Questlove

American hip hop musician (born 1971)

Questlove

Questlove in 2011

Born|

Ahmir K. Thompson[1]

(1971-01-20) January 20, 1971 (age 54)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Other names|

* Quest
* Questo
* BROther ?uestion
* Brother Question
* Qlove
* ?uestlove
* Questlove Gomez

Musical career
Genres|

* Hip hop
* neo soul
* alternative hip hop

Occupations|

* Musician
* record producer
* DJ
* music journalist
* actor
* film director

Instrument| Drums
Years active| 1987–present
Labels|

* Okayplayer
* Def Jam

Member of|

* The Philadelphia Experiment
* The Randy Watson Experience
* The Roots
* Saturday Night Live Band
* The Soultronics
* Soulquarians

Musical artist

Website| questlove.com
Signature

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 8 books.[4] Questlove is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award,[5] six Grammy Awards[6] and a BAFTA Award.[7]

## Early life

[edit]

Ahmir Thompson was born on January 20, 1971[8] into a musical family in Philadelphia. His father was Arthur Lee Andrews Thompson, from Goldsboro, North Carolina.[9] A singer, he became known as Lee Andrews and was lead with Lee Andrews & the Hearts, a 1950s doo-wop group.[10] Ahmir's mother, Jacquelin Thompson, together with his father, was also part of the Philadelphia-based soul group Congress Alley.[11] His parents did not want to leave him with babysitters so they took him with them when they were on tour.[12] He grew up in backstages of doo-wop shows. When he was 7 years old, Questlove helped prepare his father’s performance outfits and when he was 10, he operated stage lights for his father’s performances.[13][14][15] At age 12, Questlove filled in as a drummer for his father’s band, debuting as a performer at the Radio City Music Hall.[14][15]

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.[16]

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).[17]

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.[18][19]

## Career

[edit]

### 1993–1996: Beginnings with the Roots

[edit]

Further information: The Roots

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.

Thompson was credited as "B.R.O. the R.? (Beat Recycler of the Rhythm)" on Organix, a name he disliked. Inspired after hearing the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest in 1990, he chose "Questlove" as his new moniker.[20]

The group continued recording, releasing two critically acclaimed records in 1994 and 1996, Do You Want More?!!!??! [21]and Illadelph Halflife, respectively.

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

[edit]

See also: Soulquarians

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 Mos Def’s 1999 album Black on Both Sides,[22] 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 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.[23]

On March 2, 2009, Questlove and the Roots began their run as house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[24] 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.[25]

In January 2010, he was writing material with British singer Duffy for her second album.[26] 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,[27][28] but did not appear on the final release.[29]

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."[30] 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."[31] 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.[32] Notable guests have included Solange,[33] Chris Rock,[34] Maya Rudolph,[32] and Pete Rock,[35] among others. In 2019, Questlove Supreme moved from Pandora to iHeart Radio, where it still continues to this day.[36] The podcast has won "Best Music Podcast" at the 2023 iHeart Podcast Awards,[37] "Interview Of The Year" and "Podcast Of The Year" at Adweek's 2023 Audio Awards,[38] Best Lifestyle Podcast" at the 2022 Webby Awards,[39] 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.[40]

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.[41][42][14] The series aired on AMC.[43] In 2020, the pair announced a first-look deal with Universal Television to develop scripted and non-scripted programming.[42][14]

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.[44] 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,[45] 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.[46] 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,[47] 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.[48] 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.[49] 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.[50][51] The film earned several award nominations at the 2022 Critics Choice Documentary Awards,[52][53] 2023 NAACP Image Awards[54] and was also named one of the "Top 5 Documentaries" of 2022 by the National Board of Review.[55]

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.[56]

