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Questlove

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Questlove
Questlove in 2011
Born
Ahmir K. Thompson[1]

(1971-01-20) January 20, 1971 (age 53)
Other names
  • Quest
  • Questo
  • BROther ?uestion
  • Brother Question
  • Qlove
  • ?uestlove
  • Questlove Gomez
Musical career
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • record producer
  • DJ
  • music journalist
  • actor
  • film director
InstrumentDrums
Years active1987–present
Labels
Member of
Websitequestlove.com
Signature
Questlove, with an afro-wearing figure as the Q.

Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ?uestlove), is an American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the hip-hop band the Roots. The Roots have been the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2014, after having fulfilled the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Questlove is also one of the producers of the 2015 cast album of the Broadway musical Hamilton. He has also co-founded of the websites Okayplayer and OkayAfrica.[2] He joined Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University as an adjunct professor in 2016,[3] and hosts the podcast Questlove Supreme.

Questlove has produced recordings for artists including Elvis Costello, Common, D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Jay-Z, Nikka Costa, Booker T. Jones, Al Green, and John Legend. He has been a member of the Soulquarians, the Randy Watson Experience, the Soultronics, the Grand Negaz and the Grand Wizzards. As an author, he has written four books. Questlove is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award,[4] six Grammy Awards[5] and a BAFTA Award.[6]

Early life

[edit]

Ahmir Thompson was born on January 20, 1971[7] into a musical family in Philadelphia. His father was Arthur Lee Andrews Thompson, from Goldsboro, North Carolina.[8] A singer, he became known as Lee Andrews and was lead with Lee Andrews & the Hearts, a 1950s doo-wop group.[9] Ahmir's mother, Jacquelin Thompson, together with his father, was also part of the Philadelphia-based soul group Congress Alley.[10] His parents did not want to leave him with babysitters so they took him with them when they were on tour.[11] He grew up in backstages of doo-wop shows. By the age of seven, Thompson began drumming on stage at shows, and by 13, had become a musical director.

Questlove's parents enrolled him at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. By the time he graduated, he had founded a band called the Square Roots (later dropping the word "square") with his friend Tariq Trotter (Black Thought). Questlove's classmates at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts included Boyz II Men, jazz bassist Christian McBride, jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, and singer Amel Larrieux. He attended senior prom with Larrieux. After graduating from high school, he took jazz and composition classes at the Settlement Music School.[12]

Questlove at a New York book signing, 2013

Thompson began performing on South Street in Philadelphia using drums, while Tariq rhymed over his beats and rhythms. Thompson and Jay Lonick, a childhood friend, were known for improvisational "call and response" percussion battles with plastic buckets, crates, and shopping carts. This style translated into Thompson's usual drumset arrangement, with most drums and cymbals positioned at waist level, emulating his original street setups.[citation needed]

For the Okayplayer platform and web television OkayAfrica TV, Questlove had his DNA tested in 2011 and genealogists researched his family ancestry. Questlove's DNA revealed from both of his biological parents that he is of West African descent, specifically the Mende people (found mostly in Sierra Leone as well as Guinea and Liberia).[13]

From the PBS television series, Finding Your Roots, hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., Questlove learned in December 2017 that he was descended in part from Charles and Maggie Lewis, his three times great-grandparents, who had been taken captive in warfare and sold as slaves in the port of Ouidah, Dahomey (now Benin) to American ship captain William Foster. They were among 110 slaves smuggled illegally to Mobile, Alabama, in July 1860 on the Clotilda. It was the last known slave ship to carry slaves to the United States. Questlove is the only guest to have appeared on Gates's program to be descended from slaves known by name, ship, and where they came from in Africa.[14][15]

Career

[edit]

1993–1996: Beginnings with the Roots

[edit]

The Roots' lineup was soon completed, with Questlove on drums and percussion, Tariq Trotter and Malik B on vocals, Josh Abrams (Rubber Band) on bass (who was replaced by Leonard Hubbard in 1994), and Scott Storch on keyboards. While the group was performing a show in Germany, they recorded an album entitled Organix, released by Relativity Records in 1993.

The group continued recording, releasing two critically acclaimed records in 1995 and 1996, Do You Want More?!!!??! and Illadelph Halflife, respectively.

1997–2003: Breakthrough, Soulquarians era, and increased output

[edit]

In 1999, the Roots had mainstream success with "You Got Me" (featuring Erykah Badu); the song earned the band the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for 2000. The song helped fuel the success of their Things Fall Apart album, which has since been hailed as a classic, eventually selling platinum.

