John Legend and the Roots: Wake Up!

"This album was conceived in the heat of the summer of 2008 in the middle of a passionate election campaign — a campaign that represented change & hope and awakened a new generation of activists who had never been inspired before. We live in a time of seemingly unlimited possibility and groundbreaking historic change, yet we're also in the midst of a deep recession and war. Poverty and disillusionment still afflict a large portion of humankind. This intense brew of possibility & persistent poverty, optimism & despair, activism & unrest, and global connectedness & intractable global conflicts is the reason WAKE UP! exists. I asked The Roots to join me in producing this album because they're one of the best bands in the business. I've wanted to work with them since I went to college in Philly. ... It's a blend of soul, hip hop, funk, gospel and reggae which draws inspiration from a previous era of socially-relevant music — the soul songs of the 1960's and '70's" (CD notes by John Legend).
View catalog record here!