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Philadelphia lyricist Black Thought is an exceptional wordsmith who first emerged as part of the well-known collective The Roots. The emcee is renowned for his lyrical ability and extremely conscious lyrics alongside a very soulful and jazz-inspired type of sonic. The rapper is also a known poet, infusing his work with a literary poise.

The power of Black Thought’s pen is unfathomable, and his 2017 Funk Flex freestyle on HOT 97.0 showcased his flawless flow and lyrical versatility. The emcee’s music is extraordinarily Afro-centric and politically insightful. In an age of mumble rappers, it can be hard to hear a clear message from artists. However, Black Thought’s eviscerating lyricism cannot be misunderstood, and he has an undeniably powerful message.

He was the son of parents who were both part of the Black-Islamic religious movement, The Nation of Islam, and many of his inspirations were artists who focused on the state of African-American society. His passion is abundant, and nowhere is that more evident than when the emcee is freestyling.

Rapping over the beat of Mobb Deep’s ‘The Learning (Burn),’ the Philadelphia lyricist delivered a freestyle that was so amazing that ‘#BlackThought’ began trending on social media the night the freestyle was uploaded to YouTube.

With religious references such as, “I never thought you’d give me a reason to do this / Cain and Abel, Jesus and Judas / Caesar and Brutus, I see intruders, avert your eyes / I told you keep out of the hood: circumcise” as well as advise he received from his friends such as “Don’t go from written bars filled with rage/ to primetime television and your gilded cage / Then forget there’s people in the world still enslaved / I barbwired my wrist and let it fill the page.” The freestyle was unbelievably potent.

Shortly after the freestyle, the former Roots member hopped on X (formerly Twitter) to write, “That verse was just what I had to say at the moment.” However, what he said had reverberated across the US and then across the world.

Few artists have managed to match what Black Thought has done, and it doesn’t look like anybody will come close. As a child of the 1990s who has previously revealed he grew up on Big Daddy Kane, Black Thought’s style and dedication to lyrics seem to be something only possessed by MCs from a bygone era.

Akin to artists like KRS-One, Common and Mos Def, Black Thought sought to tell a story with his freestyle to leave listeners in shock. Many people who deliver freestyles on Funk Flex’s HOT 97.0 show rap materialistic, meaningless rhymes that don’t resonate with people. However, Black Thought, as a cultural veteran, knew exactly how to shake things up and turn heads.