Tariq Trotter (Black Thought), Co-Founder Of The Roots

Fresh Air

NPR

Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.4 • 34.4K Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2023

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought, reflects on his difficult childhood in Philly, his decades-long friendship with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, and 50 years of hip-hop. Trotter's new memoir is The Upcycled Self.

Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews Rob Reiner's new HBO documentary about Albert Brooks.

Transcript

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0:00.0	It is debate season for the 2024 Republican presidential candidates and the
0:05.2	NPR Politics Podcast is here for all the analysis you need. Who's running? What do they
0:10.5	support and why do they want to be president?
0:13.0	Listen to the NPR Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcast. This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley.
0:25.0	Toeck Trotter's life as he remembers it starts with a fire.
0:29.0	He was six years old, deep in play with his army men men those popular plastic figurines from the
0:35.0	70s when he decided to flick a lighter to add drama to the war scene.
0:39.5	When the tip of the lighter got too hot for Terec's little fingers, he reactively tossed it.
0:44.8	The curtains and carpet erupting in flames before engulfing the entire house.
0:49.9	Entroder's new book, The Upcycled Self,
0:52.6	a memoir on The Art of Becoming Who We Are,
0:55.8	the Grammy Award-winning rapper and co-founder
0:58.3	of the Hip Hop Group The Roots
1:00.1	examines the shame of that moment,
1:02.2	as well as other harrowing events growing up in Philadelphia,
1:05.6	intertwined with joyful moments like discovering music and meeting his fellow bandmate
1:10.7	a mere quest love Thompson.
1:13.2	Known by a stage name Black Thought, Trotter is the lead
1:16.3	MC of the roots, which he and Thompson founded after meeting his
1:19.6	teens in high school.
1:21.1	Here's one of their first hits from the album Things Fall Apart. You Got Me,
1:25.4	featuring Erica Badu. I'm in a who I saw
	...

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