Every now and then you’ll come across a group that has staying power, but sometimes their longevity might take a backseat to what other people deem as important. In this new age of technology, information is literally at your fingertips. If you want to know who’s sleeping with who then PerezHilton.com is your best bet.

If you want to know what teams are interested in obtaining Chad Johnson’s services for their football team, then SportsIllustrated.com or ESPN.com is the ticket. And if you want to know what artists are selling and who isn’t, then Nielsen SoundScan is there to assist you.

In all honesty, it’s unfair to judge an artists' body of work on first or second week sales when they took a year and half; and in some cases two years to create it. But that’s the harsh reality of today’s music business, where artists are constantly scrutinized if they ‘so-called’ ‘under perform.’ But how can you tell if an album under performs? If it doesn’t sell over half a million in the first seven days, does that count as a failure? Or how about if it doesn’t go platinum or gold at all, but is still highly regarded? Is it fair to call that album a flop too?

With fifteen years in Hip-Hop and eight studio albums, The Roots can be considered poster children for being judged on their sales record alone. Although they have a solid following, their stats may not always match up to industry standards. Their fir st album Organix spawned over 150,000 sold and got their industry buzz up while they were in London performing and paying dues. The albums that followed were Do You Want More?!!!??! and Illadelph Halflife—which were both part of The Source Magazine’s list for the 100 best Hip-Hop albums.

Things Fall Apart (named after the novel by Chinua Achebe) was their breakthrough album with the single “You Got Me” securing their first Grammy, and a sales record of over 500,000 sold, and 2002’s Phrenology followed suit maintaining their gold stature. In 2004, Tipping Point debuted at #4 on the charts, but after selling 100,000 in its first week, their gold streak was subsequently broken, and they parted ways with Geffen Records after mounting pressure to sell more units. When Def Jam execs anointed Jay-Z as their savior, one of his first holy acts was to acquire The Roots in his stable, which he did. And so Game Theory was released with over 300,000 sold in total, which brings us to Rising Down (also on Def Jam post Jay-Z era).

With numerous musical nominations, Rolling Stone proclaiming them one of the twenty greatest live acts in the world, while backing MC’s the caliber of Eminem and Jay-Z himself, the only people that seem to be satisfied with their efforts are their core fans—and hopefully Rising Down will help silence those that think a career is only as good as your sales sheet. The Roots try a little bit more experimentation on this album, by adding new sounds like more horns and synthesizers. It also has a unique blend of guest spots—artists that are synonymous with The Roots are involved, people like Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def and even Peedi Peedi makes another appearance. But the group also opens the door to MC’s like Saigon and Wale.

Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson can easily be identified as the unofficial leader, but in the same token, the world has quietly witnessed lead vocalist Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter polish his skills and take command of the English language with engaging wordplay, compound multi-syllabic rhyme patterns, and his political-awareness content.

The 35-year-old MC still attacks the microphone with the reckless abandon of a rapper still looking for a record deal. And that persona is evident on the lead off track, which shares the same name as the album (Rising Down) and also features Mos Def and Styles P. Mos Def warms it up with lines like, “Tonight at noon watch the bad moon rising/identities in crisis, and conflict diamonds.” Just for Black Thought to come in with, “Between the green house gases, and earth spinning off its axis/got Mother Nature doing back flips/how you want it?/bag, paper or plastic/lost in translation, or just lost in traffic/yo I don’t wanna floss, I done lost my passion/and ain’t tryin’ to climb yo I lost my traction.” And Styles P compliments with, “I’m an African-American/they sell drugs in the ‘hood, but the man, who move the medicine.”

There’s no mistaking ?uestlove’s heavy drum presence on “Get Busy” where all three Philly natives; Black Thought, Dice Raw, and Peedi Peddi pick up where they left off on Game Theory.

“@15” is just how it sounds—a young Black Thought sharpening the same vernacular via acapella that would gain him notoriety later in life. And what follows is “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction).” The placement of the two tracks is perfect, as it shows the transition from a fledgling teen-aged rapper, to a veteran MC.

The patented guitars make their way onto “Criminal” (feat. Truck North and Saigon), it’s a little bit of a break from the drums that have dominated the album so far, as is “I Will Not Apologize” (feat. Porn and Dice Raw). The guitar strings intertwine with the lyrics and mix together for the smooth trademark Roots sound that has become so familiar over the years. “Unwritten” (feat. Mercedes Martinez) is a 1:22 teaser with Black Thought showing of his narrative skills. Talib Kweli and Malik B. are featured on “Lost Desire” as the heavy drums, horns and, sythns make their way back into the limelight.

The experimental sounds continue on “The Show” (feat. Common and Dice Raw). Dice Raw commands the hook, while Black Thought comes in with lines like, “(Uh) And I’m still the one/am I a poet, or a prophet, or a stone to build upon.” Followed by Common’s, “Still doing shows where the spots be bummy/roaches in the dressing room, I’m thinking of a better room.” The rest of the album contains contributions such as “Singing Man” (feat. Porn, Truck North, and Dice Raw), the video-friendly “Rising Up” (feat. Wale and Chrisette Michelle), and “I Can’t Help It” (feat. Malik B., Porn, Mercedes Martinez and Dice Raw).

The Roots are one of those unique Hip-Hop acts that come along once in a while and gains the respect of those around them, even if they might not share the amount of success. What separates them from the rest is the fact that they’re not a ‘gimmick-band.’ Touring the world extensively with endless sold out performances; the title of the “Hardest-working band” is an understatement to their movement.

Rising Down may be filled with mixed emotions, just like their other albums. But one thing is certain; regardless of how you judge their style, you won’t be able to say anything negative about their work ethic. And for those that are too concerned about hearing cash registers ring with album sales, it’s clear that they haven’t had their ears ringing from witnessing a live show from one of the greatest bands in the business.