Studio Album · No. 7

Game Theory Songwriting Credits by The Roots

2006 Def Jam 13 tracks 46:58

Produced by The Roots, Adam Blackstone, Questlove, J*Davey, Darryl Robinson, J Dilla, John McGlinchey, Kamal Gray, Kevin Hanson, Khari Mateen, Omar Edwards, Owen Biddle, Pedro Martinez, Richard Nichols, Tahir Jamal, the Randy Watson Experience  ·  Engineered by Russell Elevado, Jason Goldstein, Robert "LB" Dorsey

Def Jam Alternative Hip HopPolitical Hip Hop
Artist
92%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 12 of 13 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 12 / 13 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 13 tracks with documented writers, by whether The Roots carries a lyricist or composer credit.

92%
12 trackswritten by The Roots 1 trackoutside writers
The Roots's roles on this album

Share of the 13 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist92%
Composer92%
Producer69%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

13
Tracks
21
Lyricists
17
Producers
2006
Released
Data Insight

Twelve of the 13 tracks carry a member and Black Thought writes on all twelve. The one without any member is a sample collage. The mood shift is real and so is the personnel shift: this is the first album with Captain Kirk Douglas fully embedded in the writing.

Game Theory came out on Def Jam in August 2006, their first album for the label, and is the darkest record they had made. It closes with a tribute to J Dilla, who had died that February.

Track Listing & Credits 13 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Dillatastic Vol Won(derful)
J Dilla James Yancey J Dilla The Roots (Performer)
2
False Media
Black ThoughtQuestloveDice RawJames PoyserKamal Gray Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonKarl JenkinsJames PoyserJames Gray Kamal GrayThe Randy Watson Experience The Roots (Performer)Wadud Ahmad (Featured Vocals)Chorus: Wadud Ahmad (Featured Vocals)
3
Game Theory
Black ThoughtQuestloveKamal GrayKhari MateenCaptain Kirk DouglasHubMalik B. Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonJames GrayKhari MateenKirk DouglasLeonard HubbardMalik Abdul-Basit The RootsKhari Mateen The Roots (Performer)Malik B. (Featured Vocals)
4
Don't Feel Right
Black ThoughtQuestloveDice RawKamal GrayTahir Jamal Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonKarl JenkinsJames GrayTahir Jamal The RootsTahir Jamal The Roots (Performer)Maimouna Youssef (Featured Vocals)Chorus: Maimouna Youssef (Featured Vocals)
5
In the Music
Black ThoughtQuestloveDice RawKamal GrayCaptain Kirk DouglasHubMalik B.Richard NicholsKevin HansonPedro MartinezOwen Biddle Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonKarl JenkinsJames GrayKirk DouglasLeonard HubbardMalik Abdul-BasitRichard NicholsKevin HansonPedro MartinezOwen Biddle Owen Biddle (of The RootsRichard NicholsPedro MartinezKevin Hanson The Roots (Performer)Malik B. (Featured Vocals)PORN (Featured Vocals)Chorus: PORN (Featured Vocals)
6
Take It There
Black ThoughtQuestloveKamal GrayCaptain Kirk DouglasHubKevin HansonPedro MartinezDarrell RobinsonFrank KnucklesAdam Blackstone Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonJames GrayKirk DouglasLeonard HubbardKevin HansonPedro MartinezDarrell RobinsonFrank KnucklesAdam Blackstone QuestloveAdam BlackstoneRichard NicholsPedro MartinezKevin Hanson The Roots (Performer)Wadud Ahmad (Featured Vocals)Black Thought (Featured Vocals)
7
Baby
Black ThoughtQuestloveKamal GrayCaptain Kirk DouglasHubFrank KnucklesJohn McGlinchey Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonJames GrayKirk DouglasLeonard HubbardFrank KnucklesJohn McGlinchey The RootsJohn McGlinchey The Roots (Performer)John-John (Featured Vocals)Chorus: John-John (Featured Vocals)
8
Here I Come
Black ThoughtQuestloveDice RawKamal GrayCaptain Kirk DouglasHubMalik B.Richard NicholsFrank Knuckles Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonKarl JenkinsJames GrayKirk DouglasLeonard HubbardMalik Abdul-BasitRichard NicholsFrank Knuckles Owen Biddle (of The RootsRichard NicholsPedro MartinezJ*Davey The Roots (Performer)Dice Raw & Malik B. (Featured Vocals)Chorus: Black Thought & Dice Raw (Featured Vocals)
9
Long Time
Black ThoughtQuestloveDice RawKamal GrayCaptain Kirk DouglasHubPeedi PeediBunny Sigler Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonKarl JenkinsJames GrayKirk DouglasLeonard HubbardPedro ZayasBunny Sigler Owen Biddle (of The RootsKevin HansonDarryl RobinsonRichard NicholsOmar Edwards The Roots (Performer)Peedi Peedi (Featured Vocals)Chorus: Bunny Sigler & Dice Raw (Featured Vocals)
10
Livin' in a New World
Black ThoughtDice RawKhari Mateen Tariq TrotterKarl JenkinsKhari Mateen The RootsKhari Mateen The Roots (Performer)John-John (Featured Vocals)Chorus: John-John (Featured Vocals)
11
Clock with No Hands
Black ThoughtQuestloveDice RawKamal GrayKhari MateenHub Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonKarl JenkinsJames GrayKhari MateenLeonard Hubbard The RootsKhari MateenBrook D'Leau The Roots (Performer)Jazzyfatnastees (Featured Vocals)Chorus: Mercedes Martinez (Featured Vocals)
12
Atonement
Black ThoughtQuestloveDice RawJames Poyser Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonKarl JenkinsJames Poyser The RootsThe Randy Watson Experience The Roots (Performer)J*Davey (Featured Vocals)Chorus: Jack Davey (Featured Vocals)
13
Can't Stop This
Black ThoughtQuestloveDice RawJames PoyserJ Dilla Tariq TrotterAhmir ThompsonKarl JenkinsJames PoyserJames Yancey J DillaThe RootsThe Randy Watson Experience The Roots (Performer)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 51 contributors

