Black Thought of The Roots: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.
April 8, 2020 | Abby O’Neill — While our culture adjusts to the New Normal, artists are revealing the threads of our common humanity as they find new ways to bring their work to virtual communities. In this installment of Tiny Desk (home) Concerts, hip-hop wordsmith Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought of The Roots crew, took the occasion to premiere three new songs.
On “Thought Vs. Everybody,” Thought calls for unity in response to the conditions of an encroaching dystopia. Next up is “Yellow,” a song from his upcoming off-Broadway musical Black No More, an adaption of the 1931 Afrofuturist novel by George S. Schuyler, set during the Harlem Renaissance. The track is co-written with Anthony Tidd. He closes with “Nature of the Beast,” a cross-genre collaboration with alternative music sweethearts Portugal. The Man, who pop up on screen from a remote location. “Thought Vs. Everybody” and “Nature of the Beast” are produced by Sean C and will appear on Streams of Thought Vol. 3, which will be released as an EP.
SET LIST
Thought Vs. Everybody
Yellow
Nature of the Beast feat. Portugal. The Man
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Tiny Desk Concerts – and all that NPR offers you free of charge – are only possible through donations from our community. If you value what we're doing during these unprecedented times, you can keep the Tiny Desk going by acting now. Donate to your local NPR station at n.pr/support-the-tiny-desk
the G.O.A.T. Rakim would be so proud
Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, and Black Thought… Those are the best to ever do it, the truest art of Hip Hop.
Amazing MC and Writer WE should Really Appreciate Him !!
A Master with a Pen/Microphone !!
The lyric mystic of our time….made me feel as a kid I could rap to the universe if I hold a mic….live and direct
is he freestylin….no script …. u oh
Hopefully the music is released after the musical has run it's course
The play was phenomenal for the record.
Black thought vs Papoose
Don't talk like they do. do you
Black thought rapping like a boss!
My God
BLACK THOUGHT IS A LITERAL ALIEN!!! DUDE HAS BARS STORED FOR DAYS!!
you should make a masterclass for all these days rappers
Most powerful black man
How can thumbs down this ????????
I had no idea they made a musical out of Black No More! I love that book.
BT is a master.
THIS IS HIP HOP
Yes
In a class of his own…. A true lyricist legend.
13:45
God like. One of a kind
the best MC in America today