Questlove served as executive producer for D'Angelo's 2000 album Voodoo, Slum Village's album Fantastic, Vol. 2, and Common's albums Like Water for Chocolate and Electric Circus. Besides the aforementioned albums, he has also contributed as a drummer or producer to Erykah Badu's Baduizm and Mama's Gun, Dilated Peoples' Expansion Team, Blackalicious's Blazing Arrow, Bilal's 1st Born Second, N*E*R*D's Fly or Die, Joshua Redman's Momentum, and Zap Mama's Axel Norman Ancestry In Progress, Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine, and Zack De La Rocha's currently unreleased solo material.

Aftershow party 1999, Germany

In 2001, he collaborated as the drummer for The Philadelphia Experiment, a collaborative instrumental jazz album featuring Christian McBride and Uri Caine, and the DJ of the compilation Questlove Presents: Babies Making Babies, released on Urban Theory Records in 2002. He played drums on Christina Aguilera's song "Loving Me 4 Me" for her 2002 album Stripped. In 2002, he and the Roots released the critically acclaimed Phrenology, which went gold.

In 2003, he played drums on John Mayer's song "Clarity" from his second album Heavier Things. He also arranged and drummed on Joss Stone's cover of the White Stripes' "Fell in Love with a Girl".

2004–present: Continued output and other media endeavors

[edit]

In 2004, the Roots released The Tipping Point, which contained a more mainstream sound, allegedly due to demands from Interscope Records. The album sold 400,000 copies. In 2004, Questlove appeared in Jay-Z's Fade to Black. In addition to appearing in the documentary portion of the film, Questlove was the drummer/musical director for all portions of the show with a live band. In 2005, Questlove appeared along with performers including Madonna, Iggy Pop, Bootsy Collins, and Little Richard in a television commercial for the Motorola ROKR phone. Questlove also appears for a short clip in the 2005 film, The Longest Yard.

Questlove performing with the Roots at the 2011 Ottawa Bluesfest

In 2006, Questlove appeared in the film Dave Chappelle's Block Party, as well as a couple of skits on Chappelle's Show. These included the Tupac "The Lost Episodes" skit, and one featuring John Mayer, wherein Questlove performs in a barber shop, inducing the occupants to dance and rap. With the exception of the Fugees and Jill Scott, Questlove served as the drummer at the 2004 Brooklyn street concert and was the musical director for the entire show. Questlove was given an Esky for Best Scribe in Esquire magazine's 2006 Esky Music Awards in the April issue. In 2006, Questlove was one of a handful of musicians hand-picked by Steve Van Zandt to back Hank Williams Jr. on a new version of "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" for the season premiere (and formal ESPN debut) of Monday Night Football. Along with his fellow Motorola ROKR commercial co-stars, Bootsy Collins and Little Richard, Questlove's bandmates included Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Charlie Daniels, and Bernie Worrell. In the same year, he appeared in the studio album Fly of the Italian singer Zucchero Fornaciari.

In 2007, Questlove co-produced with VH1's The Score winning producer Antonio "DJ Satisfaction" Gonzalez, from the Maniac Agenda, the theme to VH1's Hip Hop Honors 2007. Questlove joined Ben Harper and John Paul Jones for the Bonnaroo SuperJam on June 16, 2007, to play a 97-minute set.[16]

On March 2, 2009, Questlove and the Roots began their run as house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[17] He continues to perform with the Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, continuing his duties from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He occasionally performed solos titled, 're-mixing the clips', where he drew on his production and DJ abilities to dub video clips, cue audio samples in rhythm, and play drum breaks simultaneously.

In late 2009, while serving as an associate producer of the hit Broadway play Fela!, Questlove recruited Jay-Z to come on board as a producer. It was reported that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith had also signed on as producers.[18]

In January 2010, he was writing material with British singer Duffy for her second album.[19] He has been featured in a commercial for Microsoft's short-lived mobile phone, the Kin. In 2010, he made a cameo in the music video of Duck Sauce's song "Barbra Streisand", and with the Roots released the album Dilla Joints with renditions of producer J Dilla's music. He contributed drums to the song "You Got a Lot to Learn", which was recorded for the self-titled third studio album by Evanescence,[20][21] but did not appear on the final release.[22]

Questlove was planning to collaborate with Amy Winehouse before her death in July 2011. He said "We're Skype buddies, and she wants to do a project with Mos and me. Soon as she gets her visa thing together, that's gonna happen."[23] Rolling Stone named Questlove number 2 in the 50 Top Tweeters in Music. In June 2011, Questlove played drums alongside the Roots bassist Owen Biddle for Karmin's cover of Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass."[24] Questlove placed 8th in the Rolling Stone Readers Pick for Best Drummers of all Time.

