"Glorious Game," released in April by El Michels Affair & Black Thought, is "a fusion of impossibly sharp lyricism and languid Jazz." Eleven tracks (with a title track reprise) featuring guests KIRBY, Son Little, and Brainstory, Black Thought reminds us that longevity without innovation is stagnation. There is nothing inert, moribund, or motionless in this album. In fact, this post moves like the music, shifting through jazz, phat beats, and alliterative storytelling to conclude with this happy surprise. As reported by All Hip Hop, Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) and Black Thought collaborate on Streams of Thought Vol. 4, an upcoming project produced by 14KT.
Black Thought has been sitting on this track for a minute. "It's a timeless classic," Black Thought said. "It's been in my vault for a couple years already. It could come out at any point in time, and it'll still represent a seismic shift in the game just because of how powerful it is and what it speaks to."
Working with 14KT was a new experience for Black Thought, "I didn't meet KT at Jeff's crib, but James Poyser did. James is a member of The Roots and an original member of Jazzy Jeff's camp. He's like, 'Yo, I met this dude. He's a brilliant producer. He said he's a huge fan. He has this one beat he wants to play for you' … We chopped it up. KT sent me this beat to a song called 'Blaaaaack!' and that became the first song I recorded, me and Yasiin Bey, on Streams of Thought Vol. 4."
Check out this recent Fader Interview with Black Thought reflecting on his career.
While waiting for "Blaaaaack" to drop, you can listen to this gem collaboration with "Freddie Gibbs, Madlib – Education (Audio) ft. Yasiin Bey, Black Thought."
