Black Thought - Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane and Able (Review)
Black Thought comes through with one of 2020's defining albums...
16th October 2020
Passyunk Productions / Republic
My Rating:
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8.8
/10
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REVIEW
The third installation in his Streams of Thought series, this marks a break from the 'tradition' of the trilogy, considering that this is an full length album and not an EP. Arguably more significantly is that this is the first official studio album from Black Thought, a rapper who's best known as the lead MC of the hip hop group The Roots. Whilst it's certainly unusual to change format with the series midway through, I believe there's likely a significance in this. Whilst all of his previous releases have been undeniably politically focused, it's here on Vol. 3 that things truly explode, landing especially hard now in 2020 as we face such a frustratingly uncertain future, and perhaps even attaining something close to a prescience, if not then exceptionally contemporary observations on race and its continued influence on society. Perhaps this album's biggest strength though is how Black Thought is able to draw from the past to critique the present, and taking them both and looking optimistically towards the future.
In terms of this album's appeal, I see three distinct levels in terms of appreciating this release, all of which I'd like illustrate here in this review for their respective but individual significance. Firstly, the immediate appeal that comes from the sound of this album. Streams of Thought, Vol. 3 was produced by Sean C, described by many as a veteran in the hip hop landscape for his work with many 90s rappers including Jay-Z and Fat Joe, and his work here is the very first thing you hear going into the album. He sites the production style present on Public Enemy's classic records as his main influence here, and this retro and slightly disjointed style helps not only to ground the record with its more full, often piano-driven sound, but also acts as a direct link to the past.
Secondly is this album's performances, the variety here being the main selling point despite the common thread connecting the various featured guests. For one, I wasn't expecting Portugal. The Man to be on this album, their own indie pop music differing greatly from this music but their contributions to this album undeniably substantial but also providing a great deal of emotion that would typically be provided by soulful backing vocalists or samples but here stands out not just for being abnormal, but also more intimate. On the other hand, whilst Pusha T, Killer Mike and Schoolboy Q are far more predictable features, what they bring is certainly their A game in the verses they provide, giving more perspectives to the many issues this album brings up, and also keeping the experience of the album engaging as different artists bring their own skills to the record. What links these performers together though? Well, outside of Black Thought and his producer, the featured artists are far more contemporary and popular now, acting as the link to the present and portraying the continuation of the themes into the current day.
Finally is the album's most morbid aspect, that being its themes and lyrics. From the very first song on the album, Black Thought introduces the typical Christopher Columbus and European interpretation of the world, calling back now and later to the issues black people face even now, and their roots in colonialism, religion, and social evolution theory. With the intro track "I'm Not Crazy (First Contact)", the tone is set for an album that is expository, but also analytical. More than that, it proves itself yet again to be doing something typical in a creative and different way, as here on Cane and Able the focus is not exclusively on the hardships and oppression faced by black people, but also the Native Americans who have been as continuously mistreated but with even less media attention. It's these themes and lyrics that tie everything together, drawing comparison between past and present, and looking forward to a future that we can only hope comes hand in hand with progress.
Conclusively, this might not be as tight or slick as Run The Jewels' most recent album and its own dissection of systematic racism, but Black Thought gains points for the creative twisting of this style of music, each element boasting its own clear purpose and coming together to make an end project that is ambitious, emotional, dark and yet optimistic, the latter being a quality I'm finding more and more at the forefront of 2020's best music.
TRACK RATINGS (/10)
1. I'm Not Crazy (First Contact) - n/a
2. State Prisoner - 9
3. Good Morning - 9
4. Magnificent - 7
5. Experience - n/a
6. Quiet Trip - 9
7. Nature of the Beast - 8
8. We Could Be Good (United) - 8
9. Steak Um - 8
10. Thought vs Everybody - 7
11. Ghetto Boys and Girls - Fuel Interlude - n/a
12. Fuel - 8
13. I'm Not Crazy - Outro - n/a
BREAKDOWN
Ambition: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Catchiness/Enjoyability: 9
Content/Ideas: 8
Emotion/Engaging: 9
Execution: 10
Production: 8
Structure: 9
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Lyrics: 9
Vocals/Flows: 9
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Total: 88
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