May 10, 2023
Black Thought of the Roots Announces Release Date for New Book, ‘The Upcycled Self’
Tariq Trotter, also known as the lead vocalist Black Thought of the hip-hop band, The Roots, is releasing a new book set for release on Nov. 14.
He announced via an Instagram post shared with his followers that his book, “The Upcycled Self,” would be released this fall and published under the One World imprint of Random House Books.
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The book is available for preorder on Amazon for $26.99 for the hardcover—no word yet if there will be a paperback or e-book available for purchase as well.
A description of the book on the Penguin Random House website reads, “The Upcycled Self explores Black Thought’s mind frame as he expresses the dramatic stories of the “four powerful relationships” that molded him—community, friends, art, and family. It’s the “beautifully bluesy story of a boy genius’s coming of age that illuminates the redemptive power of the upcycle.”
Less than two years ago, Black Thought released an Audible Original project, “7 Years,” that took us on a journey from the beginning of his career as a burgeoning rapper.
In another Instagram post, he acknowledged the Audible project showcased “important periods” that shaped him into the man he had become.
“It’s inspired by one of my life theories that every 7 years, I should be actively working to become better creatively, emotionally, personally, and mentally as my body also changes and new cells replace the old. So in this piece of words and music, I’m sharing some of these key important periods that have made me into the man I am today—with an original musical score that highlights the very first freestyle I ever wrote to our @theroots classics to performances of some of my more recent pieces.”
By penning the book, he joins his drummer, business partner, and bandmate, Questlove, who recently released a book of his own last month called “The Rhyme of Time.”