Questlove talks Drums, Dilla, and D'Angelo | Red Bull Music Academy

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Drummer and producer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is a Quincy Jones for our times: a living link between the digital science of modern hip hop and the flesh-and-blood textures of vintage r&b.
In this lecture at the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy, Questlove returned to the couch for a deep dive into drumming, Dilla and D’Angelo.
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#Questlove #RedBullMusicAcademy #TheRoots
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A Philadelphia native, Questlove co-founded The Roots in 1987. The band soon rejuvenated hip-hop with a flurry of instrumental and vocal energy. As the band gained global notoriety, Questlove became involved in the Soulquarians project, a production team featuring fellow Philly musician James Poyser, D’Angelo, members of A Tribe Called Quest and the late Jay Dee.
Having helped shape the sound of live hip-hop and neo-soul, Questlove continued to feed his creative hunger with collaborations, writing, and DJing. In 2009 The Roots became the house band for Jimmy Fallon’s late-night show, cementing their place in popular culture.
TOPICS:
8:16 - Childhood and his musician parents
21:10 - Hip-Hop history and breakbeat drumming
33:32 - Drumming with Dilla and D'Angelo
45:59 - The Soulquarians
1:02:12 - Critical acclaim
1:25:17 - Black Messiah
MUSIC:
18:20 - Jay-Z - “Show Me What You Got” • JAY-Z - Show Me What Y...
27:39 - The Emotions - “Blind Alley” • The Emotions - Blind A...
45:59 - Common - “Time Travelin’” • Time Travelin' (A Trib...
1:38:58 - Jay Dee / Roy Ayers - “Ain’t Got Time” reconstruction
The Red Bull Music Academy is a global music institution committed to fostering creativity in music. We celebrate music, its culture, and the transformative minds behind it. Begun in 1998, the Academy has taken the core principles that underlie its annual workshop for selected participants and applied this curatorial approach to events, lectures, and city-wide festivals throughout the year.
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[@Cartman-Official]

Its crazy to think Dilla humanized a human drummer, using his MPC

[@vznquest]

Lol, great observation

[@86Sentra]

insane

[@margateswede]

It is, but in a way his drums were often him playing along to unquantized samples to make them fit a loop point rather than a grid. Like a drummer at a jam session playing on an electronic kit. So it’s wild but it kind of makes sense if you come from a pre DAW or a jazz / improvisational background.

[@bobdolezal7980]

Damn! Questlove drops SO MANY GEMS for up and coming artists. This interview is hard to ignore plus I love the fact that he's super humble whilst promoting the culture. Thank you Red Bull Music Academy for making this series happen ❤️🙌🙌

[@PHlophe]

Bob , how is Rachel doing these days

[@killerdrew99]

When I heard that Aint no half stepping sample, It freaked me out cause thats is the ringtone I use.

[@mcevans]

43:29 Questlove seems to refer to Lauryn Hill with a touch of disdain. Ive never heard him even come close to disparaging anybody before. I guess she kinda pissed him off!

[@TheMattmatic]

Watch the Che Pope RBMA - he's not the only one...

[@arturomartes8696]

+TheMattmatic I saw that one. I never wished her any ill will towards her but that was a real asshole move on her part. gives a glimpse into her real character

[@mcevans]

Will check it out. I've seen Miss Hill live a couple of time now and on both occasions she didnt even arrive at the gig until 2 hours after it was meant to start then took another 2 hours to soundcheck and get ready. Each time she was absolutely incredible though and, despite everything, was definitely worth it.

[@xydex99]

Didn't let Kanye sample mystery of iniquity

[@dazeja]

Don’t know about him, but I do. On two different occasions I paid to see her, once she cancelled the night of. The second, she was about 2 hrs late . She is without a doubt the most disrespectful artist to her fans ever.

[@lukasbuenger]

That beat at kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3Tbh615mpeBZ7sm19s though ... man.

[@Nicofromtheweb]

I want those hidden Dilla tapes so bad ...

[@nastynate838]

Nicolas .Strange mannnnnnn

[@ndujamz]

Questlove has hidden gems of Dilla stuff.

[@Russum1]

You can find them , but they are kinda hard to find

[@TheOverpowered1]

@@Russum1 did u you find any

[@Russum1]

@@TheOverpowered1 I got the instrumental to 44:24 if u want it

[@edsmijr.5893]

Someone needs to hack his laptop and get those D'Angelo demos

[@KingEversProduction]

Tito Idriess I just got that same cassette he played at 43:00.

