Black Thought On His Gold Rolex And His Bond With Questlove

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Five Minutes With ... Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter

The founder and lead MC of The Roots on his gold Daytona, his long musical bond with Questlove, and why he's always early.

John Peabody October 06, 2021 ADVERTISEMENT

Since becoming the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2014, The Roots have gone from respected hip-hop troupe to globally known super-group. Or put another way, The Roots have become America’s house band. Seriously. What other band can you watch perform every night in your living room? In the process, they have brought hip-hop to an even wider audience, collaborated with countless artists, and redefined the role of a late-night band. At the center of the band and their success is the extremely tight bond between its two founding members, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter. Chances are, if you’ve been paying attention to The Roots’ near-daily performances over the last seven years, you’ve noticed what’s on Black Thought’s wrist. Almost always, it’s one of two Cartier Roadsters.

Black Thought performs on-stage wearing his gold Rolex Daytona.

The co-founder of the Legendary Roots Crew frequently rotates between one in all stainless steel and another in steel-and-gold. But his appreciation for watches runs much deeper, as we recently found out during an interview. Trotter first started collecting watches when he picked up a Breitling, which he considers his first real watch. He’s also had multiple Panerais and TAG Heuers in his collection, and likes Bell & Ross, as well. A new gold Rolex Daytona on an Oysterflex strap is probably the keystone of his current lineup. “I’ve always said, if I’m going to do a Rolex this is how I’m going to do it. I’m not going to do a huge diamond-encrusted all-gold sort of thing,” he told HODINKEE. “I really appreciate that this is understated but a real-deal watch. The statement that it makes speaks for itself.”

Photographs by Getty Images.

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