Putting this up because only a week or so ago, playing Vol 2, I came to realize it is the most consistent and cohesive of the three. I like all three, and the bangers on Vol 1 and Vol 3 may beat any single track on Vol 2, but it flows better from beginning to end.

Poll question: Which Streams of Thought is the Best?

Poll result (15 votes) Vol 1 - 9th Wonder (3 votes) Vote Vol 2 - Salaam Remi (10 votes) Vote Vol 3 - Sean C (2 votes) Vote

But 1 has more bangers. 3 I gotta listen to again, didn't get a great feel for it the first time around.

9th vs. Thought is the best song on any of the 3 tho IMO. Such a banger.

I personally prefer Vol 1. But you're right that Vol. 2 is kind of a throwback album in that the music is so cohesive.

loved the first two though

I'm in agreement. Expected much more...anyway, the Remi joint is the best one...

at least from memory. 3 might be falling some for me so it may end up 2, 3, 1.

im going to give them all another listen before voting.

when i think back on how much i loved 2 i feel like it will end up being my vote.

Flows like a cohesive album...and Conception is the best song/single The Roots in general have had in over a fucking decade probably.


Vol 3 would be up there if it weren't for those terrible fucking songs in the middle.

obviously, im not at the point of saying vol 2 by far since i think 3 might still be my favorite. i do recognize that it has some bad songs though so i might end up fully agreeing once i listen again.

i definitely agree about conception, one of my favorite songs by anyone in the last 5/10 years.

but I just can't with a few of those tracks haha

Either way, I am beyond grateful he is doing these.

To me it's pretty clearly the best overall song from these EPs.

And its the kind of song that used to be on Roots albums a decade plus ago.

not that they were bad, but I listened once then put them down...

What is wrong with you?????


nah, just playing

Then just don’t go back that often.

I’ll admit that it probably has to do with the fact I’ve been waiting for an actual album for like 20 years and these just seem like a cop out lol

The 3rd one felt most like an album so I feel like I was attracted to that one the most on first listen. Although I agree with complaints of some of those songs in the middle.

Not really a 9th fan but I did like the first one...that one felt most like an EP though so *shrug*

The second one is probably my favorite as it lands somewhere in the middle and is the most cohesive. With that said, it’s not the sound I would go for if I was executive producing a Thought album though.

So I don’t love any of them either.

Each of them are better than like the last 4 Roots albums imo.

And 2 and 3 both flow like albums. Do you think you are hung up on the concept?

Like, had he just called Vol 2 and Vol 3 something else, would you consider them one-producer albums?

Maybe you still wouldn't care for them, but they are albums to me. *shrug*

I haven’t been the biggest fan of that last 4 Roots albums.

I really liked Undun but that also fell out of rotation fast.

It’s not really the concept, it’s just the fact they aren’t what I’m looking for from him.

Thought needs to be reaching out to the best producers and making *his* classic.

There are certain MCs who IMO shouldn’t just be “releasing shit” if that makes sense. No reason he isn’t swinging for the fences each time out. These Stream Of Thoughts feel like bunts to me. *shrug*

Or if he has worked with them, it’s like one verse on someone else’s album.

So when he’s coming with these one producer solos(the Vol. 1 was really two producers on there), it feels underwhelming if it’s not one of your top choices on the boards?

I like all 3 volumes and producers, but there’s certainly a part of me that wants a Thought album with all the all star producers: give me Primo, Pete, Nottz, ALC, Black Milk, Madlib, etc.

>I like all 3 volumes and producers, but there’s certainly a
>part of me that wants a Thought album with all the all star
>producers: give me Primo, Pete, Nottz, ALC, Black Milk,
>Madlib, etc.

Of all the critiques, I share this one the most. Putting aside thoughts about the three producers thus far, I get wanting Thought over Primo et al. I do, too, and I hope that's in the works. The songs I like the most from the releases so far tend to be Thought just rapping his ass off: few/no sung choruses, straight beats, etc. And I think that's what I envision happening if he gets an EP's worth of Primo/Rock/Madlib beats...

