The last time Madlib collaborated with Black Thought was four years ago, on the producer’s joint album with Freddie Gibbs, Bandana. “Education” gave listeners a glimpse of what a team-up between such a dynamic duo could bring, although it was mostly Gibbs’ show and Yasiin Bey came along for the ride.
Today, though, Black Thought secures a Madlib joint of his very own in “REEKYOD,” a portmanteau of his first name Tariq, and the initials of their collaborator on the new single, Your Old Droog. It’s a surprisingly low-key affair, with Madlib providing a muted, shuffling beat and Thought doing what he does best. Droog provides a more energetic counterpoint to Thought’s laid-back flow, hanging with one of rap’s premiere lyricists. If this doesn’t get you hype for a potential Madlib-Black Thought project, absolutely nothing will.
Such a project isn’t out of the realm of possibility, either. Black Thought has spent much of the past few years stepping out of his role as The Roots’ frontman, putting out a steady stream of projects with singular producers. Since 2020, he’s released albums primarily produced by Sean C (Streams Of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able), Danger Mouse (Cheat Codes), and El Michels Affair (2023’s Glorious Game). So, a Madlib project wouldn’t go amiss (if you guys are reading this… you know what to do). The press release for “REEKYOD” doesn’t specifically mention what else Madlib’s working on these days, but if he’s got the time, rap fans would almost certainly like to see it.
Listen to “REEKYOD” below:
