Music

Black Thought Unloads A Piercing Performance Of ‘State Prisoner’ On ‘A Colors Show’

The performance comes almost a month after The Roots rapper delivered his ‘Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Abel.’ …

After delaying the project for a little under three months, Black Thought finally shared his Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Abel effort in the middle of October. The project arrived as a 13-track effort with guest appearances from Pusha T, Killer Mike, Swizz Beatz, Schoolboy Q, and more. Nearly a month after Black Thought shared the effort, the rapper brought “State Prisoner” to the popular performance series, A Colors Show.

Black Thought delivered his performance of “State Prisoner” with a vibrant blue backdrop that laid behind him. Standing tall with the mic in front of him, the Philly-based rapper dropped off the piercing lyrics over the raucous production and effortlessly weaved his rhyme schemes and metaphors together for the A Colors Show set.

The performance on the popular online series came a couple of weeks after he stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to play a pair of tracks from the Streams of Thought, Vol. 3. Getting help from The Last Artful, Dodgr, and Portugal. The Man, Black Thought gave a powerful medley of his “Quiet Trip” and “Nature Of The Beast” tracks. He also delivered a cozy NPR Tiny Desk performance from the comfort of his home office earlier this year.

Album Review

Paul Terry, Aptøsrs & Cellarscape unite on bold new album “Alternative Piano Club”

Combining his three artistic alter egos, Paul Terry presents an awe-inspiring new 12-track album, “Alternative Piano Club,” written in collaboration with Aptøsrs and Cellarscape. This is an album-length voyage of music that blends acoustic, rock, and piano-driven cinematic sounds.

Torn between this complex emotional spectrum, all the while the piano remains at its core throughout. Paul Terry opens his “Memento Mori (Chromogenic Phase)” contemplatively, creating a solemn, reflective mood. Cellarscape’s “Three Years Of Roses“ is warmer, whereas Aptøsrs’ “Questionnaires“ is much more textured as a large, sculptural post-rock.

“Dave’s Theme,” written by Paul Terry, musically expands the narrative with a touch of cinematic elevation that aligns well. “We Shape The Clouds” by Cellarscape is fluffy and heart-warming, “Writers Behind The Curtain” is somber, more narrative. We are all together in “A Place We Made,” an honest, intimate, emotionally grounded space.

The project contains vocal warmth and cultural depth in the song “This Is My Home“ by Silas Miami & Lana Crowster. Proceeding in a totally different direction is the stronger emotional clarity of Paul Terry’s acoustic storytelling on “Any Time You Want To Fly” and “No Sleep Has Come.” Cellarscape presents a wide, spacious atmospheric moment in “Cygnus,” while Aptøsrs ends with “Rust Mountain (Monochrome Piano Version),” a simple gem that brings the project full circle.

The mixing of Sam Okell and Adam Noble, the mastering of Alex Wharton and Robin Schmidt have, in many ways, brought their polish to it while still making it feel human. “Alternative Piano Club” is a work entity, where three musical personalities met and talk mind in the same emotional language.

Artist Spotlight

LAST ALEX! balances precision and pulse on the electrifying track “Plus 1”

LAST ALEX!, a Chicago-based artist and producer, comes out with “Plus 1,” a high-energy release that combines technical prowess with an undeniable melodic instinct.

LAST ALEX! puts both craftsmanship and creativity on display here. The song’s strength lies in its balance, in detailed execution without sacrificing feeling, and in complexity without losing momentum.

LAST ALEX! doesn’t fully lean into the cold technique or loose emotion, but finds the sweet spot where skill and soul meet. This yields a polished, vibrant, and musically confident track.

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