questlove Archives

Give the Drummer Some. Questlove Raps & Freestyles on a Deep Roots Cut (Video)

Questlove is from an era when some great producers were equally phenomenal rappers. Large Professor, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, DJ Quik, and Andre 3000 are just some of the double-threat MCs. While Questlove is a drummer, producer, DJ, filmmaker, and all around funny guy, he never really got into rapping.... Read more

March 4, 2015 Video

Ever See This Freestyle with Black Thought, Phife & Consequence From 1997 (Video)

Here's a look back at a cipher between Black Thought, Phife Dawg and Consequence. The three MCs flowed off the top (for the most part) over a vicious beatbox, courtesy of Rahzel, as Questlove, Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad looked on. Based on Consequence's verse, the moment took place in... Read more

February 22, 2015 Throwback

Black Thought Says The Roots Are Free Agents. Will They Go Independent?

In a recording career that's nearly 25 years long, The Roots have really dealt with only two labels: Geffen Records and Def Jam Records. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hip-Hop band has released 11 studio albums, along with handfuls of EPs, collaborative works, and side projects dating back to 1993's Organix. After... Read more

February 17, 2015 News

J Dilla, Common & James Poyser Caught On Questlove’s Camera, Working In The Studio (Video)

One of the definitive albums of J Dilla's career was not his own, but rather, Common's Like Water For Chocolate. Comm's first LP out of the No I.D. and Dug Infinite pocket welcomed Jay Dee, Questlove, D'Angelo, James Poyser and the Soulquarians to the mix, along with DJ Premier and... Read more

February 10, 2015 Throwback

Celebrate J. Dilla’s Birthday with a Look Back at an Extended Interview of Him (Video)

Happy birthday to J. Dilla, who would have turned 41 years old today. As the world continues to be blessed with a seemingly bottomless treasure trove of Dilla's beats, posthumously, looks back at the the man, himself, are much more rare. So, to celebrate the life of one of Hip-Hop's... Read more

February 7, 2015 Throwback

An Animated Action Bronson Guest Stars on Lucas Bros. Moving Co. (Video)

Action Bronson and Questlove made guest appearances last night on FXX's animated series Lucas Bros. Moving Co. The show is built around Kenny and Keith Lucas, twin brothers who are NYC-based stand up comedians. The pair run a moving company in the series. In the most recent episode, Bronson plays... Read more

January 23, 2015 TV

Do Remember: The Roots – Silent Treatment (Video)

In the last week, The Roots' sophomore album Do You Want More?!!!??! turned 20 years old. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania band's first foray with the Top 200 and the charts altogether, D.Y.W.M. was recorded throughout 1993 and 1994, following the collective's debut, Organix. On some early editions, the DGC (Geffen Records)... Read more

January 22, 2015 Throwback

The Roots Reflect On The 20th Anniversary Of do you want more?!!!??! (Video)

January 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of The Roots official major-label debut album, do you want more?!!!??! (there is a discrepancy as to whether the release date was January 10th or January 17th). The album marked a shift in how Hip-Hop sounded at the time. While Stetsasonic were known as a... Read more

January 17, 2015 TV/Film, Video

Joey Bada$$ Rocks His Dilla & Roots-Produced Track With The Roots (Video)

Quite curiously, Joey Bada$$'s debut album, B4.Da.$$ (January 20) includes a track co-produced by The Roots, and the late J Dilla. While the snippets of the Sony Red-distributed LP were promptly pulled from YouTube, many Heads are curious how the Brooklyn, New York millennial would sound alongside the iconic collaboration... Read more

January 14, 2015 Fresh, Video

D’Angelo’s One-Hour 2014 AFROPUNK FEST Performance, In Full (Video)

After a career that could be described as largely dormant for more than a decade, 2014 was the great wake-up for D'Angelo's output. While the closing month of the year afforded musically-starving fans with a third album in Black Messiah, August was incredibly telling. It was then that the Richmond,... Read more

January 11, 2015 Video

Questlove Animates His Journey To Eat Patti Labelle’s Soul Cooking (Video)

Beyond a drummer, DJ, musical supervisor, and producer, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson is a foodie. Followers of the Grammy Award-winning Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native's social platforms know, as well as his friends and acquaintances, that ?uest is out for the finest in global culinary offerings. Never shy from a celebrity story, Questlove... Read more

December 18, 2014 Fresh, Video

D’Angelo’s Black Messiah Hits Stores Tonight. Here Are Details and a Review.

