Black Thought facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Black Thought
Black Thought performing in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Tariq Luqmaan Trotter
Also known as	Tarik Collins Reek Ruffin Riq Geez The Bad Lieutenant Hawk Smooth
Born	(1973-10-03) October 3, 1973 (age 51) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day
Genres	East Coast hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter actor author
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Okayplayer Def Jam Republic Geffen

Tariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973), known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is the main MC of the hip hop group The Roots. He started this group with drummer Questlove in Philadelphia. Many people think he is one of the most talented and active rappers of his time. He is praised for his amazing live shows and clever lyrics. Black Thought and The Roots are the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. They often play games with Jimmy Fallon and his guests.

Early Life and Starting Music

Black Thought was born Tariq Luqmaan Trotter. His parents were Thomas and Cassandra Trotter. He faced tough times early in life. He became friends with drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in 1987. They formed a duo and performed on the streets of Philadelphia. They also played at talent shows.

How Black Thought Started Rapping

Tariq went to the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. He also studied journalism at Millersville University. In high school, he became very interested in the lessons of the Nation of Gods and Earths. He later joined a group called the Square Roots. He was one of two MCs in this group. The other MC was Malik B., whom Tariq met in college.

The Roots: A Journey in Music

The Square Roots later changed their name to The Roots. They released their first album, Organix, in 1993. The Roots then signed with DGC Records. They released Do You Want More?!!!??! in 1995. This album was made without any sampling. It became popular with fans of alternative music. The Roots performed at big festivals like Lollapalooza and Montreux Jazz Festival.

The Roots' Success and Awards

Their 1996 album, Illadelph Halflife, was their first to reach the top 40 on the Billboard 200 chart. This was thanks to their hit song "What They Do". In 1999, they released Things Fall Apart. That same year, the band played at the Woodstock 99 concert.

In 2000, The Roots won a Grammy Award. They won for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. This was for their song "You Got Me". It featured Erykah Badu and Eve. The Roots also played instruments for Jay-Z's acoustic concert. This concert was for the TV show MTV Unplugged. The band has released many other albums. These include Phrenology (2002) and The Tipping Point (2004). Other albums are Game Theory (2006), Rising Down (2008), How I Got Over (2010), Undun (2011), and …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014).

Black Thought's Solo Music

Black Thought has also worked on his own music. He planned a solo album called Masterpiece Theatre for 2001. However, he decided not to release it. Most of those songs ended up on The Roots' album Phrenology.

New Solo Projects

In 2011, Black Thought released a mixtape called The Prestige. He worked with 10.Deep and the Money Making Jam Collective on this. In 2013, he said he wanted to release an album called Talented Mr. Trotter.

His next solo releases were EPs (Extended Plays). He released Streams of Thought, Vol. 1 in June 2018. This was a team-up with producer 9th Wonder. In November of that year, he and Salaam Remi released Streams of Thought, Vol. 2. The third part, Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able, came out in 2020. This was a full studio album. It included songs with artists like Pusha T, Killer Mike, and Swizz Beatz.

Collaborations and Video Games

Black Thought also worked with Danger Mouse. They started working on an album in 2006. It was finally released in August 2022. The album was called Cheat Codes.

In February 2016, Black Thought joined other rappers for a song called "Rise Up". This song was for the video game Street Fighter V. The game company, Capcom, released a music video for the song. It featured Black Thought and his friends.

In December 2017, Black Thought did a 10-minute freestyle rap on HOT 97 radio. This performance became very popular online. It was watched millions of times on YouTube.

Other Creative Work

Black Thought has also acted in movies. Some of his films include Bamboozled (2000) and Perfume (2001). He also acted in Love Rome and Brooklyn Babylon in 2001.

Stage and Writing

In January 2022, he performed on stage for the first time. He played Dr. Junius Crookman in the musical Black No More. He also wrote the lyrics and helped write the music for the show.

In 2013, Black Thought started writing a book about his life. It was called The Upcycled Self and came out on November 14, 2023.

Black Thought also helped produce a short film called Ash Land. This film was part of the 2023 Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It is about a woman finding herself again during the COVID pandemic. The film was recognized at several film festivals.

Black Thought's Impact on Music

Many people see Black Thought as one of the most skilled rappers of his time. Music critic Andy Kellman from AllMusic said this about him. Henry Adaso from About.com called him a "surgeon of emceeing". He is highly respected for his clever rhymes and strong flow. People also admire his breath control and lyrics that make you think.

Questlove said that Black Thought's clear and logical style makes him stand out. Stephen Kearse of Pitchfork noted his ability to use words like textures. This is a key part of his unique style.

Personal Life

Black Thought married his wife Michelle in 2010. He has four sons and one daughter.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

With The Roots

• Organix (1993)
• Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995)
• Illadelph Halflife (1996)
• Things Fall Apart (1999)
• Phrenology (2002)
• The Tipping Point (2004)
• Game Theory (2006)
• Rising Down (2008)
• How I Got Over (2010)
• Undun (2011)
• ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014)

Guest appearances

Music Videos

Filmography

• Bamboozled (2000)
• Brooklyn Babylon (2001)
• Perfume (2001)
• Brown Sugar (2002)
• Love Rome (2004)
• Explicit IIIs (2008)
• Night Catches Us (2010)
• On the Inside (2011)
• Yelling to the Sky (2011)
• Get On Up (2014)
• Stealing Cars (2015)
• The Deuce (2017)
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2018)
• Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma (2021)
• Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021)

Images for kids

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  Black Thought with The Roots in Hamburg, Germany, in 1999

See also

In Spanish: Black Thought para niños