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.[57][58] 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.[59] In 2023, Questlove also executive produced Sam Pollard's The League, a documentary centered on Negro league baseball.[60] Questlove executive produced the A&E James Brown docuseries "Say It Loud," which aired in 2024.[61] Questlove is directing an upcoming documentary on funk musician Sly Stone distributed by Onyx/Disney.[62]Questlove will make his feature film directing debut with a live-action hybrid reimagining of The Aristocats for Walt Disney Studios.[63]

### Writing

[edit]

In 2007 Questlove provided the foreword for the book Check the Technique.[64] 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.[65]

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.[66] In 2018, Questlove curated the soundtrack The Michelle Obama Musiaqualogy for Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming.[67]

In April 2018, he published the book Creative Quest, regarding the concept and cultivation of creativity.[68][69]

Questlove also released the cookbook Mixtape Potluck in 2019.[70][71]

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.[72]

He wrote an essay for the book included in the super deluxe edition of the Beatles album Revolver, released in October 2022.[73]

In 2023 he started his own publishing imprint Auwa Books who will publish his next book Hip-Hop Is History.[74]

## 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.[75][76][77]

## Discography

[edit]

### The Roots

[edit]

* See: The Roots discography

### Other studio releases

[edit]

* Plumb – David Murray, ?uestlove, and Ray Angry (J.M.I. Recordings, 2023).[78]
* 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  | [79]
2021  | Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) | —  | Director  | [80]
2025  | Ladies and Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music | —  | Director  |
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) | —  | Director  | [81]

### 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]

### Academy Awards

[edit]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

2022 | Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [82] | Best Documentary Feature Film | Won

### Annie Awards

[edit]

Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result

|
|
|

2023 | Rise Up, Sing Out \- “Name Tag”  | Best TV/Media - Preschool | Nominated[83]

### BET Awards

[edit]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

2003 | The Roots  | Best Group | Nominated[84]
2005 | The Roots  | Best Group | Nominated
2009 | The Roots  | Best Group  | Nominated

### BAFTAs

[edit]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

2022 | Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) [85] | Best Documentary | Won

### Grammy Awards

[edit]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

2000 | "You Got Me" (with Erykah Badu)[86] | 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

### MTV Video Music Awards

[edit]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

2003 | The Seed 2.0 | MTV2 Award | Nominated

### mtvU Woodie Awards

[edit]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

2004  | The Roots  | Road Woodie  | Nominated
Welcome Back Woodie  | Nominated[87]

### NAACP Image Awards

[edit]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

2003 | The Roots  | Outstanding Duo or Group | Nominated
2004 | The Roots  | Outstanding Duo or Group | Nominated[88]
2005 | The Roots  | Outstanding Duo or Group | Nominated
2007 | The Roots  | Outstanding Duo or Group  | Won[89]
2011  | Wake Up! | Outstanding Collaboration  | Won[90]
Outstanding Album | Won[90]
2012 | The Roots  | Outstanding Duo or Group | Nominated[91]

* First Hip-Hop group to perform at Lincoln Center, January 2002[92]
* Named one of the "Twenty Greatest Live Acts in the World" by Rolling Stone, 2003
* "Heroes Award" from the Philadelphia chapter of the Recording Academy, 2004[93] (Recipient)

