The Underrated: Black Thought

For years now, I’ve always been memorized by the sheer lyrical abilities of Roots member Black Thought. I know many emcees consider him to be at the top of the list when it comes to G.O.A.T. but the rest of the world needs to recognize. I remember hearing stories from ?uestlove on Peter Rosenberg’s installment of Noizemakers, where he talks about how Big Pun bowed down on his knees the first time he met Black Thought. For me, that speaks volumes, lots of volumes.

Their collaboration on Pun’s debut Capitol Punishment really planted the seed in the my mind that Black Thought might be the most underrated lyricist of his generation. Forget Nas, Jay-Z and whoever else you think deserves the crown. Black Thought, with his effortless ability to mix up complex rhyme patterns and wordplay, easily smokes 99% of your favorite emcees. I could go on and on but here are a few youtube videos that prove my point. Aside from Eminem, I think Black Thought wins in any lyrical category.

The Roots “Clones”

Big Pun f/Black Thought “Super Lyrical”