[@xydex99]

@@KingEversProduction bro don't hold out

[@el.blanco552]

@@KingEversProduction my man....

[@tomlebeau7921]

KingEversProduction please do share

[@poor_impulsive]

@@KingEversProduction come on bruhhhhhhhh driver dot anthony gmail yo!

[@BakemonoShiz]

"a band with who, that hoodlum Tariq?!" classic dad verbage. lol..

[@noblehousemusic]

The way he talks about dilla's feel is life changing. 35:25 - 36:06

[@reginaldmorton2162]

If that laptop could talk, it would go Platinum.

[@minou_1]

the dilla part at around 1:37:25 was really great

[@Sssteelo]

Bump

[@guaguancos.montunodcubop8923]

Bird used to practice 13 hours a day to perfect his craft. And he still hadn't reached his prime when he died

[@skeenj]

Wow, it is really surprising to hear that he EVER had timing issues. This man IS A CLOCK!

[@nicadams6126]

33 years old and just beginning to understand that Questlove is the core of the modern music industry.

[@scharkonline]

This entire interview is fantastic, but 37:27 absolutely blew my mind

[@zacharykingston1046]

Quesltlove is a gifted honest speaker among other talents..he deserves to be paid for these...I want a podcast...

[@nathanscott3589]

Zachary Kingston he has one. Quest love Supreme

[@Stoney-Jacksman]

money is not the (only) form of recognition. Maybe nowadays all you dumb ass western people think so...but its not. And he's rich already. Go and beg for the poor instead you schmuck.

[@gabel13]

this dude is the Noam Chomsky of hip-hop

[@movimentodoscacos]

lmao yes

[@jimflauntt683]

Wtf? Keep politics away from music they should never mix like two dicks and no chic

[@Guitfiddlejase]

That was a helluva’ comment ..wish I’d thought of that myself!

[@uzumakiangelus]

@@jimflauntt683 Noam Chomsky is one of the most distinguished scholars of our time. THAT'S the comparison cos Questlove is just an absolute wealth of this musical knowledge. That you think politics have anything to do with it is just silly.

[@jimflauntt683]

@@uzumakiangelus really because the fact that they both are one step away from being communists and claimed liberals you could of fooled me. The funny thing is neithers professional lives could of never existed without capitalism is funny to me

[@Thataussiebattler]

West Philadelphia born and raised on the drum kit is where he spent most of his days....... and it shows... what a great and down to earth drummer..... respect.

[@dakine4238]

hahhaha that tune came into my head right away too, nice addition

[@jamalalqassem5079]

boooo

[@rickylovesyou]

Its insane to think the last track of things fall apart leads into the first track of voodoo, what a crazy and revolutionary way of recording. Imagine if they did that across all the soulquarion/electric lady/the ummah albums up to now, that would just be SICK to def.

[@henrywebster5130]

leads into how? I just tried it and don't see it

[@Rappatiligoe0419]

@@henrywebster5130 I actually think I once heard someone say that the song "The Hypnotic" off Illadelph Halflife transitions into "Playa Playa"

[@henrywebster5130]

@@Rappatiligoe0419 Yeah you're right, the drums and tempo sound pretty much identical. Still aint as smooth as I thought itd be, was expecting kinda like the pink floyd album that loops but its still cool

[@crosssection6289]

// Yo.! Wait a minute. Hold up. EM + Henry Webster + Rappatiligoe... don't move.! I gotta hear this.........

[@crosssection6289]

@@henrywebster5130 // I don't know if it's just wishful thinking.... but the melody and tempo of the keys .... It can't be though...

[@noneban]

"Even if he was wrong, he was still right", the definition of fatherhood.

[@Foetestour]

Well, those were the best 2 hours I've spent in my recent years... Unlike everything at school, I actually learned something that interests me from watching this. God bless you Questlove, god bless...

[@jingijazz9480]

Ya need to get out more man

[@edn3065]

.

[@edn3065]

[e-mail]

[@TheOverpowered1]

@@jingijazz9480 wdym

[@JohnDoe-vv3id]

If you’ve never learned anything at school you are not thinking.

[@iwillheadlockyournan731]

Questloves in the house!?

[@joonpark2144]

Questlove your not in the house man.

[@russ6541]

wait a minute, Questlove owns a house?!?!?

[@Chiefsanchez956]

iwillheadlockyournan he’s not in the house man

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

Yes. Questlove is in the house. ... Your question mark confused me.