The wait is over. After nearly 15 years since the release of his Voodoo album, D'Angelo and The Vanguard's Black Messiah LP will hit stores at midnight (12/15). We were fortunate enough to attend an intimate listening session held at the Dream Hotel in New York's Meatpacking District. The event,... Read more

December 14, 2014 Featured-homepage, Fresh

Jon Stewart Looks Back At Premiering The Roots On TV In 1995 (Video)

In the last 15 years, Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" has been a destination for some Hip-Hop-savvy performances. Sitting down with another TV host Head, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart looked across the set at The Roots. Casually, Stewart (who is promoting the new film he co-produced, Rose Water) recalled giving... Read more

November 26, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Chris Rock Says Pootie Tang Is His Junior M.A.F.I.A. LP, Debates PM Dawn’s & J Dilla’s Impact (Audio)

If you enjoyed Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan naming their Top 5 MCs in honor of the film, Top 5, you'll love this. Chris Rock, joined by Questlove, swung through Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg's Juan Epstein podcast. There, the four Heads engage in a casual, very free-flowing discussion about... Read more

November 25, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Lecrae & The Roots Tear It Down Like It’s Nuthin’ (Video)

Lecrae's "Nuthin'" is one of the talking points from Anomaly. The Reach Records star with a #1 album isn't holding his tongue about his Rap peers on the single, but he's trying to bring messages back—whatever they may be. Joining The Roots onstage for "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon,"... Read more

October 4, 2014 Fresh, Video

Public Enemy Performs One Of Their Earliest, Biggest Hits With The Roots (Video)

While 1988 would be the year Public Enemy's seminal It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, 1987 is integral to the story. That would be the year that the Long Island collective dropped their debut album, Yo! Bum Rush The Show. The album was a homogenous blend... Read more

September 17, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Questlove Says That The Late, Great Robin Williams Was A Roots Head

In the last 24 hours, the world mourns the death of Robin Williams. On August 11, the Academy Award-winning film actor, television star, voice-actor, and stand-up comedian was found dead in his Hollywood, California. While reports are still confirming the cause of death from what appears to be suffocation, an... Read more

August 12, 2014 Fresh

HuffPost Mashes Up Their Freestyles from Snoop, Black Thought & Wayne Brady (Video)

Oddly, Huffington Post has started collecting freestyles from various guests. You may have caught some, such as Black Thought rhyming over Questlove's pic and table-driven beat, and now they've done a video mashup of freestyles from Snoop, Black Thought and Wayne Brady. The only requirement of each is that he... Read more

July 23, 2014 Video

The Roots’ Longtime Manager & Producer Rich Nichols Passes Away

With his name in the liners as far back as Illadelph Halflife, producer Richard Nichols was an integral part of The Roots. Producer, executive, and manager, Nichols was never credited as a member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hip-Hop band, but was highly involved in their studio work and even transition... Read more

July 17, 2014 Fresh

With Grammys Stacked On The Shelf, The Roots Are Nominated For An Emmy Award

2014 marks 15 years since The Roots crew grabbed their first Grammy Award alongside Erykah Badu for the Things Fall Apart smash hit, "You Got Me." In the time since, Black Thought and company have received a bevy of nominations, and grabbed two more statues for their 2010 WAKE UP... Read more

July 11, 2014 Fresh

Questlove & Black Thought Discuss Their Illustrious History & Kick a Freestyle (Video)

Here's an extended interview with The Roots' Questlove & Black Thought. The duo discusses their creative process, performing with Dave Chappelle, fellow music alums from their high school (Bilal, Boyz II Men) and more. They end the session with a freestyle with Thought supplying the off the top rhymes and... Read more

June 28, 2014 Video

DJ Jazzy Jeff, Questlove & James Poyser Form Like Voltron To Support One New Artist, But Who? (Video)

In the early 2000s, between Grammy awards going to The Roots and Neo-Soul climbing the charts, Philadelphia was a hot-bed of talent. At venues like The Black Lily and The Five Spot, artists from various pockets of sound were hanging out, collaborating, and making a case why Philly is The... Read more

June 12, 2014 Fresh, Video

The Roots Take The 28 Days Later Approach To Never (Video)

In many of The Roots' videos throughout the last eight years, they have favored sitting it out. Arguably, The Roots television and performing schedule (especially with so many studio commitments on top) holds the group back. More likely though, it is a conscious choice to support the narrative of Black... Read more

June 11, 2014 Fresh, Video

Episode 1 of The Message Documentary Speaks on Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, Run-D.M.C., LL Coo J & Much More (Full Video)

Episode 1 of BET's Hip-Hop documentary, The Message, covers roughly the first decade of Hip-Hop. It addresses pioneers like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J, Run-D.M.C., Cold Crush Brothers and more. It also features several luminaries including Doug E Fresh, Fab 5 Freddy, Ice Cube, DJ Premier,... Read more

June 11, 2014 Throwback

Imagine Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Bill Bellamy & Marlon Wayans on 1 Stage. Or Just Read About It…

