Glorious Game

On January 11, 2023, Black Thought announced that a collaborative album with El Michels Affair titled Glorious Game would be releasing on April 14, 2023, and released the first single for the album "Grateful".{{Cite web |last=Ruiz |first=Matthew |date=2023-01-11 |title=The Roots' Black Thought Announces New Album With El Michels Affair |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/the-roots-black-thought-announces-new-album-with-el-michels-affair/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} According to the press release, work for the album started in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The album features Michels' close collaborators and artists from his record label Big Crown, including Lady Wray, Brainstory, and Paul Spring.

On February 14, the second single for the album, "That Girl", was released.{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=2023-02-14 |title=Black Thought, El Michels Affairs Drop a New Sonic Valentine, 'That Girl' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/black-thought-el-michels-affairs-new-song-that-girl-1234679427/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} On March 6, the third single for the album, "Glorious Game", was released, featuring singer Kirby.{{Cite web |last=Oatman |first=Alex |date=2023-03-07 |title=Black Thought & El Michels Affair Drop New Song 'Glorious Game' |url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/black-thought-el-michels-glorious-game |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=HipHopDX |language=en}} On March 29, the fourth single for the album, "I'm Still Somehow", was released.{{Cite web |last=Rettig |first=James |date=2023-03-29 |title=Black Thought & El Michels Affair Share New Song "I'm Still Somehow": Listen |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2218422/black-thought-el-michels-affair-im-still-somehow/music/ |access-date=2023-03-29 |website=Stereogum |language=en}} The album was released on April 14.{{Cite web |last=Mancini |first=Maggie |date=2023-04-14 |title=Black Thought, El Michels Affair explore fame and identity on 'Glorious Game' |url=https://www.phillyvoice.com/black-thought-el-michels-affair-glorious-game-collaboration-album-release/ |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=PhillyVoice |language=en-US}}

Black Thought has described Glorious Game as "one of my most personal projects to date", and has stated that his goal for the album was to have every song tell a story from or about his life.{{Cite web|first=Timmhotep |last=Aku |url=https://www.thefader.com/2023/04/13/black-thought-plays-the-long-game |title=Black Thought plays the long game |publisher=The Fader |access-date=2023-04-19}} Bandcamp characterizes Black Thought as "in an introspective mood" on the album.{{Cite web|first=Blake |last=Gillespie |title=Black Thought & Leon Michels Discuss the Deeply Personal "Glorious Game" |url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/black-thought-el-michels-glorious-game-interview |publisher=Bandcamp |date=2023-04-13 |access-date=2023-04-19}} The title Glorious Game is a term for "information passed down from... an elder statesman with a cautionary tale here and there". The decision to include a reprise of the title track was inspired by musical theater.

In producing the album, Leon Michels wrote several original songs and then, rather than using those songs directly, created hip hop beats that sampled them.

{{Music ratings

| MC = 81/100{{Citation |title=Glorious Game by El Michels Affair |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/glorious-game/el-michels-affair |access-date=2023-04-19 |publisher=Metacritic| language=en}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last=Kellman |first=Andy |title=Glorious Game Black Thought / El Michels Affair |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/glorious-game-mw0003909944 |website=AllMusic}}

| rev2 = Clash

| rev2score = 8/10{{Cite web |last=Murray|first=Robin |date=2023-04-14 |title=El Michels Affair & Black Thought - Glorious Game {{!}} Reviews |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/black-thought-el-michels-affair-glorious-game/ |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=Clash |language=en-GB}}

| rev3 = HipHopDX

| rev3score = 4.6/5{{Cite web |last=Wallace |first=Riley |date=2023-04-22 |title=Black Thought & El Michels Affair's 'Glorious Game' Is A Cinematic Marvel |url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/black-thought-el-michels-affairs-glorious-game-album-review |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=HipHopDX |language=en}}

| rev4 = Loud and Quiet

| rev4score = 6/10{{Cite web |last=Haley|first=Dominic |title=El Michels Affair and Black Thought - Glorious Game |url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/el-michels-affair-and-black-thought-glorious-game/ |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=Loud And Quiet |language=en-US}}

| rev5 = PopMatters

| rev5score = 7/10{{Cite web |last=Conaton |first=Chris |date=2023-06-22 |title=Black Thought and El Michels Affair Team Up for Throwback Hip-Hop |url=https://www.popmatters.com/black-thought-el-michels-affair |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=PopMatters |language=en-US}}

| rev6 = Under the Radar

| rev6score = 7.5/10{{Cite web |last=Thiessen |first=Chris |title=Glorious Game |url=https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/glorious_game_el_michels_affair_black_thought |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=Under the Radar |language=en}}

}}

Upon release, Glorious Game was met with critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on seven reviews.

