Black Thought Biography
Tariq Trotter has been rapping for 19 years, ten of which have been shared with his legendary crew, the Philadelphia live hip-hop band, The Roots. They have been hailed as pioneers of the burgeoning sound now being identified as the “Philly Sound.” Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter has been the highly recognized voice of this sound. He is the MC, whose lyrics have recalled the poetic passion of Amiri Baraka, the truth and rawness of Donald Goines, the unquestionable flow and lyrical styles of Big Daddy Kane and Rakim, and a skill and rhythmic cadence that can be liked to no one but himself. He has served as the voice to so many poignant thoughts wrapped in a skill level we thought had been lost.
The labels and hopeful projections placed upon The Roots, was one of the driving forces behind Black Thought's desire to create his own image, and define his sound and album. He considers the creation of a solo album, his “way of showing another dimension of myself, while still being a member of the Roots, I can have other grooves of myself. With the solo album, I have a chance to really highlight myself by using very straight ahead rhymes & beats. But one thing I want to take from The Roots into my own work is the idea of pushing the musical envelope.” A versatile MC, Black Thought has held his own through one capricious decade of hip-hop, finally to emerge like a phoenix from a flame. Like any great artist, Black Thought has learned to layer and play with the phonetics and syllables of his words. Yet, he all the while keeps in use his powerful metaphoric imagery that makes him one of the most intense and ingenious lyricist of our time.
Although enigmatic and rather indefinable, Black Thought's performing skills have carved him an undeniable niche as one of hip-hop greatest live acts. His braggadocio and stage prowess is magnetic allowing him to capture almost any crowd he performs for. It is not uncommon for him to slide effortlessly into a Louis Armstrong scat from his “Da Skat” lyrics and then into a country ho-down. His stage presence is so well recognized that in 1999 he and The Roots won a Grammy for their performance of “You Got Me” featuring Erykah Badu. His performance and presence on the stage has attracted a wide range of musical artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Les Nubians, De La Soul, and Big Pun, to invite him to join them as a guest on their work. In addition to musical artists, his charismatic and legendary performances have caught the eye of film directors. He has been in three movies, Bamboozled, a Spike Lee joint, Brooklyn Babylon, and Perfume.
Yet, as an MC his heart belongs to the music regardless of his other ventures. When asked why he feels as though he needs to put out solo album although all the Roots CDs are critically acclaimed he responds: "I think at this point I just want to show the world I'm a power player in terms of being an mc in the world of hip-hop." Seems like an unnecessary concern for someone who has fronted one of the most avant-garde and legendary hip-hop crews in music history. For Black Thought this is just a beginning to revealing his many sides of a story.
Topics
• Exchanging Ideas, Long Sessions, Loose Vibes and Creativity
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Black Thought and other top speakers and celebrities.
-
How to book Black Thought?
Our booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure talent like Black Thought for both live and virtual events for over 20 years. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Fill out a
booking request form for Black Thought, or call our office at
1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get pricing information and check availability for Black Thought or any other celebrity of your choice.
-
How much does it cost to book Black Thought?
Speaking fees for Black Thought, or any other keynote speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The amount that Black Thought charges to speak often varies according to the circumstances, including their schedule, market conditions, length of presentation, and the location of the event. The speaker fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. For the most current fee to hire Black Thought, please fill out the
booking request form or call our office at
1.800.698.2536 to speak with an experienced booking agent.
-
Who is the agent for Black Thought?
All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Black Thought for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Fill out the
booking request form or call our office at
1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Black Thought for your next private or corporate function.
-
What is a full-service talent booking agency?
All American Speakers is a "buyers agent" and exclusively represents talent buyers, meeting planners and event professionals, who are looking to secure celebrities and speakers for personal appearances, speaking engagements, corporate entertainment, public relations campaigns, commercials, or endorsements. We do not exclusively represent Black Thought or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Black Thought or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage.
Black Thought is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Exchanging Ideas, Long Sessions, Loose Vibes and Creativity. The estimated speaking fee range to book Black Thought for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Black Thought generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Saul Williams, Tyrese Gibson and LL Cool J. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Black Thought for an upcoming live or virtual event.
Categories:
Users also viewed these speakers:
1.800.698.2536