Dave Chappelle is returning to Radio City Music Hall later this month for an 8-night run with several guests, including Erykah Badu, The Roots, DJ Premier, Janelle Monae and more. As part of his prep, he assembled a dream team of comedy for 1 night only in February that included... Read more

June 7, 2014 Fresh

Nas, RZA & More Discuss The Earliest Days of Hip-Hop in The Message Hip-Hop Documentary (Video)

BET's 4-part Hip-Hop documentary, The Message, premieres tonight at 10pm. Part 1 focuses on the early days of Hip-Hop and features Doug E Fresh, Fab 5 Freddy, Ice Cube, DJ Premier, Grand Wizard Theodore, Nas, MC Lyte, Questlove, Russell Simmons, Snoop, RZA, Sway, Talib Kweli, Kendrick Lamar, Eve, Swizz Beatz... Read more

June 4, 2014 Throwback

D’Angelo Explains Delving Into Funk-Rock, Brotherly Bond With Questlove (Video)

D'Angelo takes the microphone in a much different capacity as the singer-songwriter hits the Red Bull Music Academy in New York for an hour-and-a-half-long talk with journalist/author/filmmaker Nelson George. In front of an energetic audience at the Brooklyn Museum, D'angelo discusses a wide variety of topics including his inspiration from... Read more

May 23, 2014 Fresh, Video

De La Soul Presented With Webby Awards’ Artist Of The Year By Questlove (Video)

Only releasing a mixtape and a handful of loose tracks in the last 12 months, De La Soul received Artist Of The Year honors at the 18th annual Webby Awards. The Long Island, New York trio was presented with the award (by De La disciple, Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of The... Read more

May 22, 2014 Featured-homepage, Fresh, Video

The Roots’ Never Gets A Live Choral Flip, With DJ A-Trak On The Cut (Video)

Released yesterday, The Roots' ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin steps further in the direction that the group has been heading since parting ways with MCA/Geffen Records a decade ago. Dark, thoughtful, and often veiled in the perspectives and voices of others, the Philadelphia group is making quite different music... Read more

May 21, 2014 Fresh, Video

Questlove & Black Thought Talk 25 Years Of The Roots, Where The Last 5 Albums Fit In With The First 6 (Video)

Late last week, Heads saw Black Thought freestyle over a Questlove beat, with the funky drummer on the cut, no less. From that same interview, Tariq and Amir sat down with Sway Calloway on his Hip Hop Nation show, to talk about 25 years of the crew. In this hour-plus... Read more

May 19, 2014 Fresh, Video

Witness a Taste of The Roots “First Opera” (Video)

The Legendary Roots Crew took the stage last week at NYC's Public Theater and did a live rendition of their forthcoming album "...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin." Rather than a straight performance, they presented the work as a high art project, calling it their "first opera." Here's a trailer... Read more

May 19, 2014 Video

Questlove Provides the Beat; Black Thought Supplies the BLAZING HOT Lyrics (Video)

The Roots' Questlove and Black Thought joined Sway on Shade 45 and STRAIGHT CAUGHT WRECK. The dynamic duo took it back to the basics, with Quest on the turntable with nothing but a drumbeat and Black Thought spitting that hot fire off the top. This is Hip-Hop. Plain and simple.... Read more

May 14, 2014 Video

The Roots Let Heads Listen Early To …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin In Its Entirety (Album Stream)

Between Masta Ace's crew, J-Live, and now The Roots' latest album, today (May 13) is a day for the books in terms of album streams. Out of nowhere, ?uestlove, Black Thought, Tuba Gooding, Jr. and the rest of The Roots crew liberated their latest in-house LP (due May 20), ...And Then... Read more

May 13, 2014 Audio, Fresh

How Did Lorde Signify the Death of “Black Cool?” Questlove Has the Answers…

Questlove is in the middle of a 6-part essay series for Vulture called "How Hip-Hop Failed Black America." The first 2 parts were dense, challenging, and deeply thought-provoking. The 3rd installment, titled "What Happens When Black Loses Its Cool?," is no less engaging and philosophical. Quest attempts to define and... Read more

May 6, 2014 Fresh

Think Hip-Hop Has Grown Too Materialistic? Questlove Does Too. Here’s Why.

