babylon Okayplayer Roots Picnic

Authority control databases MusicBrainz release group

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Undun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undun) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undun?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.