I think Black Thought is taken for granted by all of us. I've been listening to The Roots since '94, and he's always been one of my favorite MC's, yet whenever anyone asks me who my favorite MC's are, I always list the same...Mos, Kweli, Common...but never Black Thought for some reason. His greatness is so consistent and the rest of the band is so good he's easily forgotten, or taken for granted. I also think the fact that he's never been one to seek attention also makes him easy to forget about.

I got to see The Roots perform in person for the first time in Milwaukee about a month ago and never again will I leave Black Thought off of that list of my favorite MC's. His performance for hours, in a music hall that was about 120 degrees, was incredible. He had crazy energy and I think his talent and charisma shine in an atmosphere like that.

Unfortunately, most people don't see them live. They just see a guy who wears a t-shirt or polo shirt and khakis and hides his face behind some sunglasses and a hat and assume he lacks charisma. Regardless, I think people who respect hip hop and respect The Roots' music know that they wouldn't be what they are without Tariq, and that most MC's couldn't do what he does every day on the best day of their lives.