When the discussion of underrated MCs comes up, Black Thought's name is frequently mentioned. And we take that as an insult. It's 2012 (2014), and the Philly bred frontman from The Roots has been slaying every mic in his path for two decades now, in concerts across the world and on over a dozen LPs, without taking a breather. He's even managed to stay relevant with rap purists while holding down a gig on Jimmy Fallon's late night NBC talk show. Tariq Trotter is a one of one in this rap shit. There is no other artist with his stage presence, stamina, versatility, and straight up skills to pay the bills. He's the quintessential master of ceremonies. To celebrate his birthday, UNT gave you a special edition of The 10s titled Thought At Work, because he stays on his job, and doesn't ever let up. He’s a monster live, but his recordings are just as impressive, and he's held his own on tracks with everyone from Big Pun to Ghostface Killah to Mos Def, not to mention his countless classics with The Roots .... next time you want to talk underrated MCs, please leave his name out. Black Thought only belongs in the Top 5 Dead Or Alive discussion moving forward. This mix was originally presented by UpNorthTrips in 2012, with words by Stan Ipcus and mixed by UnitedCrates. Happy Born Day to Black Thought, as well as myself and Kweli. Listen to the mix below... (Updated '21).