In September 2016, Questlove launched a weekly radio show on Pandora, Questlove Supreme.[25] Notable guests have included Solange,[26] Chris Rock,[27] Maya Rudolph,[25] and Pete Rock,[28] among others. In 2019, Questlove Supreme moved from Pandora to iHeart Radio, where it still continues to this day.[29]The podcast has won "Best Music Podcast" at the 2023 iHeart Podcast Awards,[30] "Interview Of The Year" and "Podcast Of The Year" at Adweek's 2023 Audio Awards,[31] Best Lifestyle Podcast" at the 2022 Webby Awards,[32] along with other wins and nominations.

Alec Baldwin interviewed Questlove for the January 3, 2017, episode of Baldwin's WNYC Studios podcast Here's the Thing, where he joked about being "obsessed" with his Wikipedia profile. During the interview, he also discussed his musical and cultural interests, how the Roots started a "movement" with three 15-passenger vans and the impact of the loss of musical icons in 2016.[33]

In 2019, Questlove partnered with Black Thought of The Roots to executive produce the documentary series Hip-Hop: The Songs That Shook America under their production company, Two One Five Entertainment.[34][35][36]The series aired on AMC.[37] In 2020, the pair announced a first-look deal with Universal Television to develop scripted and non-scripted programming.[35][36]

He also served as the musical director and in-house DJ of the 2021 Academy Awards ceremony, having previously served as the in-house DJ for the 2020 ceremony. The music for the 2021 ceremony was largely remixed from compositions created by his band The Roots, with no in-house orchestra present.[38] In 2021, Questlove made his directorial debut with Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival,[39] which featured performances by Stevie Wonder, Sly and The Family Stone, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Mavis Staples, B. B. King, and many other top soul, jazz, gospel, and Latin artists of the era. Summer of Soul won both the US Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for documentary at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.[40] Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures acquired the film for distribution, setting a new Sundance Film Festival record for documentary film acquisition price. The film received acclaim from critics, with particular praise given to the restoration of the footage used. The film won numerous awards, including Best Documentary Feature at the 6th Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, where it won in all six categories in which it was nominated, Best Documentary at the 75th British Academy Film Awards, Best Documentary Feature at the 94th Academy Awards,[41] and Best Music Film at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

In September 2022, it was announced that Questlove would executive produce a feature documentary about J Dilla titled Dilla Time, adapted from the Dan Charnas biography of the same name. Joseph Patel, who also produced Summer of Soul, and Darby Wheeler are slated to co-direct.[42]In the same year, Questlove executive produced Descendant, a feature documentary on the historic discovery of The Clotilda—the last known slave ship to arrive in America illegally transporting enslaved Africans.[43]The documentary, which made its world premiere at Sundance in 2022, was acquired by Netflix and Higher Ground,President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's production company.[44][45]The film earned several award nominations at the 2022 Critics Choice Documentary Awards,[46][47] 2023 NAACP Image Awards[48] and was also named one of the "Top 5 Documentaries" of 2022 by the National Board of Review.[49]

In March 2023, it was announced that Questlove would direct a live-action/hybrid reimagining of the Walt Disney Productions animated film The Aristocats as his feature-film directorial debut, as well as executive-producing and overseeing the music. Will Gluck and Keith Bunin were attached to write the script, and Tariq Trotter, Shawn Gee and Zarah Zohlman were attached to executive produce on behalf of Two One Five Entertainment. Gluck and his production company Olive Bridge Entertainment were slated to produce.[50]

Questlove and Black Thought, under their Two One Five banner, executively produced Rise Up, Sing Out, a collection of animated musical shorts for Disney Junior, which earned a nomination for "Outstanding Short Form Series" for the 2023 NAACP Image Awards.[51][52] Questlove's web series, Quest for Craft, produced by Two One Five and launched in partnership with the single malt whiskey brand, The Balvenie, took home a Webby Award in 2023.[53] In 2023, Questlove also executive produced Sam Pollard's The League, a documentary centered on Negro league baseball.[54] Questlove executive produced the A&E James Brown docuseries "Say It Loud," which aired in 2024.[55] Questlove is directing an upcoming documentary on funk musician Sly Stone distributed by Onyx/Disney.[56]Questlove will make his feature film directing debut with a live-action hybrid reimagining of The Aristocats for Walt Disney Studios.[57]

Writing

[edit]

In 2007 Questlove provided the foreword for the book Check the Technique.[58] On June 18, 2013, he released a memoir, Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove. On October 22, 2013, Harper Design published the Questlove-written book, Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation.[59]

Questlove released his third book, Something to Food About: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs, along with co-author Ben Greenman and photographer Kyoko Hamada, which was published by Clarkson Potter Books on April 12, 2016.[60] In 2018, Questlove curated the soundtrack The Michelle Obama Musiaqualogy for Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming.[61]

In April 2018, he published the book Creative Quest, regarding the concept and cultivation of creativity.[62][63]

Questlove also released the cookbook Mixtape Potluck in 2019.[64][65]

In December 2021 Music Is History was published by Abrams Image. The book explores popular music through the context of American history over the past fifty years, connecting issues of race, gender, politics, and identity with Questlove's point of view.[66]

He wrote an essay for the book included in the super deluxe edition of the Beatles album Revolver, released in October 2022.[67]

In 2023 he started his own publishing imprint Auwa Books who will publish his next book Hip-Hop Is History.[68]

Personal life

[edit]

Starting in 2023, Questlove has hosted seven invite-only Game Night events for celebrities from different industries, with the address to each Game Night being undisclosed until the morning of the event.[69][70][71]

Discography

[edit]

The Roots

[edit]

Other studio releases

[edit]
  • PlumbDavid Murray, ?uestlove, and Ray Angry (J.M.I. Recordings, 2023).[72]
  • Fight the Power: Remix Public Enemy Featuring Nas / Rapsody / Black Thought / Jahi / YG & Questlove (Enemy Records, 2020)
  • Take Me I'm Yours – Difford & Tilbrook W / Robert Glasper & ?uestlove (Yep Roc Records, 2018)
  • Sufro Breaks – ?uestlove (Serato Pressings, 2017)

Filmography

[edit]
Questlove at a June 19, 2013 book signing

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2000 Bamboozled Alabama Porch Monkeys: Levi - Musical Director
2001 Brooklyn Babylon Member of The Lions
2006 Before the Music Dies Himself / Musician: The Roots Documentary
2011 The Black Power Mixtape 1967–1975 Himself Documentary
Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest Documentary
2012 Bad 25 Documentary
2013 Finding the Funk Narrator Co-executive producer
2014 Top Five Executive music producer
Composer
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown Himself Documentary
2016 Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall Documentary
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Cameo appearance
Vincent N Roxxy Composer
2019 Someone Great Himself
2020 Soul Curley Voice role [73]
2021 Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Director [74]
2025 SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) Director [75]

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Episodes
2003 Street Time Composer Episode: "Born to Kill"
2004 Chappelle's Show Original sketch music 12 episodes
2009–2014 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Musical director 969 episodes
2009 Yo Gabba Gabba! Himself Episode: "Clean"
2010 Nickelodeon Presents History and Heritage Composer Television film
VH1 Rock Docs Himself Episode: "Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America"
2011 Philly's 4th of July Jam Music director Television special
2012 iCarly Himself Episode: "iShock America"
2012/2021 Independent Lens 2 episodes
2012 The Cleveland Show Himself (voice) Episode: "Menace II Secret Society"
2012 Soul Train Awards Composer Television special
2013 The Eric Andre Show Himself Episode: "Chance the Rapper/Mel B"
Top Chef Himself - Guest Judge / Musician / Restaurateur Episode: "Giving It the College Try"
Say Yes to the Dress Himself Episode: "Apple of His Eye"
2014–2016 Inside Amy Schumer 3 episodes
2014 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Corpse (uncredited) Episode: "Criminal Stories"
SoundClash Executive producer Episode: "Fall Out Boy, T.I. & London Grammar"
2014–2023 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Himself 334 episodes
2015 Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown Episode: "Miami"
Empire Himself (voice) Episode: "Et Tu, Brute?"
The Jim Gaffigan Show Himself Episode: "My Friend the Priest"
Saturday Night Live Episode: "J.K. Simmons/D'Angelo"
Lucas Bros. Moving Co. Voice 2 episodes
Parks and Recreation LeVondrious Meagle Episode: "Donna and Joe"
2016 Hamilton's America Himself Television film
Night Train with Wyatt Cenac Episode: "Sneaks & Geeks"
Roots Executive music producer Miniseries
SPARKLE: A Don Quixote Story Producer Miniseries
2016/2020 Drunk History Himself 2 episodes
2017/2020 Finding Your Roots 2 episodes
2020 High Fidelity Executive music producer 10 episodes
2021 Sesame Street: 50 Years of Sunny Days Himself Television special
2022 Billions Episode: "Johnny Favorite"
2024 Abbott Elementary Episode: "2 Ava 2 Fest"

