Born on this date in 1971 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Tariq Luqmaan Trotter, Black Thought, the lead emcee of the legendary Hip Hop band The Roots, has created his key to success with simply one word; longevity.
Thought has always been regarded as one of the most lyrical post-Golden Era emcees, yet received very little recognition for his prowess outside of his work with the entire Roots band, that is now a staple of ‘The Tonight Show’. This summer’s Streams Of Thought: Vol. 1 just further proves his “staying power” in any circles where rhymes being spit.
Growing up in a Nation Of Islam household, Trotter’s family life was very cultured, which led him to seek knowledge among the Five Percent Nation in his high school days. There is where he met The Roots’ co-founder Amhir Thompson, where they originally named the group The Square Roots.
Throughout the two-decade span of his illustrious career since the Roots debut in 1993, Thought has managed to earn a Grammy win, appear in two blockbuster films(Bamboozled, Brooklyn Babylon) and appeared on several groundbreaking albums.
On this day, The Source Magazine would like to salute Mr. Trotter on his Birthday wishing him an enjoyable day and many more to come!
