Black Thought

Released: November 26, 2018

Songwriter: Salaam Remi Black Thought

Producer: Salaam Remi

[Intro]
Uh, yo

[Verse 1]
Greetings and salutations, I'm runnin' outta patience
So everything in moderation, even moderation
Check every single allegation for re-calibration
Call that the big pay back, it's debt consolidation
The credit fell, what the hell, too much béchamel
Well, F-M-L, they desecrated the decibel
Go check the mail then let me know if it's heads or tails
My ears burn like desert trails and Jezebels
Uh, somebody must be talkin' 'bout me
For carryin' a big stick and walkin' loudly
Articles in the Times and the New Yorker 'bout me
My killer instinct is like Orchid, probably
I'm a Pulitzer Prize Fighter how I vaporize writers
Shut 'em down at one time, synchronize silence
Make the audience forget you, call it Alzheimer's
Child rhymers don't come at the old timers
Whether your fan base is lil' mommas or Obamas
How you claim to have somethin' in check with no commas?
You and Mary got the same request, it's No Drama
I'm the pinnacle of language, yes, the Dalai Lama
Who the clown talkin' down to the twenty-one pound?
I gotta send him some rounds to simmer him down
'Cause you're not worthy to even touch the hem of the gown
The brim of the crown, motherfucker, remember the sound
It's like

[Break]
Hey, yo
Yo

[Verse 2]
Since the second grade I been gainfully employed
Hustlin' for change everyday from three to four
When other kids was into playin' games and bein' bored
Goin' against the grain's what I painfully enjoyed
When they was into race cars, trains, TV and toys
I was thinkin' fat gold chains and freakazoids
Fillin' the deeper void, listenin' to that Indecent Noise
People used to tell me, "Boy, your brain gon' be destroyed"
Left hand to the law, right hand to Allah
Both hands to applaud who brought sand to the shore
Confessin' all your sins to the dope man through a door
I seen a preacher man sniffin' cocaine through a straw
We almost had it all, just one more cannon ball
And two more Geritol with one more Adderall
I got the game sewn like the tailor of Panama
Now I go by the name of an untamed animal
Wonderin' how I can evolve to prestigious and less vicious
A more visceral individual, best wishes
Just on principle, I been answerin' death wishes
What the Lord giveth is a king, long liveth

Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter is the co-founder and MC of the legendary Philadelphia-based hip-hop group The Roots.

Thought is highly renowned in the Hip-Hop community for his socially aware, informed, and character-driven rap style. He is considered by many, a lyrical killer and legend that falls in the same category as Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, members of the Wu-Tang Clan and even Nas.

He also is a member and founder of supergroup Money Making Jam Boys, consisting of Black, and other Roots collaborators Sugar-Tongue-Slim (STS), Greg Porn, Truck North, and Dice Raw. STS can be heard on “Right On” while the other three are widely and largely on Undun.

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Streams of Thought Vol. 2

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Streams of Thought Vol. 2 (2018)

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