While Black Thought has been praised as one of the best emcees since he debuted as the vocalist for the legendary Roots crew, this new era of solo material being released by the unwavering Philadelphian has brought his lyrical abilities to a new light. After 30 years of fronting The Roots, 2018 saw Thought release his long-awaited solo debut, Streams of Thought Vol. 1, a short demonstration of his songwriting prowess over a collection of beats from 9th Wonder. Streams of Thought would become a three-part series with each installment tapping a new producer for Thought to rely on for the sonic direction of his solo material. 2 years went by after said trilogy came to a close before Thought would find himself sitting shotgun to the prolific Danger Mouse for their highly praised 2022 LP, Cheat Codes. While Thought stepping away from The Roots gave his writing a sense of freedom and allowed the rapper to bask in the shine of his own sun, each album finds him leaning on a different producer with an entirely new approach for Thought to craft his words over.
Two years felt too long for a follow-up, not that Cheat Codes wasn’t worth every second of the build-up. 2023 has Thought turning a new leaf with the release of Glorious Game, his new collaborative LP with the soulful band El Michels Affair providing the arrangements. Over the course of 12 songs, Thought finds a softer delivery while his sharp wit provides just enough of an edge to the lush, minimal production provided by El Michels Affair.
El Michels Affair provided a collection of colorful arrangements that bring Thought back to his early days of fusing jazz and hip-hop with ease. The bones of these instrumentals rely on looped vocal samples and sparse yet hard-hitting melodies that all lean toward a jazzy structure. While Glorious Game sounds nothing like The Roots, this slight return to form seems to have Thought in a space of introspection and nostalgia. Thought’s approach to songwriting on his latest effort is still laced with the well-deserved brags that rear their crown-bearing head within these verses, all while finding time to reflect on current affairs and pay homage to the artist that paved the way for musicians like Thought and El Michels Affair. Their soulful rollercoaster kicks off with “Grateful”, a smooth yet syncopated intro that has the vocalist tipping his hat to the greats of the genre. A song like “I’m Still Somehow” has Thought stepping outside of himself to reflect on the idea that his success is rare and takes a moment to not only appreciate his journey but shed light on those who didn’t make it out of situations similar to his.
By looking backward, Thought sounds more present than ever. His songwriting on Glorious Game feels focused and has the rapper surrendering his pen to these concepts while allowing himself to explore more relaxed flows and tones in his voice. The means by which these lyrics are delivered give them even more purpose as Thought slows things down so the listener can keep up with his mixture of wit and reflection. The pockets that Thought decides to call home have the veteran continuing to expand his selection of flows without sacrificing the tropes that make a Black Thought verse so memorable.
