Phrenology (released November 26, 2002) is the sixth album from The Roots. Immediately following the breakthrough success of Things Fall Apart, its release was highly anticipated and highly delayed, as recording took two years. The album includes guest appearances from artists including Nelly Furtado, Cody ChesnuTT, Musiq, Talib Kweli, and Jill Scott. Phrenology did not chart as high as Things Fall Apart, reaching #28 on the Billboard 200 in comparison to Things Fall Apart's eventual peak of #4. However, like The Roots' previous album, Phrenology sold steadily and was eventually certified gold, signifying sales of at least 500,000 units.
The album was named for the discredited pseudoscience of phrenology, the study of head shapes to determine intelligence and character. Phrenology was sometimes used to justify racism in the past.
