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7. How I Got Over (2010): Following a pair of extremely dark, political albums, the Roots paid tribute to the crossover between their hip-hop and indie-rock fanbases by embracing a series of collaborations with acts including Joanna Newsom, Dirty Projectors, and Monsters of Folk. While it sounded great in theory, the finished result falls short of its potential. Or perhaps it just fell victim to it. Where the preceding two albums were noticeably energized and inspired, How I Got Over feels subdued -- perhaps a bit too subdued. While the album is a very cohesive listen, it's also overly sobering at times, often leaving you thinking about which Roots album to throw on next as a more action-inducing antidote. The two strongest tracks, "Walk Alone" and "Dear God 2.0" come close to the top, so from there on out, it's difficult for things not to start going downhill. Overall, the chances the band took here are admirable, the guest list is impressive, and the results often deliver, but it's still too much of a mishmash to rank with the crew's finest work.