Many publications are rolling out content all year celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and Pitchfork is no different. The publication teamed up with legendary rapper Black Thought from The Roots to discuss hip-hop albums that inspired him. After identifying some certified classics like The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill and Outkast’s Speakerboxxx / The Love Below he shouted out a more recent project from A$AP Rocky. “This album ushered in a new era of New York hip-hop. It’s so braggadocious, it’s so macho, it’s so Harlem,” Black Thought said of Rocky’s 2013 album LongLiveA$AP. It wasn’t the only praise he had for the project either.
Thought elaborated on his love for the album. “It’s also genre-transcendent. He was able to blur the line between the New York hip-hop aesthetic—which was trending less at the time—and the aesthetic that was beginning to trend more: classic UGK, 8Ball, and MJG. He was the bridge between dope and trill in a way that was very necessary.” The rapper also dug into many of the reasons he sees parallels between himself and Rocky. “I see elements of myself in A$AP Rocky, and later on I’d find out we share a birthday. He’s named after Rakim, who’s a huge influence of mine. He’s mellow. But he’s also one of those people I admire for his ability to continue to innovate.”
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Black Thought Is A Big A$AP Rocky Fan
Black Thought himself has been an influential force in rap for decades and that hasn’t slowed down in recent years. Earlier this year he teamed up with El Michels Affair for a critically acclaimed new collaborative album Glorious Game. The album features KIRBY, Son Little, and Brainstory.
That album served as a follow-up to another acclaimed collaboration last year. Black Thought teamed up with Danger Mouse on an album called Cheat Codes that managed to really live up to its name. What do you think of Black Thought’s praise of A$AP Rocky and his debut album? Let us know in the comment section below.
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