On July 31, The Roots’ Black Thought is set to release his latest EP, Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Abel, with a stellar cast of featured artists, including Killer Mike, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz, ScHoolboy Q, Portugal. The Man, and more.
The EP’s lead single, “Thought vs. Everybody,” will be released July 10. Sean C, known for his work on Jay-Z’s American Gangster and Big Pun’s debut Capital Punishment, as well as his A&R work for Mobb Deep, Dead Prez, Big Pun, Terror Squad, Remy Ma, and The X-Ecutioners, is the project’s producer.
Black Thought has kept busy beyond Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Abel. The MC notably joined Nas, Rapsody, YG, and Questlove alongside Public Enemy to recreate their iconic “Fight the Power” video at the 2020 BET Awards, and is also contributing his music and lyrical capabilities to Black No More, a musical adaptation of George S. Schuyler’s Harlem Renaissance-era novel. Black No More was initially slated to be part of the New Group’s 2020 to 2021 Off-Broadway season.
Featured image: Steven Ferdman/Patrick McMullan
Make no mistake—dance music is born from black culture. Without black creators, innovators, selectors, and communities, the electronic dance music we hold so dear would simply not exist. In short, dance music is deeply indebted to the global black community and we need to be doing more. Black artists and artists of color have played a profound role in shaping the sound and culture of dance music and now more than ever, it is necessary for everyone in the music community to stand up for the people that have given us so much. Mix Session pledges to make every effort to be a better ally, a stronger resource, and a more accountable member of the global dance music community. Black Lives Matter—get involved here:
Black Lives Matter
My Block My Hood My City
National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Program
Black Visions Collective
Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Legal Defense Initiative
The Bail Project
The Next Level Boys Academy
Color of Change
Committee to Protect Journalists