BT
Black Thought
Writer · Vocals
On this album12 written
TT
Tariq Trotter
Writer
On this album12 written
Q
Questlove
Writer · Producer
On this album11 written
AT
Ahmir Thompson
Writer
On this album11 written
KG
Kamal Gray
Writer · Producer
On this album9 written
DR
Dice Raw
Writer
On this album9 written
JG
James Gray
Writer
On this album9 written
KJ
Karl Jenkins
Writer
On this album9 written
H
Hub
Writer
On this album7 written
LH
Leonard Hubbard
Writer
On this album7 written
CK
Captain Kirk Douglas
Writer
On this album6 written
KD
Kirk Douglas
Writer
On this album6 written

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Organix
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1995 n/a
Do You Want More?!!!??!
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1996 100%
Illadelph Halflife
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20 tracksProd. Black Thought
1999 100%
Things Fall Apart
MCA
18 tracksProd. Chaos
2002 100%
Phrenology
MCA
14 tracksProd. Cody Chesnutt
2004 100%
The Tipping Point
Okayplayer / Geffen
10 tracksProd. Anthony Tidd
2008 100%
Rising Down
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14 tracksProd. L.A. Reid
2010 100%
How I Got Over
Def Jam
14 tracksProd. The Roots
2011 100%
Undun
Def Jam
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2014 64%
...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
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Frequently Asked Questions Game Theory

Who wrote Game Theory?
Band members are credited on 12 of the 13 tracks. The one they are not on carries no vocal of theirs.
Is it about J Dilla?
The closing track is a tribute to him. He died in February 2006 and the album came out that August.
Did any single chart?
"Don't Feel Right" reached number 48 on the R&B chart. Nothing from the album entered the Billboard Hot 100.
How did it sell?
The discography's certification column is blank for this album and no sales figure is published.
Why is it so dark?
It was written after the move to Def Jam and after J Dilla's death, and the reviews at the time all said the same thing.
Who engineered it?
Russell Elevado, Jason Goldstein and Robert "LB" Dorsey.
How long is the album?
46:58 across 13 tracks.

Sources

Wikipedia: Game Theory Wikipedia: The Roots discography Genius: The Roots - Dilltastic Vol Won(derful) Discogs: The Roots - Game Theory (Def Jam CD) Cover Art Archive: Game Theory by The Roots