That doesn't take away from the quality of these releases but I get the reservation and the hope.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

>
>>I like all 3 volumes and producers, but there’s certainly
>a
>>part of me that wants a Thought album with all the all star
>>producers: give me Primo, Pete, Nottz, ALC, Black Milk,
>>Madlib, etc.
>
>Of all the critiques, I share this one the most. Putting aside
>thoughts about the three producers thus far, I get wanting
>Thought over Primo et al. I do, too, and I hope that's in the
>works. The songs I like the most from the releases so far tend
>to be Thought just rapping his ass off: few/no sung choruses,
>straight beats, etc. And I think that's what I envision
>happening if he gets an EP's worth of Primo/Rock/Madlib
>beats...
>
>That doesn't take away from the quality of these releases but
>I get the reservation and the hope.
>
>-thebigfunk



Like the gift we got from Prhyme, Madvillainy, Kolexxion, Bandana, Alfredo.

I mean dude has an entire album worth of songs with guest verses that he destroyed. Seriously, they could crowdfund an album with Primo, Pete, Madlib, Alchemist, RZA, pre Kardashian Ye, Statik doing the beats.

It's frustrating that the clear dopeness with so many smart musicians hasn't come together like this but what can we do???
It would also earn Thought the universal recognition of top 5 Dead or Alive he has deserved forever.

Since he's as good or better than he's ever been, perhaps all is not lost. He said he's been working, but not sure if it's more smaller projects or a cohesive type of album that we've all been wanting for years.

>
>~ i could still snort you under the table ~

Producers and features

Shit just doesn’t feel like an official album to me

Maybe it’s because I grew up in the 90s so there was a clear difference between album and mix tape

These just feel like EPs or mix tapes

And understand this is coming from someone who has had Thought in his Top 3 since 1996

I want
Thought over Preemo
Thought over Pete Rock
Thought featuring Mos Def
Thought featuring Nas
Get a Q-Tip joint

Basically the same way people came together to produce Illmatic for Nas’ debut is the energy I expect from these legends to give Thought his proper solo release at this stage

And maybe I’m just ignorant to the industry but I feel like this shit would be like going to play with Lebron

I thought for sure he was up next, but it is 14k or whatever.


Did I dream the Pete Rock rumors?

Thought on the Respiration Remix is hip-hop perfection

>not that they were bad, but I listened once then put them
>down...

Though that was a Khrysis beat. Favorite overall would have to be Vol. 2. Though Vol. 3 I need to give more run. I was liking it a lot more the last time I played it, than I did initially.

Quiet Trip is in the running for my favorite joint of all 3 Streams.

but some of my fav songs are from 1 and 3

which makes me wonder how folks would rate tracks individually... and whether we ought to make a master playlist out of the releases so far, lol

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

>but some of my fav songs are from 1 and 3
>
>which makes me wonder how folks would rate tracks
>individually... and whether we ought to make a master playlist
>out of the releases so far, lol

I'm surprised that no one has mention twofifteen, which is as Thought a song as there's ever been. And he MURDERS THAT SHIT. No chorus, no hook, just spits raw and leaves the mic in tatters.

But now that we're here, top songs from each Vol.

1 - 215, Making of a Murderer
2 - Streets, Conception, Fentanyl
3 - Thought v. Everybody, Good Morning

>I'm surprised that no one has mention twofifteen, which is as
>Thought a song as there's ever been. And he MURDERS THAT
>SHIT. No chorus, no hook, just spits raw and leaves the mic
>in tatters.

It might be my favorite track from the whole series so far and is one of my favorite Thought performances of all time, easy. I wish I liked the beat more... it does what it needs to do but feels thin to me. (I think vol 1's mix in general is unfortunately rough.)

But it doesn't matter bc Thought just goes and goes and goes.

>
>But now that we're here, top songs from each Vol.
>
>1 - 215, Making of a Murderer
>2 - Streets, Conception, Fentanyl
>3 - Thought v. Everybody, Good Morning

I'm going to come back and do the same, maybe add my least favs.


-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~