[@ladyheroin.v4143]

@@PaulTheSkeptic Dude, Questlove is not in the house

[@digaholics7786]

Doing such a good job of explaining the various eras of hip hop. Certainly interpreted through a biased lens, but it's quite an accurate account nonetheless.

[@billystiletto]

That look he gives at 15:50 hurt my soul, damn Quest was so sad for a brief second. Love you Quest!

[@george00719]

Pharoah Sanders...love how his whole life has been music - a real connoisseur my kinda dude

[@kawabungadad8945]

Ahaha D'Angelo - 'USE THE FORCE'

[@soulchorea]

I'm bout to sample the mess out of these drums lol

[@bobvanluijt897]

Haha, that's why I'm here :-P

[@drunkunc83]

Ditto

[@kyleholman7191]

Crappy ass MP3 audio quality? Lol.

[@djkurse9209]

Buy a sampler and use records not garbage mp3 KZbin rips

[@thenathanrox]

Yeah bro go buy this on vinyl

[@OK-dv5ky]

I need the dilla beat at 44:30 , god damnnnn

[@mariadasg6645]

We all need

[@Chevy-jordan]

@@mariadasg6645 search 'J dilla unrelased beat' < [yes spelt wrong] on YT he's wearing a black coat against a green background as the thumbnail

[@mariadasg6645]

@@Chevy-jordan thanks a lot! (:

[@Chevy-jordan]

Maria Dasg hope you found it :)

[@mariadasg6645]

@@Chevy-jordan the vid with 14 min had a better version. The cover is dilla wearing white

[@cedricd7110]

20:33 I totally relate. My dad turned me unto rap unknowingly by buying James Brown records by the crate. One of those records was Unity with Baam and I was hooked. One day he saw me watching a video of "You must learn" by BDP and told me to turn off that "Hoodlum Noise". Too bad cuz he would've really dug the message. May he R.I.P

[@RBMA]

If that wasn't enough of a Questlove fix, then you can read more about his early days on stage, more on the Roots and producing for Al Green: daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2019/02/give-the-drummer-some-questlove

[@KeithCasper]

His father loved him, while he imposed his discipline, he challenged him in his mind--and developed the style that was more flourished and spontaneous. Like Prince, he studied his music and had it down. This man is truly an amazing human in so many ways. A musician's musician.

[@syckindahead]

1:33:00 D's new project was that the Vanguard album🧐

[@LittleMissSunshine721]

Quest is one of those people that I would pay to watch him talk about anything. He’s such a intelligent man.

[@dreamcrusher3648]

Get a life

[@tysonmoana9658]

I love seeing the inner workings of musical geniuses minds i could sit for days and listen to this passion

[@MPwonder]

I feel like Denzel based his J. Isreal Esquire character off of Quest 😂😂 Same look, same intellect, same quirks, same Fro, SAME GUY. (Different craft)

[@ABCDEFGHIJKELA...]

man Quest looks comfortable everywhere he goes, gotta admire that shit.

[@pierreg9328]

Damn that sounds so cool, Laying on the couch while you are snowed in hearing dilla cooking up that beat.

[@Shmingleshmangle]

Questlove sighs almost as much as my dad.

[@Deevious26]

33:07 Just Blaze on the left in the audience. Explains the whole "you enabled the gospel drummer musicianship" phrase earlier with "Show Me What You Got". The drummer on that track was Aaron Spears btw.

[@nduetyme6623]

You just have to learn the rules first then you can break them

[@umarwali7184]

First hip hop show at Philharmonic Hall Lincoln Center N.Y.C..included the ROOTS and Jay Z..

[@skeenj]

Love hearing all of Questlove's wisdom and experience. The interviewer comes across as cocky sometimes.

[@konnordonnelly2226]

Wish I had his laptop probably got so many unreleased gems

[@coreyyellowmanjackson4341]

Bernard Purdie did The "Purdie Shuffle" .. Most famously known as the drums for Steely Dan's "Babylon Sisters"

[@hasanisgs667]

J Dilla is a GOD

[@lbushquizeanic1]

43:52 I love this unreleased J Dilla material

[@VerbaDeLycKRecords]

Hearing Questlove speak on Dillas mind is vocally beautiful i could hear him talk about those experiences all day #PiKaHsSo

[@patdon1]

43:57 I want that tape

[@patdon1]

+Kaison Williams if ma dukes releases it I'd pay

[@jordan1852]

It's the Jay Dee project, you can find some of it online

[@patdon1]

