How I Got Over is the follow-up to Rising Down, praised by Rolling Stone more than a month before the album's release, for spewing "rhymes from the perspective of the poor and the dispossessed, from North Philly to Liberia."

Though The Roots has gone through numerous lineup changes over the years, the core founding members Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson still anchor the band's continually evolving sound. Taking its title from Clara Ward’s 1951 gospel song of the same name, the band’s upcoming ninth album How I Got Over stands as the next chapter, reflecting an everyman's journey from alienation and disorientation to a more focused and hopeful state. Self-produced by the group with cover art inspired by visual artist Cara Walker, the album features guest appearances by Phonte Coleman (Little Brother, Foreign Exchange), Blu (Blu & Exile), Dice Raw and Icelandic rock singer Patty Crash. In addition to the band's original material, the album also includes a reworking of John Legend’s "Again". In an industry of one-hit wonders and sound-a-likes, hip-hop’s most daring group returns to show everyone how it’s supposed to be done.