Things Fall Apart is the fourth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots, released on February 23, 1999 by MCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Electric Lady Studios during 1997 to 1998, coinciding with recording for other projects of the Soulquarians collective, including D'Angelo's "Voodoo" (2000), Erykah Badu's "Mama's Gun" (2000), and Common's "Like Water for Chocolate" (2000). According to "Spin" magazine, the album is a landmark moment for The Roots and the collective, as it "swelled the Roots clique into a movement-style posse".