Questlove | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Questlove in 2014 | |
| Born | Ahmir K. Thompson[1] (1971-01-20)January 20, 1971 (age 54) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Musical career | |
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| Occupations |
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| Instrument | Drums |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | |
Musical artist | |
| Website | questlove |
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Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally asQuestlove (stylized as?uestlove), is an American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (withBlack Thought) for thehip-hop bandthe Roots. The Roots have been thein-house band forThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2014, after having fulfilled the same role onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon. Questlove is also one of the producers of the2015 cast album of the Broadway musicalHamilton. He has also co-founded of the websitesOkayplayer andOkayAfrica.[2] He joinedClive Davis Institute of Recorded Music atNew York University as an adjunct professor in 2016,[3] and hosts the podcastQuestlove Supreme.
Questlove has produced recordings for artists includingElvis Costello,Common,D'Angelo,Jill Scott,Erykah Badu,Bilal,Jay-Z,Nikka Costa,Booker T. Jones,Al Green, andJohn Legend. He has been a member of theSoulquarians,the Randy Watson Experience,the Soultronics,the Grand Negaz andthe Grand Wizzards. As an author, he has written eight books.[4] Questlove is the recipient of many accolades, including anAcademy Award,[5] sixGrammy Awards[6] and aBAFTA Award.[7]
Ahmir Thompson was born on January 20, 1971,[8] into a musical family inPhiladelphia. His father was Arthur Lee Andrews Thompson, fromGoldsboro, North Carolina.[9] A singer, he became known as Lee Andrews and was lead withLee Andrews & the Hearts, a 1950sdoo-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 thePhiladelphia 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 includedBoyz II Men, jazz bassistChristian McBride, jazz guitaristKurt Rosenwinkel, jazz organistJoey DeFrancesco, and singerAmel Larrieux. He attendedsenior prom with Larrieux. After graduating from high school, he took jazz and composition classes at theSettlement Music School.[16]
Thompson began performing onSouth 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 theOkayplayer platform and web televisionOkayAfrica 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 ofWest African descent, specifically theMende people (found mostly inSierra Leone as well as Guinea and Liberia).[17]
From the PBS television series,Finding Your Roots, hosted by ProfessorHenry 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 ofOuidah,Dahomey (nowBenin) to American ship captain William Foster. They were among 110 slaves smuggled illegally toMobile, Alabama, in July 1860 on theClotilda. 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]
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), andScott Storch on keyboards. While the group was performing a show inGermany, they recorded an album entitledOrganix, released by Relativity Records in 1993.
Thompson was credited as "B.R.O. the R.? (Beat Recycler of the Rhythm)" onOrganix, a name he disliked. Inspired after hearing the hip-hop groupA 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]andIlladelph Halflife, respectively.
In 1999, the Roots had mainstream success with "You Got Me" (featuringErykah Badu); the song earned the band theGrammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for 2000. The song helped fuel the success of theirThings 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 albumVoodoo,Slum Village's albumFantastic, Vol. 2, and Common's albumsLike Water for Chocolate andElectric Circus. Besides the aforementioned albums, he has also contributed as a drummer or producer to Erykah Badu'sBaduizm andMama's Gun,Dilated Peoples'Expansion Team,Blackalicious'sBlazing Arrow,Bilal's1st Born Second,N*E*R*D'sFly or Die,Joshua Redman'sMomentum, andZap Mama's Axel NormanAncestry In Progress,Fiona Apple'sExtraordinary Machine, andZack De La Rocha's currently unreleased solo material.
In 2001, he collaborated as the drummer forThe Philadelphia Experiment, a collaborative instrumental jazz album featuring Christian McBride andUri Caine, and the DJ of the compilationQuestlove Presents: Babies Making Babies, released on Urban Theory Records in 2002. He played drums onChristina Aguilera's song "Loving Me 4 Me" for her 2002 albumStripped. In 2002, he and the Roots released the critically acclaimedPhrenology, which went gold.
In 2003, he played drums onJohn Mayer's song "Clarity" from his second albumHeavier Things. He also arranged and drummed onJoss Stone's cover ofthe White Stripes' "Fell in Love with a Girl".
In 2004, the Roots releasedThe 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 inJay-Z'sFade 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 includingMadonna,Iggy Pop,Bootsy Collins, andLittle Richard in atelevision commercial for theMotorola ROKR phone.
In 2006, Questlove appeared in the filmDave Chappelle's Block Party, as well as a couple of skits onChappelle's Show. These included theTupac "The Lost Episodes" skit, and one featuringJohn Mayer, wherein Questlove performs in a barber shop, inducing the occupants to dance and rap. With the exception ofthe Fugees andJill Scott, Questlove served as the drummer at the 2004Brooklyn street concert and was the musical director for the entire show. Questlove was given an Esky for Best Scribe inEsquire magazine's 2006 Esky Music Awards in the April issue. In 2006, Questlove was one of a handful of musicians hand-picked bySteve Van Zandt to backHank Williams Jr. on a new version of "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" for the season premiere (and formalESPN debut) ofMonday Night Football. Along with his fellow Motorola ROKR commercial co-stars, Bootsy Collins and Little Richard, Questlove's bandmates includedRick Nielsen (Cheap Trick),Joe Perry (Aerosmith),Charlie Daniels, andBernie Worrell. In the same year, he appeared in the studio albumFly of the Italian singerZucchero Fornaciari.
