“Tariq Trotter . . . could be hip-hop’s Dostoyevsky. Like the Russian novelist, Mr. Trotter has refined literary fire from the soulful furnace of pain and suffering.”— The New York Times From one of our generation’s most powerful artists comes a brilliantly crafted work about the art—and war—of becoming who we are. Today, Tariq Trotter—better known as Black Thought—is the Grammy-winning co-founder of The Roots and a profoundly skillful rapper. His journey began with a childhood incident where he burned down his family’s home, leading to a life forged in fire. In this work, Trotter narrates a moving portrait of the artist as a young man, offering a courageous model of living an examined life. Through vivid vignettes, he recounts the dramatic stories of four pivotal relationships that shaped him—each a complex weave of love, discovery, trauma, and loss. Beyond a poetic account of his creative origins, Trotter delves into vital questions we all face about our formative years: How can we see our own stories clearly? How do we use them to understand who we’ve become? How do we forgive those who loved and hurt us? What do we take forward, pass on, or leave behind? This beautifully bluesy coming-of-age story illuminates the redemptive power of transformation.