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2022 Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [76] Best Documentary Feature Film Won
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 The Roots Best Group Nominated
2009 The Roots Best Group Nominated
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2022 Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [77] Best Documentary Won
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2000 "You Got Me" (with Erykah Badu)[78] Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Won
Things Fall Apart Best Rap Album Nominated
2004 Phrenology Nominated
2005 "Star" Best Urban/Alternative Performance Nominated
"Don't Say Nuthin'" Best Rap Performance By a Duo/Group Nominated
2007 "Don't Feel Right" (featuring Maimouna Youssef) Nominated
Game Theory Best Rap Album Nominated
2011 "Hang On in There" (with John Legend) Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance Won
Wake Up! (with John Legend) Best R&B Album Won
"Shine" (with John Legend) Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Nominated
"Wake Up Everybody" (with John Legend, Melanie Fiona & Common) Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Nominated
How I Got Over Best Rap Album Nominated
2012 "Surrender" (with Betty Wright) Best Traditional R&B Performance Nominated
The Road from Memphis Best Pop Instrumental Album Won
2013 Undun Best Rap Album Nominated
2016 Hamilton Best Musical Theater Album Won
2019 Creative Quest Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording Nominated
2022 Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Best Music Film Won
2023 Music Is History Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording Nominated
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2003 The Seed 2.0 MTV2 Award Nominated
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2004 The Roots Road Woodie Nominated
Welcome Back Woodie Nominated[79]
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 The Roots Outstanding Duo or Group Nominated
2007 The Roots Outstanding Duo or Group Won[80]
2011 Wake Up! Outstanding Collaboration Won[81]
Outstanding Album Won[81]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "UPPER EAST SIDE". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Bischof, Jackie (February 11, 2013). "Questlove of The Roots Branches Out to Africa". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  3. ^ "Ahmir "?Uestlove" Thompson: Adjunct Instructor". New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  4. ^ 'Summer of Soul' Wins Best Documentary Feature | 94th Oscars, May 2022, retrieved February 14, 2023
  5. ^ "Questlove". www.grammy.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  6. ^ Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson takes home the win for his documentary Summer of Soul | EE BAFTAs 2022, March 14, 2022, retrieved February 14, 2023
  7. ^ Rose, Mike (January 20, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 20, 2023 includes celebrities Questlove, Rainn Wilson". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  8. ^ Brandle, Lars (March 17, 2016). "Lee Andrews, Questlove's Dad and Frontman of Lee Andrews & the Hearts, Dies at 79". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  9. ^ "Ahmir Thompson Reflects On His 'Roots'". Fresh Air. March 13, 2009. NPR. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  10. ^ "Congress Alley". Discogs. March 13, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  11. ^ "Questlove on His Musical Upbringing, Hip-Hop's 40th, Soul Train and New Memoir, "Mo' Meta Blues"". Democracy Now!. August 14, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  12. ^ Thompson, Ahmir "Questlove"; Greenman, Ben (June 18, 2013). Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4555-0136-6. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  13. ^ "The Roots of The Roots:?uesto and Black Thought Find Their Origins - OkayAfrica". YouTube. OkayAfrica. December 8, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  14. ^ Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (December 12, 2017). Finding Your Roots. Season 9. Episode 4. PBS.
  15. ^ Boyd, Jared (December 18, 2017). "PBS show reveals Questlove descended from last known slave ship, which landed in Alabama". The Birmingham News. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  16. ^ "Superjam 2007 featuring John Paul Jones, Ben Harper and Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson". Bonnaroo. 2007. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  17. ^ Farhi, Paul (March 1, 2009). "Ready or Not, Here Comes Jimmy Fallon To Update Late Night". The Washington Post. p. M1. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
  18. ^ Sutton, Benjamin (November 16, 2009). "?uestlove Recruits Jay-Z, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as Producers on Fela!". L Magazine. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  19. ^ "Singer Duffy begins new album sessions in New York". BBC News. January 13, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  20. ^ "Part 2. Steve Lillywhite interview with Amy Lee (East Village Radio)". YouTube. March 23, 2010. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021.
