The Roots and Pharrell at The Roots Picnic | Photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Black Thought will drop a new mixtape on Roots Picnic eve
The Roots’ founding member Black Thought announced the release date for his upcoming mixtape after teasing the project earlier this year. Titled Streams of Thought Vol. 1, the mixtape drops Friday June 1, conveniently the day before the Roots Picnic. Announced via twitter Friday, the tape is set to be a collab between Black Thought and super producer 9th Wonder and The Soul Council.
The Roots hold court at their annual picnic, headlining their historically star-studded “Jam Session” which previously included stars such as Pharrell, Erykah Badu, Usher, Snoop Dogg, and, this year, Dave Chappelle. Black Thought also appears billed separately on the lineup, bringing back his live mixtape set with J. Period while sharing the stage with Fabolous and Jadakiss. (Maybe the set will see the debut of songs off Streams of Thought.)
An early-summer staple for hip-hop, rap, and jazz fans alike, the Roots Picnic boasts a strong line-up this year, featuring local staples Lil Uzi Vert, Sun Ra Arkstra, and Tierra Whack among powerhouses like Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz, Toronto new-era jazz youngsters BadBadNotGood, and 2000’s NYC legendary rap group The Diplomats.
Check out Black Thought’s 10-minute, epic freestyle on HOT 97 from December 2017 below, and check out the full Roots Picnic lineup on the festival’s website.
show up late or the venue will be gone