Black Thought teams up with Adrian Younge for new single "Noir" - WXPN | Vinyl At Heart
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Black Thought | photo courtesy of the artist

Philly rapper Black Thought stepped into the spotlight in a big way in 2018. After 25 years at the front of local hip-hop icons The Roots, Thought released his long-awaited solo debut in two parts: Streams of Thought was split up into two EP releases, with Volume 1 dropping in the spring just ahead of the Roots Picnic, and Volume 2 hitting later in the fall.

Now we’ve got a even newer track from him: “Noir” was released today as an Amazon Music exclusive for the Produced By series, which paris artists with prominent producers to work on a new exclusive cut. “Noir” finds Thought teamed up with Los Angeles composer Adrian Younge, who has worked on tracks for Wu-Tang Clan, Common, Gallant, Kendrick Lamar…but not with Thought or The Roots prior to this.

Based in Cali, Younge’s style is very classic and cinematic, and we hear that in the song, which is built around sweeping string arrangements, complex rhythms, and atmospheric woodwind harmonies…with an appropriate amount of scratching. Thought, as he does, spits fire throughout, a stream of consciousness monologue warning against hubris, chastising a character who “tried to walk on water instead of wade in it.”

Listen to a teaser of “Noir” below, and hear more over at Amazon.

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