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

Okay, this one is a bit cheeky, because this EP was only released today (1 June 2018), so I can’t claim it to have stood the test of time. However, the artwork by Rashid Johnson is complex, challenging and beautiful, just like the rhymes of Black Thought and the production of 9th Wonder.

Black Thought also mentioned the inspiration he finds in visual art on his Twitter account, taking pains to credit artist Rashid Johnson for the EP’s artwork. “I’ve always been inspired by visual art. I was a visual artist when I was younger and did every type of medium. Self expression before music,” he tweeted. “For the Streams of Thought project I wanted the best artwork, especially from other Black artists with similar reference points. Rashid and I explore memory, him through material. African soap and wax, both familiar to his childhood. Follow his markings and you can notice an internal rhythm. This painting also looks at individual and collective angst.”