nonsensical, but my theory given the image driven nature of the industry and the way we in turn subconsciously perceive music is that Thought 'lost' his charisma when he cut the locks.

i dont ever recall hearing that complaint against him until that point. in fact, i thought he used to be praised for his charisma, all the way up on through his turn in 'brooklyn babylon.'

I think that Thought, and the Roots, lost an identifiable part of who they were, as if ?uest's hair was gone. The locks made Thought stand out anddddd created perceptions in the public mind due to the cultural content that that hairstyle (and stereotypically associated lifestyles) carry. And those perceptions worked with the Roots vibe as a whole and created a package that made a stronger impression. Picture Thought walking down the block in the You Got Me video and that is a star right there.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CvqZc1kDt6w

Just been kicking around in my head since i first started seeing people complain about a lack of charisma on the boards. I still think he's got it, but I think 'it' was maybe more accessible to the casual viwer/listener previously. Like I said, may be nonsensical, but maybe takes nonsense to explain a nonsense premise. Thought got charisma to me. And the only reason he comes across a little bitter in the article is due to how it was framed by the author's own words. Cause there's truth in what he's saying.