- It was just late last year when a video of Black Thought’s Hot 97 freestyle began circulating the web. In case you missed it, the clip features Thought relentlessly rhyming for over ten minutes straight. His flow is ever changing, each line deftly woven into a complex character portrait that’s equal parts braggadocio and street knowledge. It’s jaw dropping, but the real entertainment comes from watching host Funkmaster Flex look on in awe, his face growing increasingly contorted as the bars keep on coming. After twenty-five years voicing The Roots, it was like the world suddenly woke up to Thought’s legacy.
That’s what listening to Streams of Thought is like, you’re strapped to a chair while he paces back and forth, delivering passionate, verbose sermons on all manner of topics. It’s an apt title for his solo debut, given Tariq Trotter’s penchant for evolving rhyme patterns and dense lyricism. Producer extraordinaire 9th Wonder assists on all five tracks, providing a sample-heavy and soulful backdrop to the poetry.
Along with Pusha T’s recent Daytona, I’m loving this trend of established rappers who still sound like they have something to prove. Black Thought could easily rest on his multiple classic albums with The Roots, but instead he sounds as hungry as ever at nearly fifty years of age. With a project this short there’s no room for error, and luckily every verse Thought spits is expertly calculated.
His consistency is such that the only low points here are features. Styles P’s appearance on Making a Murderer sounds awkwardly amateurish, while vocalist KIRBY’s sung hook on Thank You fails to outshine the D’Angelo sample which backs it. Luckily, up-and-comer Rapsody proves herself on Dostoyevsky, bringing a remarkably immediate set of referential bars that go toe to toe with Thought’s.
Streams of Thought is a concise and powerful statement from an artist who -whether he wants to sound like it or not- has nothing to prove. Tariq’s performances are filled with depth and nuance, but come off completely effortless thanks to his control and skill. I only wish that Thought would really commit himself to a single topic, as he jumps around so impressively that the production is forced to take a backseat. However, this release is only titled Volume 1, and if twenty-five years of quality are anything to go by, I can’t wait to see what else is in store.
- Boddhi Farmer.