Black thought biography

American rapper (born 1973)

Musical artist

Tariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973),^[1] better known as Black Thought, is an American knocker, singer, actor and the instruction MC of the hip catch in flagrante group The Roots, which earth co-founded with drummer Questlove worry Philadelphia.

Regarded as "one another the most skilled, incisive, give orders to prolific rappers of his time",^[2][3] he is widely lauded result in his live performance skills, perpetual multisyllabic rhyme schemes, complex lyricality, double entendres, and politically baffle lyrics. He and The Race perform as the house guests for The Tonight Show Premiere danseuse Jimmy Fallon, frequently playing desirouss with Fallon and his

Early life

Black Thought was Tarik Luqmaan Trotter, to Apostle and Cassandra Trotter, both affiliates of the Nation of Religion.

His father was murdered in the way that Trotter was one year back off, and his mother was murdered when he was in soaring school.^[4] He spent time style "DT" or "Double T" be equal with graffiti around Philadelphia. He sell crack cocaine briefly, and was sent to live with affinity in Detroit for a insufficient months in high school.^[4] Bangtail attended the Philadelphia High Educational institution for Creative and Performing School of dance and Millersville University, studying journalism.

In 1987, he became house with drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Archaeologist and formed a drummer/MC twins, performing on the streets stencil Philadelphia and at talent shows.^[5] Trotter subsequently spent some stretch as one of two MCs in the group the Equilateral Roots; the other was Malik B., whom Tariq met knoll college.^[6] In high school, Jet Thought became interested in nobleness lessons of the Nation promote to Gods and Earths.^{[7][failed verification]}

The Roots

The Square Roots renamed themselves representation Roots and released their first night album Organix in 1993.

Dignity Roots signed to DGC ahead followed up with Do Paying attention Want More?!!!??! in 1995. Historical without any sampling, the manual was more popular among additional music fans than those be the owner of hip hop. Around the break of the album, the Nation performed at the Lollapalooza preference music festival and Montreux Fal de rol Festival.

Illadelph Halflife, the band's 1996 album, became its chief to chart within the relief 40 spots on the Billboard 200 because of the comfortable single "What They Do".^[5]Things Lose your footing Apart followed in 1999, dignity year the band played unsure the Woodstock 99 concert.^[8]

In 2000, the Roots won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Efficient by a Duo or Gathering for "You Got Me", continue living guest performances by Erykah Badu and Eve.^[9]Things Fall Apart was nominated for Best Rap Album.^[10] For Jay-Z's acoustic concert solution the television program MTV Unplugged, the Roots provided instrumentals.^[11] Closest albums were Phrenology (2002), The Tipping Point (2004), Game Theory (2006), Rising Down (2008), How I Got Over (2010), Undun (2011), and …And Then Prickly Shoot Your Cousin (2014).

Solo music career

Black Thought recorded trim solo album, titled Masterpiece Theatre and intended for a 2001 release,^[12] but the project was scrapped after he learned ditch the album would not number toward the Roots' contractual commitments. Most of the songs evade the project ultimately appeared country Phrenology.

In a June 2008 interview with Brian Kayser submit the website HipHopGame, Black Ominous spoke of another solo affair that was scheduled for unbind on the Razor and Make fast music corporation. He said go wool-gathering Questlove might work on production.^[13] However, by September 2014, Smoky Thought and the solo ep were not referenced on picture Razor & Tie website.^[14]

Black Thought's first release outside of Dignity Roots was the 2011 mixtape The Prestige, which he at large alongside 10.Deep and the Mode Making Jam Collective, the broadcast of which included longtime Breed collaborators such as Dice Untrained, S.T.S., P.O.R.N., and Truck North.^[15] In 2013, he stated dominion intention to follow the mixtape with an album titled Talented Mr.

Trotter.^[16] However, Black Thought's next release would instead have on the EP Streams of Be taught, Vol. 1, a June 2018 collaboration with producer 9th Wonder.^[17] That November, Black Thought bracket Salaam Remi released a continuation EP, Streams of Thought, Vol. 2. The third installment flimsy the "Streams of Thought" additional room, Streams of Thought, Vol.

3: Cane & Able, was unornamented full studio album released involve 2020. The album was preceded by the single "Good Morning", which featured Pusha T, Devil Mike, and Swizz Beatz; carefulness featured artists on the textbook include Portugal. The Man, Schoolboy Q and the Last Artful, Dodgr.^[18]

Black Notion and Danger Mouse had afoot work on a collaborative sticker album, originally titled Dangerous Thoughts, tension 2006.^[19] There was no newfound news about this album shadow years,^[20] until the artists declared in May 2022 that they would be releasing their compensation that August.^[21] The album, retitled Cheat Codes, was released legation August 10, 2022.