In 2007, Questlove co-produced with VH1'sThe Score winning producer Antonio "DJ Satisfaction" Gonzalez, from the Maniac Agenda, the theme toVH1's Hip Hop Honors 2007. Questlove joinedBen Harper andJohn Paul Jones for theBonnaroo 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 forLate Night with Jimmy Fallon.[24] He continues to perform with the Roots onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, continuing his duties fromLate 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 playFela!, Questlove recruited Jay-Z to come on board as a producer. It was reported thatWill Smith andJada Pinkett Smith had also signed on as producers.[25]
In January 2010, he was writing material with British singerDuffy for her second album.[26] He has been featured in a commercial for Microsoft's short-lived mobile phone, theKin. In 2010, he made a cameo in the music video ofDuck Sauce's song "Barbra Streisand", and with the Roots released the albumDilla Joints with renditions of producerJ Dilla's music. He contributed drums to the song "You Got a Lot to Learn", which was recorded for theself-titled third studio album byEvanescence,[27][28] but did not appear on the final release.[29]
Questlove was planning to collaborate withAmy Winehouse beforeher death in July 2011. He said "We'reSkype buddies, and she wants to do a project withMos 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 bassistOwen Biddle forKarmin's cover ofNicki Minaj's "Super Bass."[31] Questlove placed 8th in theRolling Stone Readers Pick for Best Drummers of all Time.
In September 2016, Questlove launched a weekly radio show onPandora,Questlove Supreme.[32] Notable guests have includedSolange,[33]Chris Rock,[34]Maya Rudolph,[32] andPete 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'sWNYC Studios podcastHere's the Thing, where he joked about being "obsessed" with hisWikipedia 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 seriesHip-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 the2021 Academy Awards ceremony, having previously served as the in-house DJ for the2020 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 withSummer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a film about the 1969Harlem Cultural Festival,[45] which featured performances byStevie 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 2021Sundance 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, includingBest Documentary Feature at the6th Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, where it won in all six categories in which it was nominated,Best Documentary at the75th British Academy Film Awards,Best Documentary Feature at the94th Academy Awards,[47] andBest Music Film at the64th Annual Grammy Awards.
In September 2022, it was announced that Questlove would executive produce a feature documentary aboutJ Dilla titledDilla Time, adapted from theDan Charnas biographyof the same name.Joseph Patel, who also producedSummer of Soul, and Darby Wheeler are slated to co-direct.[48] In the same year, Questlove executive producedDescendant, 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 byNetflix andHigher Ground, PresidentBarack Obama andMichelle 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 alive-action/hybrid reimagining of theWalt Disney Productions animated filmThe Aristocats as his feature-film directorial debut, as well as executive-producing and overseeing the music.Will Gluck andKeith Bunin were attached to write the script, andTariq 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 andBlack Thought, under their Two One Five banner, executively producedRise Up, Sing Out, a collection of animated musical shorts forDisney Junior, which earned a nomination for "Outstanding Short Form Series" for the2023 NAACP Image Awards.[57][58] Questlove's web series,Quest for Craft, produced by Two One Five and launched in partnership with thesingle malt whiskey brand, The Balvenie, took home aWebby Award in 2023.[59] In 2023, Questlove also executive producedSam Pollard's The League, a documentary centered onNegro 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 musicianSly Stone distributed byOnyx/Disney.[62]Questlove will make his feature film directing debut with a live-action hybrid reimagining ofThe Aristocats for Walt Disney Studios.[63]
In 2007, Questlove provided the foreword for the bookCheck 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 soundtrackThe Michelle Obama Musiaqualogy forMichelle Obama's memoirBecoming.[67]
In April 2018, he published the bookCreative Quest, regarding the concept and cultivation of creativity.[68][69]
Questlove also released the cookbookMixtape Potluck in 2019.[70][71]
In December 2021,Music Is History was published byAbrams Image. The book explores popular music through the context of American history over the past 50 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 ofthe Beatles albumRevolver, released in October 2022.[73]
In 2023, he started his own publishing imprint,Auwa Books, which will publish his next book,Hip-Hop Is History.[74]
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]
| 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 & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music | — | Director | |
| Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) | — | Director | [81] |
| 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" |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)[82] | Best Documentary Feature Film | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2023 | Rise Up, Sing Out - “Name Tag” | Best TV/Media - Preschool | Nominated[83] |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Roots | Best Group | Nominated[84] |
| 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)[85] | Best Documentary | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "You Got Me"(withErykah 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"(withJohn 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"(withBetty 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[87] |
| 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] |
| Media offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Late Night bandleader March 2, 2009 – February 7, 2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | The Tonight Show bandleader February 17, 2014 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
