Black Thought of The Roots is teaching a hip-hop master class at Carnegie Hall

Maybe it’s his stage name, maybe it’s the content of his lyrics, maybe it’s his introspective persona, but Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter has always been a fountain of wisdom, in hip-hop and beyond, ever since The Roots exploded out of the Illadelph over 25 years ago.

That makes him not only a logical, but an ideal teacher for the first-ever hip-hop master class at Carnegie Hall, just announced this week.

As Okayplayer reports, Thought will be the leader of a three-day workshop for aspiring and professional MCs aged 18–35 at the NYC cultural institution, culminating with a showcase for participants. The event takes place February 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and applications are open now through December 6th.

According to a program description from Carnegie Hall, the master class will examine the history of hip-hop, will offer Black Thought’s personal reflections on his own career path, and will provide space for participants to sharpen their own craft.

Invited MCs should come prepared to workshop their music, focusing on lyricism, flow, style, and delivery. Black Thought will equip participants with tangible exercises to improve their overall artistry. This exploration will give participants the opportunity to hone their technical abilities and continue to craft their individual sounds. 

Applications for the Carnegie Hall hip-hop master class with Black Thought can be made here; there is no cost to apply.

After two and a half decades grinding with The Roots on albums and late-night TV, Black Thought has seen something of a renaissance in recent years. Long considered one of hip-hop’s slept-on greats, that shifted in 2017 when his ten-minute freestyle for Funk Flex’s show on NYC station Hot 97s went massively viral. He may have long been a top 5 MC for Philly devotees, but that appearance nudged the rest of the world to stop and take notice, and he quickly followed it up in 2018 with the excellent two-part project Streams of Thought.

(h/t Okayplayer)