THE ROOTS’ BLACK THOUGHT RELEASES NEW EP STREAMS OF THOUGHT, VOL. 2 – BLACK THOUGHT X SALAAM REMI PRESENTS TRAXPLOITATION THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF HIS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SERIES COVER ART DESIGNED BY LESLIE HEWITT

THE ROOTS’ BLACK THOUGHT RELEASES NEW EP STREAMS OF THOUGHT, VOL. 2 – BLACK THOUGHT X SALAAM REMI PRESENTS TRAXPLOITATION

 

THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF HIS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SERIES

 

COVER ART DESIGNED BY LESLIE HEWITT
Renowned lead singer and legendary MC for GRAMMY®Award-winning platinum-certified hip-hop luminaries The Roots, Black Thought uncovers his new EP, Streams of Thought, Vol. 2 – Black Thought x Salaam Remi Presents Traxploitation, at all digital retailers today. Get it HERE. It continues the critically acclaimed Streams of Thought series first launched by the artist this past summer.

 

Featuring production from Salaam Remi [Nas, Amy Winehouse], the nine-track collection sees the artist continue to hone his inimitable and impenetrable improvisation. Conjuring the spirit of classic Motown, Remi’s throwback soul sensibility adds another dimension to tracks like “Conception” where Black Thought bobs and weaves between doo-wop corner harmonies and hypnotic horns. The gloves come off, and “Fentanyl” confronts the country’s Opioid crisis head-on with lyrical ruminations like, “overdosing just a marketing scheme,” as a steady beat simmers. “How to Hold A Choppa” paints a thought-provoking portrait of wisdom to share between a father and son. At the center, “Long Liveth” ignites lyrical fireworks that illuminate his ironclad mic mastery as he declares, “I’m a Pulitzer prize fighter how I vaporize writers.” It stands out as a rap master class from the Philadelphia titan.

 

Check out the full tracklisting below.

 

Once again, Black Thought teamed up with a Black American visual artist for the cover in service of a mission to “elevate hip-hop to high art.”This time, he worked with Leslie Hewitt who captured the spirit of the old notebooks, graffiti, and Walkman hip-hop that remain formative to the MC with her artwork.

 

The piece, Riffs On Real Time (Streams of Thought) by Leslie Hewitt© 2018, evokes a timeless hip-hop energy. In her words, it’s “inspired by the lyrical flow of Thought’s rhyme schema, movement, power[ful] arts speak to how collage and juxtaposition visual poetry”with “colors that feel lived in”and “70s carpet, 60s Polaroid, and 80s graffiti tagged book binding.”

 

Earlier this year, Streams of Thought, Vol. 1set the stage for the sequel’s arrival. A tastemaker-approved phenomenon, Pitchfork proclaimed it “a small testament to his sustained excellence”as Rolling Stone, and more offered praise. In addition to bowing in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top Independent Album charts, “9th vs. Thought” and “Twofifteen” both surpassed 1 million Spotify streams each.

 

Streams of Thought, Vol. 2 ushers Black Thought forward as he preps the next installments of his first solo masterpiece, including the upcoming Vol. 3 slated for release soon.

 

Streams Of Thought, Vol. 2– Black Thought X Salaam Remi Presents Traxploitation Track List:
1.    Fentanyl
2.    Soundtrack to Confusion
3.    Get Outlined
4.    History Unfolds
5.    How to Hold a Choppa
6.    The New Grit
7.    Long Liveth
8.    Streets (feat. Tish Hyman)
9.    Conception (feat. Reek Ruffin)

 

Black Thought—born Tariq Trotter—co-founded legendary Philadelphia hip-hop collective The Roots alongside Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Since their formation in 1987, the group has achieved three GRAMMY®Awards, sold millions of records, and indelibly impacted the mainstream by way of its longstanding position as the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonand successful festival Roots Picnic. An accomplished actor, he emerged as an unforgettable presence on screen in the critically acclaimed Get On Up, HBO’s The Deuce, and more. He has also made countless cameo appearances for everyone from Linkin Park, Damian Marley, and Fall Out Boy to Common, Ghostface Killah, Logic, and more. 2017 saw him set the internet ablaze with a widely touted viral 10-minute free-style on Mobb Deep’s “Burn” instrumental, which quickly generated millions of views. Now,Black Thoughtkicks off a new chapter on Streams of Thought.

 

Follow Black Thought