Tariq Trotter (left), better known as Black Thought, co-founder of Philadelphia's Grammy-winning hip-hop group The Roots, discussed his new memoir "The Upcycled Self" earlier this month with professor and commentator Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, owner of Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books in Germantown.Trotter and Hill talked about Trotter's story, which began with tragedy when Trotter, then a child, burned down his family's home. During the discussion, which was hosted at Greene Street Friends in Germantown,Trotter recalled losing a friend to gun violence at 10. "We normalize loss and numb ourselves," said Trotter, who called writing the book "a cathartic experience" that helped him cope with losses in his life that include the deaths of his mother and father who died when Trotter was a child. At 9, he began writing rhymes that reflected his experience. He told Hill, "Art saved my life."