+General-Jordan you know the name of the beat at 44:25

[@jordan1852]

patdon1 Nah thats on the original I think but I can link you to the other one with a whole lot of shit

[@patdon1]

+General-Jordan iight

[@mtac9978]

Wow this was amazing, thank you Redbull and Questlove

[@NorthStarGeneral]

Illadelph is my favorite Roots abum production is so textured and psychedelic🔰

[@jakecooley7603]

Dude love your explanation about pocket vs chops

[@RuffmixxMusic]

Epic interview. Could listen to this guy for days. His perspectives and insights are fascinating and inspiring. Love his story telling too 👍🏾 😎

[@tonywalker8989]

wow, got me listening to MJ now. It's really important for even his fans to go back and remember who he was and even what he looked like. It's crazy how part of the population doesn't see what was done to that young man. No one truly understood and cared for him.

[@peterhammel3799]

the dude thought he'd do a interview, but he was so wrong xD questlove is love

[@imdacoochiemonsterrahh]

They should do this with black thought

[@nagichampa9866]

That hoodlum?

[@shadetx713]

This is inspiration

[@edn3065]

Time for you and I have to be at the top of the list of the most common form of dementia and I have to be at the airport and I have to be in this position is a good thing to do it for you and I have to be at the top of the list of the best way to do it for you and I have to be at the top of the list of the best way to get some sleep now I am going to be at the airport and only to be at the airport and I have to be in this position will have to be at the airport and only one of the best in the world Hi to be at the airport and I have to be in this position will be a good thing I have to be at the airport and I have to be in this positio

[@hasanisgs667]

44:11 damn thats soulful asf i hope it gets released on dilla day

[@ladyheroin.v4143]

I NEED IT

[@yogicbeats]

Lemme know if it does

[@benjamingazdik]

Practice makes permanent.

[@kevinxonthebeat]

59:47 there’s an interview with rick Rubin and Andre 3000 where they talk about artists reinventing themselves, and Rick literally cites the exact same examples that ?uest provides, great minds really do think alike

[@TahjAmir96]

44:24 tears of joy.. feels like i’m on a flight sitting in the window seat 😭

[@raihanshrk1955]

What beat?

[@raihanshrk1955]

Ya know?

[@TahjAmir96]

@@raihanshrk1955 The J. Dilla beat

[@neelmoudgil4962]

I would eat a shit to be in Questloves music class. So much knowledge

[@adrianjohnson4151]

Questlove !!!!!!!! This man's musical knowledge is staggering!!!!!

[@jerimccombs6245]

👍 yeah!

[@nagichampa9866]

It's like Tarantino talking about movies or Chomsky about language!

[@Afrimusican]

Right?! Also why is this just getting to me wtf YT

[@allstar930]

This is a damn good listen.

[@ypure3859]

Thank you for Histus Kaiyote!! They sre absoluteky BRILLIANT!

[@mflance7197]

Questlove doesnt seem to be happy with his contract seems like he and the others was lead on to believe it was gonna be a normal job but instead the tonight show has trapped them and works them like dogs.

[@forcreatorsonly3376]

wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true, wouldn’t be anything new in this industry

[@urennakarah2766]

I'm not sure how I got here, but this was actually great! I just woke up and it was on. I went from Igbo movies to this lol.

[@JC-11111]

Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes permanent. You practice wrong and it'll become permanent. Same if you practice right. You gotta practice perfect if you want to be perfect. You don't get perfect from half-assed practicing, etc...

[@11FBA11]

Quest has lost a lot of weight since this video.

[@ThePdeHav]

My piano professor always said, ‘ practice doesn’t make perfect; it makes permanent.’ This is in connection to the tendency as kids not to practice properly, just going through the motions, Great podcast guys.

[@RPMillz-pw1uo]

As a producer this is the most inspiring thing i have ever heard..

[@AlamdaABalqhin]

some classic albums: Dangerous - MJ Black Messiah - D'Angelo Spice World - Spice Girls Bush - Snoop Dogg albums that SHOUT identidy and compressed HUGE AMOUNT of knowledge and joy about a type of sound/feeling.

[@jazzbrew68]

It's cool to see Dangerous on that list. I've always LOVED that album. People sleep on it.

[@rickylovesyou]

Voodoo and Illadelph way above black messiah.

[@DH-ij9pe]

Voodoo? And you have the fucking Spice Girls on that list. Your opinion is irrelevant.

[@lilmaxAlarcxn]

Questlove speaks like a time traveler no one man is louder or more clear than Dr. Thompson If music had a voice it would be this guy he's like musik's subconscious.

