It’s been six long years since the Roots released their last album, …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin. Since then, there’s been plenty of talk of a new collection, and they’ve been plenty busy as the house band for Jimmy Fallon. But along the way, Black Thought started released solo work, too. Back in 2018, he started dropping EPs as part of a series, Streams Of Thought. Earlier this week, he shared the very good news that the series would soon continue with its third installment, subtitled Cane And Abel, and today he’s shared a new single called “Thought Vs. Everybody.”
Black Thought had previously hinted at the existence of the third EP a couple months ago, during a Tiny Desk performance in which he debuted a couple new tracks and gave some details about what was to come. Like his collabs with 9th Wonder for Streams Of Thought Vol. 1 and with Salaam Remi for Vol. 2, Black Thought teamed up with one producer for the entirety of Vol. 3. This time, Sean C oversaw the whole EP, but it’s not just Thought and Sean C on this thing — it has a pretty crazy array of guests. Portugal. The Man, who had been involved in that livestream, appear on not one but two tracks. Schoolboy Q shows up on another one. Perhaps most intriguingly, there’s a song where Black Thought raps alongside Pusha T and Killer Mike.
But in the meantime, we have “Thought Vs. Everybody” — which, perhaps fittingly given its title, is just a pure showcase for Black Thought’s unstoppable ability. It’s one of the songs he’d debuted in that livestream, and it was already a fiery, deeply impressive thing. Now we get to hear the proper recording, which features Black Thought going in over a tight, funky beat. Perhaps this comes as no surprise, but it’s looking like Vol. 3 is definitely something to get excited about. Check it out below.
TRACKLIST:
01 “I’m Not Crazy (First Contact)”
02 “State Prisoner”
03 “Good Morning” (Feat. Swizz Beatz, Pusha T, and Killer Mike)
04 “Magnificent”
05 “Experience (Interlude)”
06 “Quiet Trip” (Feat. Portugal The Man And The Last Artful, Dodgr)
07 “Nature Of The Beast” (Feat. Portugal The Man And The Last Artful, Dodgr)
08 “We Should Be Good” (Feat. CS Armstrong)
09 “Steak Um” (Feat. Schoolboy Q)
10 “Thought Vs. Everybody”
11 “Ghetto Boyz & Girls” (Feat. CS Armstrong)
12 “Fuel” (Feat. Portugal The Man And The Last Artful, Dodgr)
13 “I’m Not Crazy (Outro)”
Streams Of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane And Abel is out 7/31.
