Deeply Rooted was criminally overlooked by much of the music press, despite it being arguably Scarface’s greatest lyrical work. Coming out just before his book Diary of a Madman, the album had big shoes to fill if it were to compete with the stories he put forth in print. At 18 tracks, the record never feels too long, because as an emcee he draws you in to his world, sits you down, makes you a cup of coffee, and proceeds to pour his heart out. With production handled in bulk by N.O. Joe, with a few assists from legend Nottz, it’s an engrossing but accessible listen. The fact only three music outlets gave it a review shows how it passed without a blip. When you consider it outsold Young Thug’s Barter 6, the lack of press is surprising. Scarface told Vibe: I’m bringing words. I’m bringing the beat. I’m bringing the beat back to the village. I wanna spark thought among the people in our village.