Sounds

REVIEW: Black Thought & 9th Wonder, Streams of Thought Vol.1

by Darcy MacDonald

The subtext of this five-track EP from two hip hop innovators may, sadly, be more important than the release itself.

Black Thought & 9th Wonder, Streams of Thought Vol.1 (Human Re Sources)

The subtext of this five-track EP from two hip hop innovators may, sadly, be more important than the release itself. Mic veteran, Roots frontman and G.O.A.T. contender Black Thought is the most consistently skilled rapper in the game, having long since pioneered MCing as a craft over live instruments as opposed to samples. 9th Wonder, meanwhile, was among the first producers to not only break out using the connective power of the Internet, but also to champion Fruity Loops and other softwares as his weapons of choice in the booth, and prove that a computer could sub for an MPC, opening the gates for a new generation of bedroom beat makers that now dominate across many genres. The result of their pairing is nice — how could it not be? But it would have been cool to have a little more. The interplay between Thought’s unique cadence and 9th’s drum abilities brings something different, but nothing new. Nonetheless, a worthy addition to their respective canons, and a treat for fans. 7/10 Trial Track “Dostoyevsky” feat. Rapsody

 

Posted in Sounds

by Darcy MacDonald

Contributor
Darcy MacDonald has been with Cult MTL since day one, a decade ago. Which means today, he’s a middle-aged white guy (albeit one more interested in other people’s ideas than in his own). He was previously a columnist and reporter for Montreal Mirror, and has also created content (FKA “written”) for RBMA, Noisey, Montreal Gazette, The National Post and probably some other great places he’s forgotten about. Music, culture, community and miscellaneous questions in search of answers all come across his desk, sooner or later.