Tunde Adebimpe (Sub Pop)

For more than two decades, Tunde Adebimpe has mainly been known as the co-vocalist and principal songwriter for New York band TV On The Radio. Though Tunde’s songwriting and signature vocals are central to his band’s sound, TV On The Radio is still considered by the band to be an equal collaboration between a group of singular musicians. Now, Tunde is stepping out on his own with his first-ever formal solo album, Thee Black Boltz, which was released on April 18 via Sub Pop. 

He initially conceived of the album in 2019, while TV On The Radio was taking a break. Two years later, as the world was emerging from the pandemic, he started to sketch out musical thoughts into a notebook, capturing a free-form string of words, illustrations and ideas. Included in this notebook was a list of musical references and visual sketches that constituted what he calls a “mixtape of emotions the music could evoke. A feeling map, of sorts." Finally, he started bringing the ideas to fruition with the help of multi-instrumentalist and producer Wilder Zoby (Run The Jewels), with whom he shares a studio in Los Angeles. The excitement of doing something on his own for the first time ignited a spark in Tunde like he felt in the early days of TV On The Radio. But in contrast, when writing with his TVOTR bandmates, Tunde knows he doesn’t always have to complete his own ideas. With a solo album, it was different. 

“I’ve been doing this thing with this group of people for so long, that I can just have a vague sketch of a concept and I know Jaleel [Bunton] or Kyp [Malone] will have five brilliant ideas on where it can go,” he explains. “But for Thee Black Boltz, I didn’t have that scaffolding to hang on. That was both terrifying and exhilarating.”

Fans were first introduced to the album with the undeniably catchy, distorted guitar-driven lead single, “Magnetic,” which reached #25 on the JBE Top 200 chart in February. Another album highlight is “Ate the Moon,” a new-wavy track that recalls Peter Gabriel’s electronic sounds from the ‘80s and ‘90s, layered with melody and catchy hooks. Beat-boxing and dance grooves define the track “Drop,” while the pensive latest single, “God Knows,” delves into the complexities of a bittersweet breakup. At press time, the song was up to #35 and climbing on the JBE Top 200 chart, and Thee Black Boltz was perched at #17 on the Non-Comm albums chart. All of the ideas that Tunde manifested into a blend of Rock, New Wave, Electronic tones and even a little bit of Reggae, all work together to make Thee Black Boltz an interesting and diverse sonic palette. 

At the heart of the album is its title, which is meant to be a nod to Tunde’s propensity to write about the human condition in all its forms. It is also his response to the personal grief that has come from loss in recent years, specifically the sudden passing of his younger sister while making this album. Writing these songs was a means of processing everything. “It was my way of building a rock or a platform for myself in the middle of this fucking ocean,” he concludes.

Photo credit: Xaviera Simmons