Black Thought offers his creative critique of America with his latest album, Streams of Thought Vol. 3: Cane & Abel.
For this project, Black Thought sheds the fun-loving image that accompanies nightly appearances on Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show. To do this, he taps Schoolboy Q, Killer Mike, Pusha-T, and others to help him prove why he's well-respected among hip-hop's top lyricists.
Streams of Thought Vol. 3: Cane & Abel attacks subject matter that led him to co-create The Roots nearly 30 years ago and is still relevant today. Black Thought uses his lyrics to cleverly address the plight Black Americans are facing while still being direct so that his message isn't lost in translation.
Although the work is indicative of the moment, Black Thought explains to Variety that the current Black Lives Matter movement didn't inspire the tracks.
"This collection is on par with previous volumes and later volumes of 'Streams of Thought' as to what I talk about, what I speak to… I cover a broad range of subject matter, but it’s always coming from the same place. It’s reflective of the moment, but not solely in the moment," Black Thought said before stating that the goal is to make music that isn't impacted by time.
"It might sound ambitious to want to create a timeless classic, but that is always in my muscle memory, a challenge I rise to with different producers every time out," he continued. "Some of this stuff was recorded before March and since that time become more timely."
Streams of Thought Vol. 3: Cane & Abel was slated to release on July 31 but was hit with several delays. Still, this didn't stop Black Thought from dropping the single, "Good Morning."
Listen to Black Thought's new album, Streams of Thought Vol. 3: Cane & Abel, below.