## 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. ^ "'Upcycled Self' is Tariq 'Black Thought' Trotter's new very Philly memoir". inquirer.com. November 11, 2023. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
5. ^ 'Summer of Soul' Wins Best Documentary Feature | 94th Oscars, May 2022, retrieved February 14, 2023
6. ^ "Questlove". www.grammy.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
7. ^ Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson takes home the win for his documentary Summer of Soul | EE BAFTAs 2022, March 14, 2022, retrieved February 14, 2023
8. ^ 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.
9. ^ 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.
10. ^ "Ahmir Thompson Reflects On His 'Roots'". Fresh Air. March 13, 2009. NPR. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
11. ^ "Congress Alley". Discogs. March 13, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
12. ^ "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.
13. ^ "The Rhythm in Everything". The New Yorker. November 4, 2012. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
14. ^ a b c d "Find out which Philly-area artist matches with your Temple school or college choice". Temple Now | news.temple.edu. February 9, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024. Cite error: The named reference ":1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
15. ^ a b "Questlove - The Roots, Questlove Supreme & The Tonight Show". Biography. April 5, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
16. ^ 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.
17. ^ "The Roots of The Roots:?uesto and Black Thought Find Their Origins - OkayAfrica". YouTube. OkayAfrica. December 8, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
18. ^ Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (December 12, 2017). Finding Your Roots. Season 9. Episode 4. PBS.
19. ^ 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.
20. ^ Thompson, Ahmir "Questlove" (November 22, 2015). "Questlove: The Band That Inspired My Name". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
21. ^ "rock the bells". rockthebells.com. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
22. ^ "Mos Def's 'Black On Both Sides' Turns 20". Stereogum. October 11, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
23. ^ "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.
24. ^ 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.
25. ^ Sutton, Benjamin (November 16, 2009). "?uestlove Recruits Jay-Z, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith as Producers on Fela!". L Magazine. Retrieved May 9, 2011.?uestlove+Recruits+Jay-Z,+Will+and+Jada+Pinkett+Smith+as+Producers+on+Fela!&rft.date=2009-11-16&rft.aulast=Sutton&rft.aufirst=Benjamin&rft_id=http://www.thelmagazine.com/TheMeasure/archives/2009/11/16/uestlove-recruits-jay-z-will-and-jada-pinkett-smith-as-producers-on-fela&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Questlove" class="Z3988">
26. ^ "Singer Duffy begins new album sessions in New York". BBC News. January 13, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
27. ^ "Part 2. Steve Lillywhite interview with Amy Lee (East Village Radio)". YouTube. March 23, 2010. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021.
28. ^ Lee, Amy (March 5, 2010). "Thank you, thank you, thank you @questlove ! It was an honor. :)". @AmyLeeEV. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
29. ^ "Evanescence". Discogs. 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
30. ^ Fox, Luke (August 2010). "Conversations: The Roots' Questlove". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on August 4, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
31. ^ "Karmin's Cover of Super Bass". YouTube. Archived from the original on June 3, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
32. ^ a b Espinoza, Joshua (August 25, 2016). "Questlove Lands His Own Radio Show on Pandora". Complex. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
33. ^ 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.
34. ^ 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.
35. ^ Sacher, Andrew (December 14, 2016). "Pete Rock interviewed on Questlove's Pandora show (read an excerpt)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
36. ^ "Exclusive: Questlove is working with iHeartRadio to expand his podcast empire". fastcompany.com. September 25, 2019.
37. ^ Grein, Paul (March 15, 2023). "Questlove Wins Music Podcast of the Year at 2023 iHeartPodcast Awards (Full List)". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
38. ^ Staff, Adweek (November 6, 2023). "Here Are the Adweek Audio Awards for 2023". Retrieved December 21, 2024.
39. ^ "Run, don't walk, to start bingeing the best 2022 Webby Award-winning podcasts". Podsauce. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
40. ^ "Questlove Can't Take a Compliment". WNYC Studios. January 3, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
41. ^ "How TV learned to take hip-hop seriously". LA Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019.
42. ^ a b "Questlove and Black Thought of The Roots Land Deal with Universal Television". Atlanta Black Star. May 18, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
43. ^ "Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America review – all hail Kanye | Television | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. January 29, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
44. ^ Jem Aswad (April 21, 2021). "How Questlove and Oscars Producer Jesse Collins Are Changing Music at the 2021 Academy Awards". Variety.
45. ^ Greene, Bryan (June 2017). "Parks and Recreation: Harlem at a Crossroads in the Summer of '69". Poverty and Race Research Action Council.
46. ^ "2021 Sundance Film Festival Awards Announced". Sundance Film Festival. February 2, 2021.
47. ^ 'Summer of Soul' Wins Best Documentary Feature | 94th Oscars, May 2022, retrieved February 6, 2023
48. ^ Monroe, Jazz (September 22, 2022). "Questlove Is Making a J Dilla Feature Documentary". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
49. ^ "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.
50. ^ "Sundance: Netflix, Obamas' Higher Ground Land Doc 'Descendant'". The Hollywood Reporter. January 29, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
51. ^ "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.
52. ^ "'Fire of Love' and 'Good Night Oppy' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Award Nominations". Variety. October 17, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
