Just last week, head lyricist of class act hip-hop band The Roots Black Thought verified the coming of his first official solo project titled, Streams of Thought Vol. 1. On the production tip, 9th Wonder and The Soul Council are in control which is a pretty sound match due to their history honing the melodies behind sharp emcees in the likes of Talib Kweli, Nas, and Rapsody.
6.1.18 pic.twitter.com/jXZdYJPPif
— Black Thought (@blackthought) May 25, 2018
Set for release tomorrow (Jun. 1), the project will feature just 5 tracks, with three of them owning three potent features including Rapsody, Styles P, and KIRBY.
The dynamic artwork for the project was revealed yesterday (May 30) by Thought via Twitter, which was curated by visual artist Rashid Johnson. The cover features a fixture of what appears to be the face of a black figure posing several different facial expressions. According to Thought, the works of Johnson birth a rhythm that only those who own a soul for vision can detect. His ultimate goal with Streams of Thought Vol. 1‘s art was to embrace the best in the world of black artistry by creatives who have the same vision as him. “For the Streams of Thought project I wanted the best artwork, especially from other Black artists with similar reference points,” tweets Black Thought.
For the Streams of Thought project I wanted the best artwork, especially from other Black artists with similar reference points.
— Black Thought (@blackthought) May 30, 2018
Streams of Thought Vol. 1 will drop right at the onset of midnight. Black Thought is one of those emcees who is heralded for their lyrical supremacy, are heads of class act collectives, yet have not delivered a sound solo gem. Well, he did give the masses The Live Mixtape three years ago with J. Period where he secured a bundle of hip-hop community favorites. Also, let’s not forget about what he did last December on Funkmaster Flex‘s Hot 97 slot which was an exhibit of what the crystal clear sophisticated emcee sounds like. There is no denying that Black Thought is undisputed as one of the greatest emcees of all time whose superior skill set is unmatched.
Stay on top of the coming of Black Thought’s Streams of Thought Vol. 1 over at the official website, here.
Streams of Thought Vol.1 cover art by visual artist Rashid Johnson.
6/1 pic.twitter.com/07aW4Hw3oD
— Black Thought (@blackthought) May 30, 2018
Rashid’s piece is titled “Untitled Anxious Audience”.
— Black Thought (@blackthought) May 30, 2018
I’ve always been inspired by visual art. I was a visual artist when I was younger and did every type of medium. Self expression before music
— Black Thought (@blackthought) May 30, 2018
Rashid and I explore memory, him through material. African soap and wax, both familiar to his childhood. Follow his markings and you can…
— Black Thought (@blackthought) May 30, 2018
…notice an internal rhythm. This painting also looks at individual and collective angst.
more to come. Midnight 6/1
— Black Thought (@blackthought) May 30, 2018