Writing for Under the Radar, Chris Thiessen writes "Glorious Game pays homage to hip-hop's lineage of soul, funk, and boom-bap," and praises Black Thought's lyricism, saying "In both the familiar and the unexpected, Black Thought is perfectly at ease. He finds ample room and inspiration in Michels' thoughtful production to reflect on his life." Robin Murray at Clash praised El Michels Affair's production, writing, "A word, too, for the ever-resistant consistency that cinematic soul outfit El Michels Affair apply to their art – the group's third album in three years, they never once let standards slip." Riley Wallace of HipHopDX commended Black Thought's storytelling, writing, "Playing out as a stage-worthy one-person show, Thought remains endearingly personal throughout the tightly curated 31-minute project, walking us through the sights, sounds, smells and sensibilities instilled coming up in the Point Breeze neighborhood of South Philadelphia." AllMusic's Andy Kellman praised Black Thought's writing on the album, stating: "While Thought remains unrelentingly stern in his delivery, his rhymes remain packed with comic references and imagery contradicting his improper classification as one of hip-hop's most sullen and humorless MCs." Writing for PopMatters, Chris Conaton concludes his review stating "This project is worth checking out, with excellent production and even better verses." KCRW's Jeremy Sole writes of the album "Together, these master craftsmen bring a depth and introspection so needed in this world today. The album not only transmutes pain and struggle into beauty and wisdom, but does so in a way that we can ride to it, slow and low, calm and collected."

{{Track listing

| headline = Glorious Game track listing

| all_writing = Tariq Trotter, except where noted, and produced by Leon Michels

| title1 = Grateful

| writer1 = {{hlist|Cleveland Browne|Greville Gordon|Homer Steinweiss|Leon Michels|Nick Movshon|Rexton Gordon|Tariq Trotter|Wycliff Johnson}}

| length1 = 2:51

| title2 = Glorious Game

| note2 = featuring Kirby

| writer2 = {{hlist|Eric Hagstorm|Kevin Martin|Kirby Lauryen Dockery|Michels|Trotter|Tony Martin}}

| length2 = 3:53

| title3 = I'm Still Somehow

| writer3 = {{hlist|Joni Mitchell|Michels|Trotter}}

| length3 = 2:04

| title4 = Hollow Way

| writer4 = {{hlist|Eddie Holloway|Erkin Koray|Jake Graffagnino|Michels|Trotter}}

| length4 = 2:24

| title5 = Protocol

| note5 = featuring Son Little

| writer5 = {{hlist|Paul Spring|Son Little|Steinweiss|Movshon|Michels|Trotter}}

| length5 = 2:56

| title6 = The Weather

| writer6 = {{hlist|Paul Casteluzzo|Movshon|Michels|Trotter}}

| length6 = 2:59

| title7 = That Girl

| writer7 = {{hlist|Steinweiss|K. Martin|Michels|Movshon|Spring|Trotter}}

| length7 = 2:10

| title8 = I Would Never

| writer8 = {{hlist|Steinweiss|K. Martin|Michels|Movshon|Spring|Trotter}}

| length8 = 2:43

| title9 = Alone

| writer9 = {{hlist|Dave Guy|K. Martin|Michels|Movshon|Trotter}}

| length9 = 2:06

| title10 = Miracle

| writer10 = {{hlist|Michels|Movshon|Trotter}}

| length10 = 2:32

| title11 = Glorious Game (Reprise)

| writer11 = {{hlist|Guy|Hagstorm|K. Martin|T. Martin|Michels|Dockery}}

| length11 = 1:23

| title12 = Alter Ego

| note12 = featuring Brainstory

| writer12 = {{hlist|Hagstorm|K. Martin|T. Martin|Michels|Trotter}}

| length12 = 3:10

| total_length = 31:16

}}

• Additional production on "Glorious Game" by Brainstory
• Additional production on "The Weather" by Paul Castelluzzo

• "Grateful" contains samples from "Ting-A-Ling", by Shabba Ranks.{{Cite web |date=12 January 2023 |title=Black Thought Unites with El Michels Affair for Collaborative LP 'Glorious Game,' Share Lead Single "Grateful" |url=https://jambands.com/news/2023/01/12/black-thought-unites-with-el-michels-affair-for-collaborative-lp-glorious-game-share-lead-single-grateful/ |access-date=1 April 2023 |website=Jambands |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Aghyari |first=Kian |date=12 January 2023 |title=Nieuwe single El Michels Affair & Black Thought - "Grateful" |trans-title=New single [by] El Michels Affair & Black Thought - "Grateful" |url=https://www.dansendeberen.be/2023/01/12/nieuwe-single-el-michels-affair-black-thought-grateful/ |access-date=1 April 2023 |website=Dansende Beren |language=nl}}

Musicians

• Leon Michels – drums, bass, guitar, keys, flute, sax, percussion, vocals
• Nick Movshon – drums, bass
• Homer Steinweiss – drums
• Paul Spring – guitar
• Kevin Martin – vocals
• Tony Martin – bass
• Eric Hagstrom – drums
• Paul Castelluzzo – guitar, keys
• Lady Wray – vocals
• Big Tony Martin – vocals

Technical

• Jens Jungkurth – mixer, engineer
• Leon Michels – engineer
• Alex Deturk – mastering

• "[https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/black-thought-el-michels-glorious-game-interview Black Thought & Leon Michels Discuss the Deeply Personal “Glorious Game"]" (Bandcamp, 2023).
• "[https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/black-thought-leon-michels-glorious-game-interview-1235298438/ How Friendship & Love of Music Brought Black Thought and El Michels Affair Together]" (Billboard, 2023).
• "[https://www.thefader.com/2023/04/13/black-thought-plays-the-long-game Black Thought plays the long game]" (The Fader, 2023).

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Category:2023 collaborative albums

Category:Black Thought albums