Before the platinum records and Grammy wins, Tariq Trotter was a kid who burned his house down.
Better known as Black Thought of The Roots, Trotter unpacks his early life with a poet’s rhythm and a survivor’s clarity. The Upcycled Self is more than a memoir. It’s a meditation on transformation—turning pain into power, tragedy into triumph.
Told through four pivotal relationships, his story digs deep into family, friendship, creativity, and community. The result is a raw, lyrical reflection on growth, grief, and the weight of becoming.
With each chapter, Trotter invites readers to ask tough questions about their own origin stories. What do we carry forward? What must we leave behind?
This is the testimony of an artist forged in fire, offering wisdom with the weight of lived truth.
