Tariq and ?uest met in the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts, and formed a drummer/MC duo performing on the streets of Philly and at talent shows. Thought would subsequently spend some time as one of two MCs in the group The Square Roots: the other one was Malik B.
A name change (to simply The Roots) and an album release (Organix) Black Thought and Malik struck a balance, with Malik bringing more personal raps and Thought oriented more towards a more political style infused with battle raps.
After Malik B. left the group due to drug issues, Thought continued drifting toward the political, and was featured on several other records like Common's One Day it'll All Make Sense, Linkin Park's Reanimation and more recently its frontman Mike Shinoda's The Rising Tied, as well as Damian Marley's Welcome to Jamrock and The Coup's Pick a Bigger Weapon.
Black Thought was in the process of recording a solo album, but the project was shelved when it was realized the effort would not assist the group in their release from their contract with MCA Records. Some of the songs he had recorded were eventually released as tracks on The Roots' album Phrenology. He is working on a collaborative project with producer Danger Mouse (which, according to XXL magazine, is tentatively being called Dangerous Thoughts), as well as a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama. He is still a core member of The Roots. He has also been a member of two production teams, Grand Negaz and The Grand Wizzards.
The Roots latest album Game Theory shows a more introspective side of Black Thought and is the "darkest" Roots album to date.
I'm Not Crazy
Black Thought Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm as sharp as the scalpel that's used in a hospital
So 'til that day we expire and turn to vapors
I'll be making this paper and finally earnin' my acreage
Leave it for Quadry, Asa, Ahmir, and Benjamin, Trevor and Jordan
Bia, Tarik and them'll finally be safer
I lay it all on the line, find me a taker
If any man is an island, I'll be probably Jamaica
I come to switch up the climate like global warmin' do
A man called Portugal got with the oracle
We move from metaphorical to historical
So when, when we, when we introduced ourselves to the Europeans as human beings
They just didn't get it
In "I'm Not Crazy," Black Thought notably explores themes of identity, legacy, and perseverance. In the opening lines of the song, he draws a distinction between obstacles and mountains, emphasizing that while the former can be overcome or avoided, mountains require a different level of respect and navigation. This metaphor can be applied to the challenges he has faced in his life - while some may have been overcome with relative ease, others have posed significant hurdles that require skill and determination to conquer.
Black Thought goes on to express his commitment to accumulating wealth and securing a future for his family and loved ones. The line "I'll be making this paper and finally earnin' my acreage" suggests that he sees financial success as a means of establishing a lasting legacy that can be passed down to future generations.
He also references a number of individuals by name, presumably people he cares about who he hopes will benefit from his success. By naming them specifically, he is acknowledging their importance in his life and expressing his desire to provide for them. He closes the verse by tying his personal struggles and triumphs to broader issues, citing "global warmin'" and "Portugal" as examples of complex and wide-reaching challenges that require thoughtful and strategic responses.
Line by Line Meaning
A mountain is not to be confused with an obstacle
Don't mistake a mountain for an obstacle
I'm as sharp as the scalpel that's used in a hospital
I'm extremely sharp and precise
So 'til that day we expire and turn to vapors
Until we die and turn to vapor
I'll be making this paper and finally earnin' my acreage
I'll keep making money and eventually own my land
Leave it for Quadry, Asa, Ahmir, and Benjamin, Trevor and Jordan
I'll leave it for my children named Quadry, Asa, Ahmir, Benjamin, Trevor, and Jordan
Bia, Tarik and them'll finally be safer
My family members Bia and Tarik will be safer
I lay it all on the line, find me a taker
I put everything on the line and need someone to accept it
If any man is an island, I'll be probably Jamaica
If anyone is an individual, I'm probably Jamaica
A storm is formin' too, stand down, yo I'm warning you
There's a storm coming, so back down because I'm warning you
I come to switch up the climate like global warmin' do
I'm going to change things up like global warming changes the climate
A man called Portugal got with the oracle
A man named Portugal met with the oracle
We move from metaphorical to historical
We move from being figurative to being historically important
So when, when we, when we introduced ourselves to the Europeans as human beings
When we introduced ourselves as human beings to the Europeans
They just didn't get it
They didn't understand our humanity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andy Attanasio, Deleno Matthews, John Trudell, Tarik Trotter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind