TIME STAMPS: 2:24 — Black Thought gives his take on why Talib’s recorded verse for The Roots’ ‘Double Trouble’ didn’t make it to the official release and speaks on when he was first introduced to Yasiin Bey and the time Mos held up that studio session when he never returned from leaving to grab a fish sandwich. They go on to discuss Thought’s evolution in the arts, bringing his skill set into the acting world and writing the musical titled, ‘Black No More.’ 8:06 — Thought and Talib discuss the impact of The Roots and how they have been the springboard for the creation of so many other influential collectives going forward. They get into the crew’s challenges in being fully recognized as emcees when they entered the early 90’s scene as a live hip hop band from Philly. They also talk about The Roots getting a street named after them and Thought gets personal as he shares how he managed to cope with losing his mother and father at such an early age. 13:25 — Thought breaks down the origin of his rap name, how it was inspired by visual art, and how much he was focused on finding a name that could have layers, would stand the test of time, and not be linked to any of the current trends. They also take it back to Thought’s first rap name Hawk Smooth as he explains how it was inspired by a select verse from Big Daddy Kane’s early hit, ‘Set It Off.’ 17:45 — Talib brings up the lineage of emcees that Black Thought belongs to, with his rhyme style forefathers being pioneers like Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, and Kool G Rap. Thought expresses the honor of being viewed as one of the torch bearers for keeping the soul of hip hop alive. They also talk about the love and respect that Big Pun had for Black Thought, the legacy of Shawn C and LV, as well as Questlove and his being “the gatekeeper of all-things musical.” 24:21 — Talib brings up his memories of being plugged into The Roots’ early records like ‘Organix’ and tells why his roommate threw out his ‘Do You Want More?!!!??!’ album during an argument. They go on to discuss the mixed reactions of The Roots’ song, ‘What They Do,’ who many including Biggie took as a direct diss to them and anyone who was dominating the airwaves at the time. Black Thought speaks on the true intention of the song and video, if he has any regrets, and his take on today’s Drill Music. 30:36 — Thought and Talib discuss the legacy of ‘Things Fall Apart’ to Root’s hometown of Philadelphia, introducing the world to Jill Scott, Beanie Seigal, and Eve. Talib shares how ‘The Love Of My Life’ was the first song to bring him to tears. They dig into the origins of inspiration for it and the challenges of writing a song like that one. They also discuss the lasting legacy of Malik B as Thought breaks down his genius and how many he unknowingly influenced over the years. 37:31 — Talib brings up the day Funkmaster Flex called and apologized for not being fully tuned into the greatness of Black Thought’s pen game. They go on to discuss how Black Thought finally made it hot Hot 97 studios and dropped a freestyle that would be considered by many as the greatest of all time as well as have Thought being fully recognized in a G.O.A.T. emcee conversation. They also discuss how he took full advantage of the moment by following it up with his first solo album. 42:26 — The Roots’ original bassist Leonard Hubbard, better known as Hub gets a shoutout as they discuss his legacy to the crew and how him being the elder of the group and already being established in Philly gave the crew a level of professionalism they needed to be taken seriously when they hit the scene. They also dig into Thought’s move to embrace sobriety and how that’s helped his process. 47:34 — Thought and Talib talk about The Roots’ move from touring year-round to taking the gig as house band for, ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,’ and how fans were wondering what that meant for the future of their favorite hip hop act. Thought explains the freedom it afforded the group and how it created a more conductive space for creating and perfecting their craft. They also discuss the vital role that original Roots manager Rich Nichols played as the early visionary for the group.
Speak On It!