"A robust and diverse collection of Black roots music in America, this intentionally titled 'compendium'of sorts houses an impressive catalogue of Black roots songs, sung by various artists, spanning from recordings made from the civil rights movement to present day. Demonstrating the musical innovations of the African and Caribbean diaspora heard in the myriad different styles of Black roots music, such as the blues of Bessie Jones' 'Yonder Come Day' and the toasting genre pre-dating commercial hip-hop heard in the song 'Ups on the Farm', this curation of songs heralds the folkloric and raw storytelling ethos Black music embodies".