53. ^ "Good Night Oppy Wins Top Prize at Critics Choice Documentary Awards". TheWrap. November 14, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
54. ^ "NAACP Image Awards 2023: 'Wakanda Forever,' 'The Woman King' Among Top Film Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. January 12, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
55. ^ "'Top Gun: Maverick' Named Best Picture by National Board of Review". Variety. December 8, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
56. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 27, 2023). "Questlove To Direct Live-Action/Hybrid Adaptation Of 'The Aristocats' For Disney". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
57. ^ "Questlove Discusses Disney Junior's NAACP Image and Annie Award-nominated 'Rise Up, Sing Out' | WATCH". eurweb. February 16, 2023.
58. ^ "Hip-Hop Artist and Creator Black Thought To Be Rutgers-Newark Commencement Speaker". newark.rutgers.edu. April 18, 2024.
59. ^ "Questlove and Fresh Film's Trevor Undi and Rob Meyer Pick up Webby Win | LBBOnline". lbbonline.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
60. ^ "'The League' Review: Sam Pollard's Negro League Baseball Doc Is Fascinating and Essential". The Hollywood Reporter. June 12, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
61. ^ "'James Brown: Say It Loud' Documentary Gets Premiere Date". Rated R&B. January 18, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
62. ^ "Questlove's new Sly Stone documentary will stream on Hulu". inquirer.com. January 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
63. ^ "Questlove To Direct Live-Action/Hybrid Adaptation Of 'The Aristocats' For Disney". Deadline. March 27, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
64. ^ "Wax Facts: About the Book". Wax Facts Press. June 12, 2007. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
65. ^ Questlove (2013). Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06228-838-7.
66. ^ Questlove & Greenman, Ben (2016). Something To Food About: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs. Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. ISBN 978-0-55345-942-5.
67. ^ Stutz, Colin (November 20, 2018). "Questlove Expertly Curates Soundtrack for Michelle Obama's 'Becoming' Book Tour: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
68. ^ Questlove (2018). Creative Quest. Ecco Press. ISBN 978-0-06267-055-7.
69. ^ "The Seed: Questlove Examines the Roots of his Creative Process". The Kenyon Review. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
70. ^ "Questlove taps famous friends Jessica Biel, Jimmy Fallon in new book 'Mixtape Potluck'". usatoday.com. December 2, 2019. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020.
71. ^ Tewksbury, Drew (September 13, 2019). "11 anticipated music books this fall". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
72. ^ Earl, William (April 14, 2021). "Music Industry Moves: Questlove Sets Next Book Release; Sony Music Publishing Signs Supah Mario". Variety. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
73. ^ "Revolver Special Editions: Out Now | the Beatles".
74. ^ Williams, Jaelani Turner. "'Hip-Hop is History,' A Book Authored by Questlove, is Coming in Early 2024 - Okayplayer". www.okayplayer.com. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
75. ^ Aniftos, Rania (August 21, 2023). "Taylor Swift, Channing Tatum, Gigi Hadid & More Stars Go Head-to-Head at Questlove's UNO Game Night". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
76. ^ Abraham, Mya (October 2, 2023). "Questlove Hosts Game Night With Megan Thee Stallion, Babyface, And More". VIBE.com. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
77. ^ Bloch, Emily (April 3, 2024). "New York's hottest club is ... Questlove's recurring board game nights". inquirer.com. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
78. ^ "David Murray/Questlove/Ray Angry - Plumb". JMI Recordings. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
79. ^ "'Another Act': Questlove talks his role in 'Soul' on Disney+ and his sneak diss to Show". Andscape. December 14, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
80. ^ Fear, David (January 29, 2021). "'Summer of Soul' Is the Perfect Movie to Kick Off Sundance 2021". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
81. ^ Aswad, Jem (December 20, 2024). "Questlove's Sly Stone Documentary, 'Sly Lives!,' to Premiere on Hulu in February (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
82. ^ Lynch, Joe (March 27, 2022). "Questlove Wins Oscar for 'Summer of Soul' Documentary". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
83. ^ "'Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio' Wins Five Trophies Including the Top Prize at the 50th Annie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. February 26, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
84. ^ "2003 BET Awards Nominees". billboard. May 14, 2003. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
85. ^ Roberts, Nigel (March 13, 2022). "Will Smith, Questlove, Ariana Debose And Other Black Artists Win Big At The 2022 British Academy of Film Awards". BET. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
86. ^ "Past Winners Search". Grammy.com. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
87. ^ "mtvU Woodie Awards 2004". mtv.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
88. ^ Anthony, Damn (January 8, 2004). "Outkast, Beyonce, R. Kelly Nominated For NAACP Image Awards". mtv.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
89. ^ "38th annual NAACP Image Awards winners". USAtoday.com. Associated Press. March 3, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
90. ^ a b Kuperstein, Slava (March 6, 2011). "Ice Cube, LL Cool J, The Roots Win NAACP Image Awards". HipHopDx.com. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
91. ^ Anthony, Damn (January 20, 2012). "NAACP Announces 2012 Image Awards Nominees". vibe.com. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
92. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (April 21, 2004). "Restrainedly Lincoln Center Meets Boom Bap". The New York Times. New York, New York. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
93. ^ Moon, Tom (April 21, 2004). "Other arts recipients of Phila. Hero Awards - Philly.com". Philly.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Christgau, Robert (June 17, 2013). "Give the Drummer Some". The Barnes & Noble Review.

## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Questlove.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Questlove.

* "Questlove's Celebrity Stories". Hypnagogics.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
* Questlove (2005). "Phrenology of hip hop". Red Bull Music Academy.
* Goodman, Amy (August 14, 2013). "Questlove on Police Racial Profiling, Stop & Frisk, the Message He Took from Trayvon Martin Verdict". Democracy Now!.
* Questlove discography at Discogs
* Questlove at IMDb

Media offices

Preceded by

Max Weinberg

|  Late Night bandleader
March 2, 2009 – February 7, 2014  | Succeeded by

Fred Armisen

Preceded by

Rickey Minor

|  The Tonight Show bandleader
February 17, 2014 – present  |  Succeeded by

Incumbent

Awards for Questlove

* v
* t
* e

Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best Director

* Ezra Edelman (2016)
* Evgeny Afineevsky / Frederick Wiseman (2017)
* Morgan Neville (2018)
* Peter Jackson / Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert (2019)
* Kirsten Johnson (2020)
* Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin / Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson (2021)
* Ryan White (2022)
* Davis Guggenheim (2023)
* Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Critics' Choice Documentary Award for Best First Documentary Feature

* Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg (2016)
* Ceyda Torun (2017)
* Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster / Bing Liu (2018)
* Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov (2019)
* Melissa Haizlip (2020)
* Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson (2021)
* David Siev (2022)
* Mstyslav Chernov (2023)
* Natalie Rae and Angela Patton (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Guldbagge Award for Best Original Score

* Questlove & Om’Mas Keith (2011)
* Benny Andersson (2012)
* Matti Bye (2013)
* Mattias Bärjed & Jonas Kullhammar (2014)
* Lisa Holmqvist (2015)
* Jan Sandström (2016)
* Peter von Poehl (2017)
* Johan Testad (2018)
* Nathaniel Méchaly (2019)
* Ola Kvernberg (2020)
* Lisa Nordström (2021)

