Questlove

Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), 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 has 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 the websites Okayplayer and OkayAfrica. He joined Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University as an adjunct professor in 2016, and hosted 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 eight books. Questlove is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, six Grammy Awards and a BAFTA Award.

Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), 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 has 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 the websites Okayplayer and OkayAfrica. He joined Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University as an adjunct professor in 2016, and hosted 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 eight books. Questlove is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, six Grammy Awards and a BAFTA Award.

Writing

In 2007, Questlove provided the foreword for the book Check the Technique. 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. 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. In 2018, Questlove curated the soundtrack The Michelle Obama Musiaqualogy for Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming. In April 2018, he published the book Creative Quest, regarding the concept and cultivation of creativity. Questlove also released the cookbook Mixtape Potluck in 2019¹. 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 50 years, connecting issues of race, gender, politics, and identity with Questlove's point of view. He wrote an essay for the book included in the super deluxe edition of the Beatles album Revolver, released in October 2022¹. In 2023, he started his own publishing imprint, Auwa Books; he published his book Hip-Hop Is History under Auwa in 2024¹.

Discography

The Roots

Other studio releases

Plumb – David Murray, ?uestlove, and Ray Angry (J.M.I. Recordings, 2023) 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) The Philadelphia Experiment – as The Philadelphia Experiment with Christian McBride, Uri Caine, Pat Martino, John Swana, Larry Gold and Aaron Levinson (Ropeadope Records, 2001)

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

|- | style="text-align:center;"|2022 |Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) |Best Documentary Feature Film | |- |}

Annie Awards

|- ! 2023 |Best TV/Media - Preschool |Rise Up, Sing Out - “Name Tag” | |}

BET Awards

|- |2003 |The Roots |Best Group | |- |2005 |The Roots |Best Group | |- |2009 |The Roots |Best Group | |-

BAFTAs

|- | style="text-align:center;"|2022 |Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) |Best Documentary | |- |}

Grammy Awards

|- | rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2000 |"You Got Me" (with Erykah Badu) |Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | |- |Things Fall Apart |rowspan="2"|Best Rap Album | |- |align=center|2004 |Phrenology | |- | rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2005 |"Star" |Best Urban/Alternative Performance | |- |"Don't Say Nuthin'" |rowspan="2"|Best Rap Performance By a Duo/Group | |- | rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2007 |"Don't Feel Right" (featuring Maimouna Youssef) | |- |Game Theory |Best Rap Album | |- | rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"|2011 |"Hang On in There" (with John Legend) |Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance | |- |Wake Up! (with John Legend) |Best R&B Album | |- |"Shine" (with John Legend) |Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | |- |"Wake Up Everybody" (with John Legend, Melanie Fiona & Common) |Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | |- |How I Got Over |Best Rap Album | |- |align=center rowspan="2"|2012 |"Surrender" (with Betty Wright) | Best Traditional R&B Performance | |- | The Road from Memphis | Best Pop Instrumental Album | |- |align=center|2013 |Undun |Best Rap Album | |- |align=center|2016 | Hamilton | Best Musical Theater Album | |- |align=center|2019 | Creative Quest | Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording | |- |align=center|2022 | Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) | Best Music Film | |- |align=center|2023 | Music Is History | Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording | |- |}

MTV Video Music Awards

|- |2003 |The Seed 2.0 |MTV2 Award | |-

mtvU Woodie Awards

|- |rowspan="2"|2004 |rowspan="2"|The Roots |Road Woodie | |- |Welcome Back Woodie | |-

NAACP Image Awards

|- |2003 |The Roots |Outstanding Duo or Group | |- |2004 |The Roots |Outstanding Duo or Group | |- |2005 |The Roots |Outstanding Duo or Group | |- |2007 |The Roots |Outstanding Duo or Group | |- |rowspan="2"|2011 |rowspan="2"|Wake Up! |Outstanding Collaboration | |- |Outstanding Album | |- |2012 |The Roots |Outstanding Duo or Group | |-

Primetime Emmy Awards

First Hip-Hop group to perform at Lincoln Center, January 2002 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 (Recipient)

References

External links

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378831110 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.