The Black Thought Albums Ranked
Black Thought is one of the greatest rappers of all time. As the lead MC of The Roots, not so coincidentally one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time, Tariq Trotter has developed a flow that is often unrivaled in its fluidity, lyricism, and power. Backed by the band, Black Thought has brought his style to incredible instrumentation, and only in the past few years, he has done the same in a “solo” capacity. The “solo” is in quotes because, of the three albums he has released under his own name in the nearly three years since 2020, two of them are co-credited to other artists. But the fact remains that these records, in addition to three great EPs (STREAMS OF THOUGHT, VOL. 1 [2018], STREAMS OF THOUGHT, VOL. 2 [2018], and AFRICAN DREAMS [with Seun Kuti, 2022]), represent a career apart from The Roots. And it’s a good, albeit belated, one.
#3 — STREAMS OF THOUGHT, VOL. 3: CANE & ABLE (2020)
Favorite track: “Nature of the Beast”
The Roots released their first album, ORGANIX, in 1993, 27 years before Black Thought’s debut solo album. As you may be able to glean from its title, STREAMS OF THOUGHT, VOL. 3: CANE & ABLE was not the total first effort from Black Thought under his own name, as the two previous volumes were released as EPs two year prior. And indeed, various other projects had been reported for decades before the release of STREAMS OF THOUGHT, VOL. 3. But with fully committing to a full-fledged solo release, Black Thought leveraged decades of experience into an incredible “debut.” STREAMS OF THOUGHT, VOL. 3, as produced by Sean C, is a work of eclectic instrumentation and sounds, anchored by Black Thought’s always salient insights and distinctive voice. One of the most impressive aspects of STREAMS OF THOGUHT is how the rapper modulates his voice in a way he hasn’t often done before, as on “Nature of the Beast.” This song, which features The Last Artful, Dodgr as well as Portugal. The Man, illustrates Black Thought’s deep artistry and array of influences, both lyrical and musical. It’s the standout track that stands in for the thesis of STREAMS OF THOUGHT, a great hip hop record that is somehow technically the “worst” album Black Thought has put out in just the past three years.
#2 — CHEAT CODES (2022)
Favorite track: “No Gold Teeth”
Talk of a Danger Mouse/Black Thought album had circulated for more than a decade before CHEAT CODES was released. The wait was worth it, as the duo, as they are wont to do, totally put contemporary releases to shame. CHEAT CODES is not only thoughtful (sorry, the one time I’ll use that word in this way in this piece), but it’s also incredibly vibrant and politically powerful. I mean, Barack Obama himself put “Belize,” one of the album’s tracks, on his favorite songs of 2022 list! The sound of CHEAT CODES is more radical than what this endorsement might imply, however. It enters solid grooves as much as it soars into wild, dark experimentation, all while Black Thought anchors it as MC. CHEAT CODES presents an incredibly layered and deep soundscape (go figure, if Danger Mouse is involved) for which the rapper to showcase his trademark flow.
#1 — GLORIOUS GAME (2023)
Favorite track: “Protocol”
Who knows how strong recency bias is in this case, but regardless of how I relatively feel in a few years, there is no denying that Black Thought’s collaboration with El Michels Affair, a brilliantly introspective soul exploration, is one of the great hip hop records of the decade so far. Backed by a band that gives him space like his famed collaborators did, Black Thought fronts a cosmic realignment of a record. What I mean is that GLORIOUS GAME is so rich and expresses the varied emotions of an elder statesman so effectively that I was bowled over. Rarely does a collaboration between a live band and MC mesh so brilliantly in my view; one or the other is in danger of being overwhelmed. But Black Thought and El Michels Affair came together to make an incredibly potent mix of soul and hip hop, telling a life story with wit, potency, and game-changing flow that befits the guy I earlier called one of the greatest rappers of all time. GLORIOUS GAME is a must-listen for anyone that likes music and its excellence makes me so excited for what Black Thought puts out under his own name in the future.
