Black Thought is Releasing an Album with El Michels Affair

Just months releasing Cheat Codes with Danger Mouse, Black Thought has joined El Michels Affair for forthcoming album Glorious Game.

Black Thought isn't letting up on the mic. The Roots frontman has teamed up with "cinematic soul" band El Michels Affair for forthcoming album Glorious Game which releases on April 14 via Big Crown Records. As a preview of the album, Black Thought, legal name Tariq Trotter, and El Michels Affair dropped lead single "Grateful" on Wednesday (January 11). “We was raised by wolves, grizzly bears, and panthers,” Trotter raps. “It’s wild/ Yo, I’m surprised we don’t grow no antlers.”

Trotter and El Michels Affair lead musician Leon Michels met in the 2000s when Trotter became acquainted with the contemporary soul scene. By 2020, Trotter contacted Michels to collaborate with El Michels Affair, ultimately chopping up soul samples to create boom-bap instrumentals for Trotter to write to. Featured on the Glorious Game are KIRBY, Son Little and Brainstory.

Glorious Game comes five months since Trotter teamed up with producer Danger Mouse for Cheat Codes, which featured Russ, Joey Bada$$, Kid Sister, Raekwon, Michael Kiwanuka, A$AP Rocky, Run The Jewels, Conway the Machine and more. Trotter last released EP African Dreams with Seun Kuti in December, a mix of Afrobeat and hip-hop.

Check out the full Glorious Game tracklist below.

01. "Grateful"

02. "Glorious Game" (feat. Kirby)

03. "I’m Still Somehow"

04. "Hollow Way"

05. "Protocol" (feat. Son Little)

06. "The Weather"

07. "That Girl"

08. "I Would Never"

09. "Alone"

10. "Miracle"

11. "Glorious Game" (Reprise)

12. "Alter Ego" (feat. Brainstory)