Rejoice, lyrical, boom bap rap is still alive. It seems that as long as Tariq Trotter, better known as Black Thought of the Legendary Roots Crew, is breathing, rap skills will always be a priority. It has to be with spitters like Thought coming through every now and again, delivering substantively masterful bars.
Black Thought and 9th Wonder picked a perfect day to drop their anticipated EP, Streams of Thought, Vol. 1. It’s the first day of June, which is Black Music Month and both of these men have made their marks on Black music throughout the years and only added to hip-hip culture. Though it’s not the full-length album that hip-hop purists (like me) wanted from the dynamic duo, the project is truly soul food for us. With 9th Wonder and the Soul Council putting their prowess-laden touch on the EP’s production, Thought handles the heavy lifting with the one-of-a-kind lyricism he is known for, with cameo appearances from rising femcee Rapsody and fellow hip-hop legend Styles P. (who appears on “Making A Murderer,” a track that dropped in 2016). Singer KIRBY joins Thought on the triumphant-yet-grateful final track, “Thank You.” It is interesting, considering now we can hear Thought on beats other than the live instrument arrangements of the Roots.
Adding to the sonic artistry of Thought and 9th Wonder, for the cover art, a true piece of art was selected. It is a visual work titled “Untitled Anxious Audience” by artist Rashid Johnson.
With a title like Streams of Thought, Vol. 1, it is implied that there will be more Thought to stream in the future. Give the project a listen below. Grab a copy for yourself here. For true fans/supporters, Thought has released a limited edition merchandise line to coincide with the EP release, which can be found at streamsofthought.com.