Questlove Archives - Rolling Out

Summer and Chicago are having a hard time finding each other right now, but Jill Scott and The Roots were able to bring some heat with them to Ravinia Friday, June 22. I think I’ve seen The Legendary Roots Crew more than 10 times over the years, and it feels like their show gets stronger with…

Kanye West’s boisterous and bombastic return to social media has been akin to a multiple car crash during rush hour. It has wrought sociopolitical havoc in both directions and has many people questioning the egomaniacal rapper’s mental health. Most of all, West has kept fans and the media wondering what balderdash will come out of…

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, of the Roots, might readily admit that he is the nerdiest of music nerds. He’s one of those artists who is almost as relentlessly old school in his meticulous perusal of album liner notes as he and his band are in creating “art for art’s sake.” And that would be art in…

Madonna’s heart may have been in the right place. She may have wanted to show the world how much Prince will be missed and how his untimely death touched us all. The moment that it was announced that Madonna would lead a tribute to Prince at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, immediate backlash followed on social…

The Roots were in concert in Atlanta for the last stop of the Martell Vanguard Experience at the Tabernacle. The Martell Vanguard Experience is a continued platform in partnership with The Roots celebrating success, while highlighting Martell’s exceptional portfolio. Throughout the evening guests enjoyed specialty cocktails on behalf of Martell Cognac, which highlighted the unique…

Questlove of the hip-hop band The Roots is remembering his father, Lee Andrews, who died at the age of 79. Andrews was the lead singer of a Philadelphia doo-wop group, Lee Andrews & the Hearts. Questlove posted a heartfelt message on his Instagram page: The Greatest Teacher in my life, my dad Lee Andrews June 2nd…

Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, former bassist for The Roots, is suing the popular Philadelphia-based band for failure to uphold a contract that allegedly named him co-owner of the band and entitled him to continued pay even after he left the outfit in 2007. Hubbard joined the band in 1992 when they were then known as The Square Roots and remained…

Detroit Producer Soundboy has just released his beat tape titled, No Format. With this project, he’s able to give you a glimpse into his world from a creative viewpoint. During our interview, we asked him about his experiences in producing, and working with Detroit icon Amp Fiddler. What is the story behind the cover art for…

The world’s oldest of the major cognac houses presents: The Martell Vanguard Series During a recent invitation-only experience at Opera lounge in Atlanta, this writer was treated to an “elevated VIP experience,” which included a presentation of Martell’s illustrious 300-year history, along with a specialty cocktail tasting led by brand ambassador, DJ Questlove of the legendary band, The Roots.…

Since hitting the scene in 1993 with their now hard to find debut album, Organix, The Roots have been one of hip-hop’s most envelope-pushing, yet consistent and bankable acts.

Questlove may have been one of the busiest artists at Coachella on the second day of the weekend festival. On April 11, Questlove kicked things off by serving as the headlining DJ for Pandora and T-Mobile’s private pool party. The event took place at the Cree Estate in Cathedral City where guests were treated to…

Questlove has a beef with Patti LaBelle. Apparently the legendary singer made numerous promises to Questlove and has yet to deliver. Watch the story!

Back in June, music industry veteran Kevin Liles promised that this day was coming and it looks like it’s finally here. After 14 long, torturous years and a number of false starts and missed deadlines, D’Angelo is finally ready to release the follow up to 2000’s classic Voodoo album, entitled Black Messiah. The “Brown Sugar”…

Pulsing with the rhythm of his greatest stand-up, Chris Rock’s TOP FIVE takes things to the next level, reveling in the high and the low, and blending a star-studded comedic romp with an irresistible romance. TOP FIVE digs under the surface of show business, politics, rap, and the exigencies of being black and famous today…

Haven’t had enough of Summer Jam 2014? Here are some more pics from this year’s biggest hip-hop concert

Big Boi rocked the stage as Questlove spun the tunes at La Bal Masque, Grey Goose’s NYC launch of its latest vodka flavor, Le Melon

Grey Goose debuted it’s newest vodka flavor, Le Melon, at the festive La Bal Masque at the New York Public Library last night (May 9.) With DJ Questlove in the house and Big Boi rocking the stage, the party was in full effect. Melyssa Ford, Po Johnson and other celebs were spotted throughout the night and they all hit the red carpet.

Philadelphia hip-hop group and “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” house band The Roots recently dropped their new single “When The People Cheer” and released info on their forthcoming 11th studio album … And Then You Shoot Your Cousin. Lead emcee Black Thought tells XXL magazine that the album will be a conceptual album much like…

This week, Roots drummer/producer Questlove published the first in a six-part series of essays for Vulture called “When the People Cheer: How Hip-Hop Failed Black America.” The piece, a thoughtful examination of hip-hop’s current place in pop culture, resonated deeply with me.

Hip-hop artists have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in recent years, and the inclusion of rappers has brought with it considerable controversy. Since the induction of hip-hop pioneers Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five in 2007, fellow legends such as Run-D.M.C., The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy have also joined icons of rock, soul and blues in the Rock Hall. Speaking to Rolling Stone at last week’s 2014 induction ceremony, Questlove shared his reaction to KISS guitarist/frontman Gene Simmons’ recent criticism of rappers being in the hall.