The Roots' Questlove is writing a 6-part series for vulture.com called "How Hip-Hop Failed Black America." The title alone let's you know that this is not light reading. Brother Question examines the culture he (and we) love from multiple angles: political, social, philosophical. In the 2nd part, he looks at... Read more

April 30, 2014 Fresh

The Roots Open Up A New Chamber With Raheem DeVaughn on Tomorrow (Audio)

Some say that since 2004's The Tipping Point, Black Thought and The Roots crew have been making nothing short of dark albums. Although the acclaim continues to grow for the Philadelphia mainstays, radio play and Top 40 alludes the former Geffen/MCA Records three-time Grammy Award-winners. Well, as ...& Then You... Read more

April 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh

The Roots Announce Their Next Album Is Less Than 6 Weeks Away

Earlier this week, The Roots dropped off "When The People Cheer," their first completely in-house, new music in over a year. ?uestlove, Black Thought, Tuba Gooding, Jr. and the rest of the crew have now announced, via Def Jam Records, that their next studio album is coming May 19. No... Read more

April 9, 2014 Fresh

The Roots Premiere A New Song That Speaks To Everyman (Audio)

Although The Roots worked with Elvis Costello in 2013, it's been some months since the Heads were treated to a completely Roots Crew jam. That changed today with "When The People Cheer." While the record might sound entertainment-specific in the title, it's some great Everyman Rap that furthers the tradition... Read more

April 7, 2014 Audio, Fresh

Here’s a Look at Day 1 of Questlove’s First Day on The Tonight Show (Video)

The Legendary Roots Crew made the move with Jimmy Fallon and is now the house band for The Tonight Show. Here's an inside look at Questlove's day 1 on the show. Check it out. Related: Here’s a (mostly) video playlist celebrating the nearly 20-year career of The Legendary Roots Crew... Read more

February 20, 2014 Video

?uestlove Speaks at the Red Bull Lecture Series (Video)

This Red Bull Lecture series has been dope so far. This week's installment with ?uestlove makes it even better. ?uest drops a wealth of knowledge about The Legendary Roots Crew, working on Fallon and music, generally...and, he even gets on the drums. This is one of the most intellectual discussions... Read more

June 12, 2013 Video

Nardwaur vs. ?uestlove (Video)

Nardwaur vs. ?uestlove. You're not ready...Check out the video (all 45 minutes of it). Related: A Day in the Life of ?uestlove (Video)... Read more

May 2, 2013 Video

Questlove and D’Angelo Discuss Their Mutual Love of Prince (Video)

Here's a little something for the Prince stans out there. Questlove and D'Angelo share the story of how their mutual love of Prince brought them together. Check out the video. Related: D’Angelo and ?uestlove perform in Brooklyn (Video)... Read more

March 25, 2013 Video

AFH: J Dilla Tribute

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February 7, 2013 Audio, Featured-homepage, Video

?uestlove Interview with The Bee Shine (Video)

The mighty ?uestlove is one of hip-hop's most stately ambassadors. Here's an introspective interview where he discusses his love for music, how Whitney Houston's death caused him to change his lifestyle, the difficulty with maintaining dignity as a hip-hop artist and more. Check out the video. Related: A Day in... Read more

January 19, 2013 Video

Questlove J. Dilla tribute (Video)

It's never a bad day for some J. Dilla music. Here's an hour long set of Dilla-produced beats spun by the one and only Questlove. Check out the video. Related: Bling47 breaks down J. Dilla’s Dooinit beat (Video)... Read more

November 28, 2012 Audio, Video

Questlove releases his demo reference track for the Beastie Boys Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tribute (Audio)

Back in April we got to see the Beastie Boys Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tribute that featured The Roots, Kid Rock and Travie McCoy. It turns out the whole performance was the brainchild of Questlove. In honor of MCA's recent birthday (Aug. 5), Quest decided to liberate the... Read more

August 13, 2012 Audio

Here’s a cool look at a day in the life of Questlove that was produced by Hulu. Check it out below (Video)

Props: 2DBZ Related: Best of The Legendary Roots Crew (Playlist)... Read more

May 20, 2012 Food for Thought, Video

Questlove J Dilla Tribute Mix (Mixtape)

There have been a lot of tributes to J Dilla this week due to the anniversaries of both his birth and passing. Questlove dedicated this mix to him today. It features lots of Dilla beats and music from Ghostface, Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and more. You... Read more

February 10, 2012 Audio, Mixes

?uestlove writes a heartfelt tribute to the legacy of Don Cornelius

Here's a moving piece from ?uestlove about the cultural impact of Don Cornelius and Soul Train. An excerpt is below and you can read the full article here. "you guys see this bag? this bag has NEVER left my side for the past 14 years. I deemed it imperative that... Read more

February 2, 2012 Food for Thought

OK…so I was a little late on Nardwaur but better late…

For anyone else who missed these or who wants to be entertained (again) check out the best of Nardwaur vs. Hip-Hop. It's cool to see him consistently engage some very respectable minds in hip-hop with deeply researched questions. Warning: These interviews are like Lays...No one can have just one. Nardwaur... Read more

March 26, 2011 Food for Thought, Video