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Black Thought

Tariq Trotter from The Roots

Tariq Trotter from The Roots

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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

Black Thought Speaking Topics

  • Exchanging Ideas, Long Sessions, Loose Vibes and Creativity

Black Thought Videos

  • Harvard i-lab | Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought Freestyle at Other ...

FAQs on booking Black Thought

  • How do I book Black Thought to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Black Thought for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability 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 speaking fee information and check availability for Black Thought or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Black Thought

    Speaking fees for Black Thought, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Black Thought are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Black Thought, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Black Thought speak about?

    Black Thought is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Black Heritage, College, Entertainment.
  • Where does Black Thought travel from?

    Black Thought generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Black Thought’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Black Thought for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker 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. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, 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 speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Black Thought or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

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.

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