Questlove interview with Gowhere Hip Hop

We’re proud to bring you one of our realest interviews ever as Sgt. Tibs, Jen DeLeon, and I got the chance to talk with Questlove of The Roots after his set at the Hennessy Artistry event in Chicago.

Tibs first asked about the goal of working with John Legend on the upcoming album, Wake Up!, due out this Tuesday, September 21st. Questlove, real name Ahmir (as he introduced himself to us) answered by taking us back to 2008 when he and Legend were working with President Obama’s campaign, and how that experience essentially evolved into their collaboration for the upcoming album. Then Questlove talked about the record “Shine” going in-depth about how it was created, and sharing that the inspiration actually came from the movie Waiting For “Superman, which he says was “one of the most powerful films they’ve seen”. Finally, Questlove discussed his dream job of being the house band on Jimmy Fallon. He explains a little bit of the behind the scenes tasks that go down, including daily 5 hour rehearsals where Questlove draws inspiration from Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, saying it only made The Roots stronger. Our summary doesn’t quite do the interview justice because Questlove’s goes in detail about some culture shaping ideas that are truly inspiring. We definitely urge you to take the time and watch the interview above!

Our interview with Questlove was the icing on the cake for what was an amazing event at Hennessy Artistry Chicago. The Roots performed alongside Q-Tip, Curren$y, Kid Sister, Yahzarah, and surprise guest Erykah Badu! Wow. It was non-stop music for more than 3 hours! One of my favorite moments was when Q-Tip got up on the really tall speakers and had a musical exchange with Black Thought from above to below! Additionally, the venue was spectacularly set up with lounging sofas, electronics and TVs, and yep – an open bar with appetizers moving throughout. Below, check out some red-carpet photos of the event and stay tuned for many more photos and video coverage of the Hennessy Artistry series in Chicago. Enjoy!