es, even at the age of nine, Black Thought’s lyrical ability was good.
If you’ve ever wondered what Black Thought‘s first-ever freestyle sounded like, well, you’re in luck.

The Roots MC just released 7 Years, an Audible Original memoir made up of three acts that finds the artists sharing stories from his life in seven year increments. Included in that is one anecdote where the rapper recited the first-ever freestyle he wrote as a 9-year-old. Thought recalled how he and his friends would watch parties take place at a recreation center called The Center in South Philly, and the MC cyphers that would take place during them.

“Me and my friends would climb to the rooftop and look down on the jams, just watching the parties taking place on the basketball courts there, and for the first few years I would just observe and sort of soak it in. But eventually I built up enough confidence to try and grab the mic,” Thought recalls.