[@lwlakksjd]

The interviewer is not good. Who picked this guy?

[@blushiax]

anyone know where I can find 44:00 - 44:04 !!

[@JayceeLabrador]

I’m on the lookout too 😩😩

[@nicoscramble5343]

this show was good for my soul

[@bigsby19]

The bodyguard “moment” was a class comment. Very enjoyable lecture/ interview.

[@TheTapMusic]

Questlove rockin a Unibody MacBook, hell yeah

[@r.a.d.h.e.r.7758]

34:46

[@DREAMINWHITEONWHITE]

Amazing to have a musicologist like Quest alive, well, and working in such a public sphere re; fallon...can't wait for his Sly Stone documentary...though, I will say, the last question brought a pretty blue tone to his talk...really happy he met Grace Harry - hope they have kids, he would be an amazing father !

[@soulchorea]

1:04:05 - I never get tired of this story

[@blaakcoffee]

I’m sooo curious of his actual IQ. He’s truly a genius!!

[@kurtfromMichigan]

35:00 "the first song they opened with was bullshit, no no no, the title was called bullshit" lmao. Love that. And how quest went on to say how dilla changed the way he drummed....that's a powerful statement.

[@jbarrier3506]

Much love and respect to dilla and brotha question.

[@mibooth1852]

This had to be painful for Ahmir to do, he mentions his hero Steve Ferrone and dead silence WTF !!

[@adrianlyord5300]

I would’ve been like …..”Yea…..oh hell yeah that’s my favorite drummer too”!

[@allen.flo_]

whoa Quest listens to Hiatus Kaiyote and Dirty Projectors

[@Afrimusican]

A real connoisseur of music ain't he

[@neyeswah1]

if i could simply share a meal with this brother and we just kick it about music...damn. that would be wonderful!! I'd even pay for the meal!

[@thugzman7890]

2023 and this Interviewer is still the MVP!! He doesn’t over talk or interrupt them during their talking, we actually get jewels and information. Salute to you man!! (That’s a lost art in 2023) smh

[@dreamrestore213]

He's wak AF..... Showing no appreciation for the history he's being exposed to. Pathetic.

[@borisnihom7985]

THE LICK on trumpet: 46:35

[@amorejohnson4647]

I need those dilla/d'angelo demos❤🌹

[@Popu_GTB]

44:27 anyone?

[@Chiown320]

Like water for chocolate is my favorite album "OF ALL TIME". Don't ask me why. It just is

[@syckindahead]

🤔intrastin

[@007fartman]

What do you think About adam deitch?

[@adrianlyord5300]

He’s a awesome drummer too!

[@lordhelps1]

Dear ?uestlove, you were born in 71 and Michael Jackson was born in 58. How could you witness the greatness of MJackson at 10, as you said, when you werent even born? These type of statements are hard to understand. Since I was born in 1955, and remember when MJ used to spin both ways, my perception of growing up with him and yours are 16 years apart. So, for me, you misspoke. That being said, this was very enjoyable to witness, your otherwise knowledge of music and sharing your input was a privilege to witness.

[@thetrickisirarelyrespond5945]

44:26 I can't believe I would have this and not remember it, but what IS that 🔥beat? All I'm getting through shazam is "Bubba & Wine-The Izm" ...did it make its way onto any Dilla compilations and if so is it titled or one of his numbered beats? Thanks

[@starduststereo]

anyone else find it funny that he talked about "skiing" as a recreational coke reference then immediately segways into literally being snowed in with Dilla in Detroit!?? hoping there was a muted chuckle in the background

[@robertomoran3776]

18:20 tho

[@ATOMOCDOG]

haha, i drove my dad crazy with that same Public Enemy Album

[@garfieldharrison510]

I like what he said about doing the opposite of what you normally would do. It's true what he said about Michael. But you know that album that Michael recorded was out of the norm for him at the time. Off The Wall. Right after his huge hit album Destiny with his Brothers. The fact he(Michael) wanted to top Thriller, which was impossible. Mainly because of the circumstances which was implemented and occurred for the success of that masterpiece.

[@leewightman8619]

Quest is a legend dude took dillas loose drum style and applied it to his playing style..do you know how hard that is to play real drums with dilla timing ...

[@a1exfb29]

Someone please tell me what that beat at 40:00 I beg!!!!!

[@RBMA]

Unreleased song from Voodoo.

[@a1exfb29]

Do you have any idea if theres any possible way where I could find it or is there no way?