When it comes to showmanship in Hip-Hop, The Roots’ Black Thought is one of the greatest to ever do it. The South Philadelphia MC can rap, he can sing, and he can play with an ensemble—and he does it all, nightly on television. So much of Tariq Trotter’s on-stage persona, mojo, and skill is a direct product of studying “The Hardest Working Man In Show Business,” James Brown.

With the late Soul music icon in mind, Thought teams with his close affiliate/DJ J.Period to do a live mixtape dedicated to Mr. James Brown. The 35-minute jam (recorded at The Boombox’s #16 Bars) features Black tearing down James Brown backdrops, with J.Period weaving in JB’s vocals. The re-imagining of hits is amazing, especially on the fly. Black Thought’s ability to work with the records of a late artist (and J’s orchestration) is nothing short of amazing. The MC kicks an onslaught of original rhymes, and simply tears it down.

Stop by J.Period’s site to download The Live Mixtape (JB Edition).

Last year, J. Period was one of the several esteemed DJs to honor James Brown, with his The Legacy Of JB mix. Also, don’t sleep on the original 2010 Live Mixtape by Black Thought and J.

What would Mr. James Brown have thought of this? Is Black Thought (and The Roots) the hardest working men in today’s Hip-Hop show business?

Related: Did Black Thought Confirm He’s Working On A Solo Album?