Fast Facts About Black Thought
Black Thought is Tariq Trotter, the leader of Philadelphia-based hip-hop group The Roots. Trotter was born on October 3, 1971, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Trotter’s early days were highly turbulent due to difficult circumstances and living in a rough area. However, he was able to rise above his hardships and become a highly successful musician.
- Tariq was born to Thomas and Cassandra Trotter. Both of his parents were members of the Nation of Islam, an offshoot of the Muslim religion created by Wallace Ford Muhammad in the 1930s.
- Tariq’s father died when he was just a baby, and his mother also died when he was in high school. Left an orphan, the young Trotter went to live in Detroit before returning to Philadelphia and attending the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. After high school, he attended Miller University, where he studied journalism.
- Before his music career began, Trotter was often on the edge of being in big trouble with the law. He frequently tagged “DT” or simply “T” around his hometown of Philadelphia as a high schooler, and he was a crack dealer at one point.
- Black Thought has appeared in several films, including Perfume, Love Rome, Brooklyn Babylon, and Bamboozled, all of which were released in the early 2000s.
- Black Thought has been married to his wife Michelle since 2010. The couple has four sons and one daughter.
- Tariq is now 49 years old.
- He is estimated to have a net worth of around $12 million.
- Black Thought stands 5’ 7” tall, considerably shorter than his bandmate Questlove, who is 6’ 4”.