Deep Thought

The Roots’ Black Thought offers constructive criticism for Philly’s next movement.

by Hamida Kinge

The Roots’ recent Grammy award was bigger than just The Roots. It was a triumph in the band’s 10-year struggle for artistic integrity, a victory for true music everywhere. Fuck it — it was a win for Philly hip-hop. And though lead MC Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter says that he "was never really into the whole award scene… the last award show that was really exciting to me was Motown 25," he knows the weight of this win. "I feel like that was an award for real hip-hop music, y’a mean. It was just recognition for the real." Even with five albums, several guest appearances and now a Grammy under their belt, they seem to be doing everything but sitting pretty. Drummer Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson is currently on tour with D’Angelo. The whole group will cameo in Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, as well as Marc Levin’s Brooklyn Babylon — a love story about a black man and Jewish woman. Both movies are set for release this summer. Don’t call it a comeback — they been here for years. I recently got a chance to play tracks by some local artists for Tariq, the epitome of verbal agility, and record Black Thought’s thoughts.

Chief Kamachi featuring A.G. "The Meaning" (Ready Rock Records)

DJ Revolution (from L.A.’s syndicated radio program The Wake-Up Show) did the beats. Kamachi has worked with Bahamadia, Rahsheed and R&B artist Joe. DJ Jazzy Jeff will be mixing his upcoming single "The Girl Song."

Tariq: The way they did the chorus, with all of the cutting in — that’s how [DJ] Premier does all his joints. So it’s a Premier-y chorus. The beat, the beat is aight. [A.G.] was a little — I feel like he was over-enunciating. You kn’aw mean.… Like, if he would’ve downplayed it, it probably would’ve came off more. Kamachi… really shined on that track. I like Andre the Giant [A.G.], but… [he] wasn’t really even kicking much and then Kamach came in and he was just spilling mad shit using all these different euphemisms and metaphors. But he wasn’t over-pronouncing it so he came off iller. He came off like a veteran….

The Mountain Brothers "Fluids," from their debut LP Self: Volume 1 (Pimpstrut)

"Fluids," by this live hip-hop trio, has an uncomplicated, agreeable horn loop. It’s headbob — rather than dance — tempo.

Tariq: It like [appeals to] a certain [less-refined] demographic.… The track is aight. The Mountain Brothers — they aight on there. But, I’m a wordsmith, so it’s all in the way you present it. It’s all in how you say the words that you use.

Hezekiah featuring Richard Raw and Miss Saigon "The Ultra Shit" (Unique Soul Records)

These three artists are out of Delaware. Miss Saigon rhymes her verse completely in French and sings the chorus en Francais as well. Hezekiah is also part of B-Boy Jetson, which is currently recording a self-titled debut.

Tariq: That joint was aight. I liked Miss Saigon on there — a lot. Hezekiah was hot, too. Whoever did that last verse, with the bunny slippers. Yeah, that shit was aight. That shit was hot. The beat is on some Jay Dee influence.

[B.B.R.] "Let Me Be" (Arrakis Records)

This song is off their Project Echelon album. The track begins with instrumentals (bass, keys and drum cymbals) then leads into Tim-T and P.C.P. rhyming over a frequently used hip-hop beat.

Tariq: Dude needs to work on his flow, and on his voice. He needs to work on his skills, y’ I’m saying. Practice.

Militant Mindstate "Get Over It" (Illadelph Records)

Performing on this track — from the album One Way scheduled for release this month — are Jared and Spread Love of Militant Mindstate. Other artists featured on the album include Munk Wit Da Funk, Chops of the Mountain Brothers and Rahsheed.

Tariq: It’s a heavy [Tuff Crew influence]. It takes me back to the Tuff Crew days. Y’a mean. [19]88. It’s a modern-day ’88. The chorus, the way it [repeats "get over it"] over and over again and their intonation, I think it was cool. I liked it. The chorus is a little bit iffy, but that’s just the ’88-ness of it.

LM Mental "Adliberation"

The track begins with Ad Lib — who got his name for his freestyling ability — voice-scratching. With his nasality, Ad Lib flaunts crafty wordplay over a DJ Man E-produced beat (who also Web-mastered their site lmmental.com).

Tariq: He sounds like Eminem, like sober. Eminem meets Tre from the Pharcyde.

Last Emperor "Secret Wars" (Interscope)

The track is from the Celebrity Deathmatch soundtrack and is produced by Prince Paul and Set Free. It begins with a rapid, pummeling beat, then slows a bit into freshly styled keys.

Tariq: Murder! The beat — the beat is phat. The rhyme is phat, it’s original. Y’ I’m saying. He doin’ the ill [impersonations]. But there’s no chorus. It’s just all [rhyming] all the way through it, and it makes it seem longer than it really is. Had he broken it up, maybe into two verses — at least two, maybe three. It’s hot though. I like it.