* v
* t
* e

The Roots

* Black Thought
* Captain Kirk Douglas
* Damon "Tuba" Bryson
* Kamal Gray
* Mark Kelley
* James Poyser
* Questlove
* Stro Elliot

* Ben Kenney
* Dice Raw
* F. "Knuckles" Walker
* Leonard "Hub" Hubbard
* Malik B.
* Martin Luther
* Nikki Yeoh
* Owen Biddle
* Rahzel
* Scratch
* Scott Storch

Studio albums|

* Organix (1993)
* Do You Want More?!!!??! (1994)
* Illadelph Halflife (1996)
* Things Fall Apart (1999)
* Phrenology (2002)
* The Tipping Point (2004)
* Game Theory (2006)
* Rising Down (2008)
* How I Got Over (2010)
* Undun (2011)
* ...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014)

| Collaborations|

* Wake Up! (2010, with John Legend)
* Betty Wright: The Movie (2011, with Betty Wright)
* Wise Up Ghost (2013, with Elvis Costello)

|

Live albums|

* The Roots Come Alive (1999)
* Jay-Z: Unplugged (2001, with Jay-Z)

Extended plays|

* From the Ground Up (1994)
* The Legendary (1999)

Songs|

* "You Got Me" (1999)
* "The Next Movement" (1999)
* "The Seed (2.0)" (2002)
* "Wake Up Everybody" (2010)
* "My Shot" (Rise Up Remix) (2016)
* "You'll Be Back" (2016)
* "Who Tells Your Story" (2016)
* "It Ain't Fair" (2017)

Related articles|

* Discography
* Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
* The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
* Brooklyn Babylon
* Okayplayer
* Roots Picnic

* v
* t
* e

Soulquarians

* Questlove
* Bilal
* Common
* D'Angelo
* Erykah Badu
* J Dilla
* James Poyser
* Yasiin Bey / Mos Def
* Pino Palladino
* Q-Tip
* Roy Hargrove
* Talib Kweli

Albums|

* Things Fall Apart (1999)
* Black on Both Sides (1999)
* Amplified (1999)
* Voodoo (2000)
* Like Water for Chocolate (2000)
* Fantastic, Vol. 2 (2000)
* Mama's Gun (2000)
* 1st Born Second (2001)
* Quality (2002)
* Phrenology (2002)
* Electric Circus (2002)
* Love for Sale (2001–03; leaked 2006)

See also|

* Electric Lady Studios
* Native Tongues
* Neo soul
* The Philadelphia Experiment
* The Randy Watson Experience
* The Ummah

* v
* t
* e

The Tonight Show

Incarnations|

* Steve Allen
* Jack Paar
* Johnny Carson
* Jay Leno
* Conan O'Brien
* Jimmy Fallon

Episodes|

* Carson
* Leno
* O'Brien
* Fallon
* "Premiere"

The Tonight Show Band|

* Kevin Eubanks and The Tonight Show Band
* Max Weinberg and The Tonight Show Band
* Rickey Minor and The Tonight Show Band
* The Roots

Recurring sketches|

* Steve and Eydie
* Miss Miller
* Carnac the Magnificent
* Floyd R. Turbo
* Headlines
* Leno era sketches
* O'Brien era sketches
* Fallon era sketches

Soundtracks|

* Here's Johnny: Magic Moments from the Tonight Show

Related articles|

* Broadway Open House
* The Steve Allen Show
* The Jay Leno Show
* "Johnny's Theme"
* Late Night
* Carson's Comedy Classics
* 1992 host conflict
* The Late Shift
* film
* 2010 host and timeslot conflict
* The War for Late Night
* Johnny Carson: King of Late Night
* "Ew!"
* Lip Sync Battle
* Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon
* The Kids Tonight Show
* That's My Jam
* Password

* Category

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* 2
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Spain
* Poland

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* Grammy Awards

*[Ref(s)]: Reference(s)
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template