Black Thought and El Michels Affair joined forces for a brand new single off of their upcoming collaborative project.
This morning, Black Thought and El Michels Affair came through with their first single, “Grateful.” Black Thought’s rhyme play and veteran-level skillset meets the smooth, jazzy production of El Michels Affair for a certified heater. El Michel cook up flute-laden production, accentuated by a haunting vocal sample and woozy guitar riffs. It’s undoubtedly a perfect soundscape for Black Thought’s vivid storytelling and slick wordplay.
Black Thought and El Michels Affair’s new single kicks off the campaign for Glorious Game, due out on April 14th. The project boasts 12 songs in total with appearances from Kirby and Brainstory.
The two parties are no stranger to one another. They began working together in the early 2000s during a string of charity concerts in NYC and Philadelphia. However, the pandemic opened the gates for a more concentrated collaborative effort after Black Thought reached out to Michels to work on some material.
While we might not get another project from The Roots in the foreseeable future, Black Thought has kept his foot on the gas over the past few years. In 2022, he teamed up with Danger Mouse for their joint effort, Cheat Codes, which later landed on HNHH’s Hottest Hip-Hop Albums Of The Year list.
Check out the new single below and keep your eyes peeled for more music from The Roots frontman and El Michels. We’re certainly excited to hear Glorious Game in full.
Quotable Lyrics
One for the will of man, two for the kilogram
Three for the cold killer who can still be a millionaire
Feelin’ the frigid air, big plates and silverware
Where everybody eat except the one who was ill-prepared