A New York Times bestseller, Music Is History combines multi-Grammy Award winner Questlove’s deep musical expertise with his curiosity about history, examining America over the past fifty years.Focusing on the years 1971 to the present, Questlove finds the hidden connections in the American tapestry, whether investigating how the blaxploitation era reshaped Black identity or considering the way disco took an assembly line approach...

**"**Greg Tate was my first, and in some ways truest, North Star . . . Greg was the first person who validated the art that I loved and made it intellectually viable." —Questlove, from the foreword"T****he velocity and volume of his exuberance, his demands, his curiosities, and, yes, his vibrant dissatisfactions pulled me to the edge of

"You have to bear in mind that [Questlove] is one of the smartest motherf*****s on the planet. His musical knowledge, for all practical purposes, is limitless." --Robert ChristgauA punch-drunk memoir in which Everyone's Favorite Questlove tells his own story while tackling some of the lates, the greats, the fakes, the philosophers, the heavyweights, and the true originals of the music world. He digs deep into the album cuts of his life and unearths some pivotal moments in black art...

This is a book only Questlove could have written: a perceptive and personal reflection on the first half-century of hip-hop.When hip-hop first emerged in the 1970s, it wasn't expected to become the cultural force it is today. But for a young Black kid growing up in a musical family in Philadelphia, it was everything. He stayed up late to hear the newest songs on the radio. He saved his money to buy vinyl as soon as it landed. He even started to make his own songs. ...

A joyous exploration of imagination and finding inspiration, The Idea in You is the debut picture book from Questlove—New York Times bestselling author, six-time GRAMMY Award–winning drummer, producer, and Academy Award–winning filmmaker—and Coretta Scott King Honor Award–winning illustrator Sean QuallsAn idea can come from anywhere.Start here: reach up into the skyAnd unhook a star.Questlove’s debut picture book, an...

"As a member of EWF during its heyday, Johnson was arguably the band’s most important member...A gentle reminiscence about a hard-driving pop act."—Kirkus ReviewsJust as Questlove's 2026 HBO documentary Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World) has reignited the band's fandom, EWF founding percussionist and vocalist Ralph Johnson shares his profound story of their rise to fame through upliftin...

A unique guide to creativity from Questlove—inspirations, stories, and lessons on how to live your best creative life—Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by: Esquire , PopSugar , The Huffington Post , Buzzfeed , and Publishers Weekly"...

The spectacular first entry in a middle-grade sci-fi trilogy by six-time Grammy Award-winning musician, Academy Award-winning filmmaker, and New York Times-bestselling author Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and New York Times-bestselling author S. A. Cosby.It’s not easy being a teenager, and it’s no different for Rahim, who is trying to balance everything in his busy Philly life: school, parents, bullies, his secret hopes of becoming a hip-hop star, an...

Not many memoirs are generational events. But when Sly Stone, one of the few true musical geniuses of the last century, decides to finally tell his life story, it can’t be called anything else.As the front man for the sixties pop-rock-funk band Sly and the Family Stone, a songwriter who created some of the most memorable anthems of the 1960s and 1970s (“Everyday People,” “Family Affair”), and a performer who electrified audiences at Woodstock and elsewhere, Sly Sto...

“Mixtape Potluck never wavers from its earnest stated intent: to help readers plan the best possible dinner party.” —Eater“Thank you, Questlove, for this inspired book on a theme that is having a resurgence.” —Martha Stewart, from her forewordWhat if Questlove threw a dinner party and everyone came? Questlove is best known for his achievements in the music world, but his interest in food runs a close second. He has hosted a series o...

A Tribe Called Quest • Beastie Boys • De La Soul • Eric B. & Rakim • The Fugees • KRS-One • Pete Rock & CL Smooth • Public Enemy • The Roots • Run-DMC • Wu-Tang Clan • and twenty-five more hip-hop immortalsIt’s a sad fact: hip-hop album liners have always been reduced to a list of producer and sample credits, a publicity photo or two, and some hastily composed shout-outs. That’s a damn shame, because few outside the game know about the true creative forces behind influential master...