5 Things to Know About The Roots' Things Fall Apart Recording Process

The band recorded roughly 145 songs for the album. Only 14 made the final cut, resulting in a 90% cull rate.

This means an incredible amount of material was left on the floor. Most artists would struggle to produce that many songs for a single project.

The high cull rate reflects the group’s perfectionism. They were willing to discard dozens of tracks to get the album right.

The unused songs likely include full arrangements and ideas. These could have formed multiple albums on their own.

The final 14 tracks represent a ruthless editing process. The Roots prioritized quality over quantity, cutting everything that didn’t fit.