'Cheat Codes' is the solo album Black Thought couldn't have made until now

For many years, the Black Thought solo album felt like an imaginary object, long rumored yet never revealed. It went by several names — Masterpiece Theatre, The Talented Mr. Trotter — and had many soft launches. The Philly rapper born Tariq Trotter had of course already displayed his otherworldly dexterity as frontman and co-founder of The Roots, and, beginning in 2018, emerged as a willing and capable soloist with a series of freewheeling EPs. But for most rappers, a debut album is a statement of artistic purpose. For a rapper in a group, it is also a chance to establish a fully independent identity. Even as Black Thought the solo artist steadily took shape, his album — the album — remained elusive.

, Trotter's new collaboration with the producer , is that quintessential Black Thought album, the one long awaited by diehards, the shares lessons learned during his travels, with a clear frame of mind that is new ground even for one of rap's peerless performers.