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On Streams Of Thought: Vol 1, the debut solo release from the the self-described elder statesman, Black Thought chronicles his life. Produced by 9th Wonder and The Soul Council, the five-track EP is out now, and is the first in what he says will be a regular series of projects.
"I feel like I've been around for such a long time, as a writer and as an artist, that I need to sort of speak to the way that my perception of the world has sort of changed," the rapper tells NPR's Audie Cornish. "The Roots, we signed our first record deal when I was about 19 years old, so I'm a very different person than I was then."
Always the higher thinker, Black Thought is just as likely to name-check Dostoyevsky as he is his hometown of Philly in his work. That's evident on songs like "Twofifteen" and "Thank You," as he touches on topics ranging from ghostwriting to a tough childhood. According to the rapper, fans will hear a sense of vulnerability in his rhymes that they've never heard before.
"I think the true artist — musician, dancer, writer, actor — a true artist is able to sort of articulate pain and tragedy, in a way that sort of expresses what the listener or the beholder may have been feeling but was less able to communicate."
Black Thought's Streams Of Thought: Vol 1 is available now. Listen to the full interview at the audio link.