Black Thought has entered his prime as an artist. I know that’s an audacious thing to say about the prolific emcee who has been on the scene since the early 90’s and has released many critically acclaimed albums with his group The Roots. And he has become a household name as the voice of the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. But hear me out.

The Roots’ last album was 2014’s highly experimental …and then you shoot your cousin. I really enjoyed it, but it holds a strange position in the group’s catalogue. Then in 2018, Black Thought began what would be his series of three EP’s titled Streams of Thought. While each of these had great moments, none of them quite captured the artist’s potential.

Last year, Black Thought collaborated with producer Danger Mouse on the acclaimed Cheat Codes. This album immediately got the hip-hop world buzzing with the question, is Black Thought the greatest of all time? Unfortunately, the title ‘GOAT’ gets lobbed around so much that it has almost lost all meaning. But many, including myself, thought that Cheat Codes was the album that finally showed what Black Thought could do. And the question was being asked, why isn’t Black Thought getting elevated to the same levels as Jay-Z, Biggie, Tupac, and Nas?

Now, less than a year since dropping his magnum opus, Black Thought releases another album, Glorious Game. Does it reach the high bar set by Cheat Codes? Is it possible to make two career defining projects in one year? My answer is a simple and resounding YES.

On Glorious Game, Black Though partners with New York-based cinematic soul band El Michels Affair. I first heard El Michels Affair while watching the 2019 Guy Ritchie directed crime caper, The Gentlemen. A chase scene featured their instrumental cover of Old Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.” I immediately recognized the song but had never heard this version before. I was floored. It was so soulful and raw. I had to find this band. As it turned out, El Michels Affair had released two albums covering songs of the Wu-Tang Clan and solo joints. I devoured them. El Michels Affair’s style of ‘cinematic soul’ paired perfectly with Wu-Tang, whose music is firmly rooted in kung-fu cinema. But would it work with Philly’s Black Thought, who does not subscribe to Shaolin or Wu-Tang style?

Again, the answer is a resounding and emphatic YES. Glorious Game continues the 70’s soul tone set on Cheat Codes. But where Danger Mouse sampled from the era while adding in modern production flair, El Michels Affair plunges into the era creating a fully immersive experience. Leon Michels, founder of El Michels Affair, serves as bandleader, musician, producer, and scene setter. Using a live band enriches the sonic landscape and recalls the best moments of the early 2000’s Soulquarians projects such as D’Angelo’s Voodoo, Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun, and The Roots’ Things Fall Apart.  

The lyrics on Glorious Game look inward while also shining a light on the landscape of the current day United States. Blending autobiography and social commentary Black Thought cracks a window into black life in America. On “I’m Still Somehow” he laments. “They say black joy is rebellion, a happy black boy is an alien” and “Being a black man has been a job, look at the loved ones I’ve lost.” His lyrics feel lived-in and speak to deep experience.

The tracks are short, with many clocking in around 2 minutes. And the abrupt tonal transitions within songs like “Hollow Way” or slow-fast-slow-fast tempo changes on “The Weather” adds to the urgency of the record.

Listen, it’s been six years since Jay-Z released a proper album. Black Thought just put out two perfect albums in one year. He may not be a billionaire, but he still creates relevant, challenging art that pushes the genre into new and better places. Let’s give the man the respect he deserves.

It’s too early too say whether Glorious Game surpasses Cheat Codes, but at this point it doesn’t really matter. The album is on a whole other level than most hip-hop put out today. Follow Black Thought and El Michels Affair on social media and stream Glorious Game starting April 14th.