  21. ^ Lee, Amy (March 5, 2010). "Thank you, thank you, thank you @questlove ! It was an honor. :)". @AmyLeeEV. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  22. ^ "Evanescence". Discogs. 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
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  24. ^ "Karmin's Cover of Super Bass". YouTube. Archived from the original on June 3, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  25. ^ a b Espinoza, Joshua (August 25, 2016). "Questlove Lands His Own Radio Show on Pandora". Complex. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  26. ^ Hughes, Hilary (November 30, 2016). "Solange Reveals Why Master P's Influence Was Golden On Her Latest Album". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  27. ^ Young, Alex (November 25, 2014). "Questlove and Chris Rock nerd out over hip-hop on Juan Epstein podcast — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  28. ^ Sacher, Andrew (December 14, 2016). "Pete Rock interviewed on Questlove's Pandora show (read an excerpt)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  29. ^ "Exclusive: Questlove is working with iHeartRadio to expand his podcast empire". fastcompany.com. September 25, 2019.
  30. ^ Grein, Paul (March 15, 2023). "Questlove Wins Music Podcast of the Year at 2023 iHeartPodcast Awards (Full List)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  31. ^ Staff, Adweek (November 6, 2023). "Here Are the Adweek Audio Awards for 2023". Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  32. ^ "Run, don't walk, to start bingeing the best 2022 Webby Award-winning podcasts". Podsauce. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  33. ^ "Questlove Can't Take a Compliment". WNYC Studios. January 3, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  34. ^ "How TV learned to take hip-hop seriously". LA Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019.
  35. ^ a b "Questlove and Black Thought of The Roots Land Deal with Universal Television". Atlanta Black Star. May 18, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  36. ^ a b "Questlove and Tarik Trotter of The Roots Sign First-Look Deal With Universal Television". The Wrap. May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  37. ^ "Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America review – all hail Kanye | Television | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  38. ^ Jem Aswad (April 21, 2021). "How Questlove and Oscars Producer Jesse Collins Are Changing Music at the 2021 Academy Awards". Variety.
  39. ^ Greene, Bryan (June 2017). "Parks and Recreation: Harlem at a Crossroads in the Summer of '69". Poverty and Race Research Action Council.
  40. ^ "2021 Sundance Film Festival Awards Announced". Sundance Film Festival. February 2, 2021.
  41. ^ 'Summer of Soul' Wins Best Documentary Feature | 94th Oscars, May 2022, retrieved February 6, 2023
  42. ^ Monroe, Jazz (September 22, 2022). "Questlove Is Making a J Dilla Feature Documentary". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  43. ^ "Descendant: the untold story of an illegal slave ship and the legacy it left behind". The Guardian. October 19, 2022. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  44. ^ "Sundance: Netflix, Obamas' Higher Ground Land Doc 'Descendant'". The Hollywood Reporter. January 29, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  45. ^ "Questlove-produced film premieres at Sundance, tells story of descendants of last-known slave ship in America". PhillyVoice. January 23, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  46. ^ "'Fire of Love' and 'Good Night Oppy' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Award Nominations". Variety. October 17, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  47. ^ "Good Night Oppy Wins Top Prize at Critics Choice Documentary Awards". TheWrap. November 14, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  48. ^ "NAACP Image Awards 2023: 'Wakanda Forever,' 'The Woman King' Among Top Film Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. January 12, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  49. ^ "'Top Gun: Maverick' Named Best Picture by National Board of Review". Variety. December 8, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  50. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 27, 2023). "Questlove To Direct Live-Action/Hybrid Adaptation Of 'The Aristocats' For Disney". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  51. ^ "Questlove Discusses Disney Junior's NAACP Image and Annie Award-nominated 'Rise Up, Sing Out' | WATCH". eurweb. February 16, 2023.
  52. ^ "Hip-Hop Artist and Creator Black Thought To Be Rutgers-Newark Commencement Speaker". newark.rutgers.edu. April 18, 2024.
  53. ^ "Questlove and Fresh Film's Trevor Undi and Rob Meyer Pick up Webby Win | LBBOnline". lbbonline.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  54. ^ "'The League' Review: Sam Pollard's Negro League Baseball Doc Is Fascinating and Essential". The Hollywood Reporter. June 12, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  55. ^ "'James Brown: Say It Loud' Documentary Gets Premiere Date". Rated R&B. January 18, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
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