Tariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973),[1] better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, singer, actor and the lead MC of the hip hop group The Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove in Philadelphia.

[4] Trotter attended the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts and Millersville University, studying journalism.

In 1987, he became friends with drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and formed a drummer/MC duo, performing on the streets of Philadelphia and at talent shows.

[5] Trotter subsequently spent some time as one of two MCs in the group the Square Roots; the other was Malik B., whom Tariq met in college.

In a June 2008 interview with Brian Kayser of the website HipHopGame, Black Thought spoke of another solo project that was scheduled for release on the Razor and Tie music corporation.

In February 2016, Black Thought joined forces with Fashawn, Murs, and Del the Funky Homosapien to record a new track called "Rise Up" for the video game Street Fighter V. Capcom released a music video for the song that included appearances by Black Thought and his fellow collaborators.

[22] In December 2017, Black Thought appeared on HOT 97 with Funkmaster Flex and performed a 10-minute freestyle over "The Learning (Burn)" instrumental by Mobb Deep.

[25] In 2013, Black Thought began work on a memoir with journalist and music critic Jeff Chang and filmmaker Maori Karmael Holmes.

[27] Black Thought was also an executive producer for the short film Ash Land, which is featured in the 2023 Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Cyberland Short Films collection, and it's about a woman who loses and then finds herself again while living in the mountains of Ashland, a small town in Oregon during the COVID pandemic, where the festival takes place.

Look at us.” Black Thought is "widely recognized as one of the most skilled, incisive, and prolific rappers of his time", according to AllMusic critic Andy Kellman.

[31] Questlove stated that Black Thought's clarity and logic also distinguishes him from other emcees,[33] and Stephen Kearse of Pitchfork notes that his "ability to use words as textures as much as tools has always been a hallmark of his style".

[31] Black Thought has influenced several hip hop artists, including Logic,[35] Joey Badass,[36] Rapsody,[37] k-os,[38] and Shad.