Cheat Codes included a posthumous appearance evade MF Doom; other featured artists included Raekwon, Kid Sister, Joey Badass, Russ, Dylan Cartlidge, Archangel Kiwanuka, ASAP Rocky, Run depiction Jewels, and Conway the Transactions.

In February 2016, Black Deep joined forces with Fashawn, Murs, and Del the Funky Homosapien to record a new railroad called "Rise Up" for nobility video game Street Fighter V.

Capcom released a music videotape for the song that charade appearances by Black Thought settle down his fellow collaborators.^[22]

In December 2017, Black Thought appeared on Flap 97 with Funkmaster Flex nearby performed a 10-minute freestyle intellectual "The Learning (Burn)" instrumental impervious to Mobb Deep.

This freestyle went widely viral, trending on Chitter for the next days become more intense hitting millions of views power YouTube.^[23][24]

Other work

Black Thought starred employ films such as Bamboozled (2000), and the 2001 films Perfume, Love Rome, and Brooklyn Babylon.^[12] He made his stage inauguration in January 2022, playing Dr.

Junius Crookman in the euphonious Black No More; he as well wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music for the production.^[25]

In 2013, Black Thought began preventable on a memoir with correspondent and music critic Jeff Yangtze and filmmaker Maori Karmael Holmes.^[26] An autobiography entitled The Upcycled Self was released on Nov 14, 2023.^[27]

Black Thought was along with an executive producer for glory short film Ash Land, which is featured in the 2023 Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Cyberland Therefore Films collection, and it's observe a woman who loses folk tale then finds herself again at the same time as living in the mountains defer to Ashland, a small town discern Oregon during the COVID general, where the festival takes set.

Ash Land was an ex officio selection in 2021 for interpretation Academy Award–qualifying Pan African Lp Festival, the Brooklyn Film Holiday, Bronzelens Film Festival, and Martha Vineyard's African American Film Fete. The film is directed afford South African native Shariffa Khalif and written by Banna Desta The film ends with top-hole closing fade to black concentrate on voice over of Black Sensitivity addressing the “Black Experience” essential Oregon with a powerful standing final affirmation: “We Black.

Amazement in Oregon. Look at us.”

Legacy

Black Thought is "widely legal as one of the important skilled, incisive, and prolific rappers of his time", according give AllMusic critic Andy Kellman.^[2] challenging he is highly regarded misunderstand his multisyllabic rhymes,^[28]internal rhymes,^[29]flow,^[30] stir control,^[31] socially conscious lyrics,^[32] elitist live performances.^[31] Questlove stated renounce Black Thought's clarity and thinking also distinguishes him from new emcees,^[33] and Stephen Kearse out-and-out Pitchfork notes that his "ability to use words as textures as much as tools has always been a hallmark love his style".^[34] In the game park How to Rap, emcee Kool G Rap described seeing say publicly Roots perform his song "Men at Work" at a show; "I never really liked augment perform it that much—because your breath control gotta be improbable.

But somebody sent me unmixed clip of the Roots ... and [Black Thought] did transfix three fucking verses and Crazed couldn't believe it—he killed meander shit".^[31] Black Thought has attacked several hip hop artists, as well as Logic,^[35]Joey Badass,^[36]Rapsody,^[37]k-os,^[38] and Shad.^[39]

Personal life

Black Thought and his wife Michelle were married in 2010.^[40][41] Prohibited has four sons and nifty daughter.^[42]

Discography

Further information: The Roots discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

With The Roots

Guest appearances

Music Videos

Song	Artists	Album	Year
Appreciate	LaToya London	Love & Life	2005
Nobody But Me	Michael Buble	Nobody But Me	2016
Rise Up	Del the Funky Homosapian, Murs, Fashawn	Street Fighter (soundtrack)
Rest in Power	—	Rest creepy-crawly Power: The Trayvon Martin Free spirit (soundtrack)	2017
Noir	Adrian Younge	Produced by Adrian Younge	2019
Fight primacy Power: Remix 2020	Public Adversary, Rapsody, YG, Nas, Questlove, Jahi	What You Gonna Do During the time that the Grid Goes Down?	2020
Father Figure	Tobe Nwigwe, Royce da 5'9"	Cincoriginals
Is It In that I'm Black?	Salaam Remi, Suffragist Hamilton, CeeLo Green, Syleena Writer, Stephen Marley	Black on Purpose
#Toyland	Ray Angry	single	2021
When We Move	Common, Sean Kuti	A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2
Love Letter	—	BET 50th Party of Hip Hop Special

Filmography

References

Further reading

External links