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Questlove on “Mo’ Meta Blues”, Major Musical/Cultural Influences and Racial Profiling

Check out this two-part interview with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, of The Roots.  Questlove joined Amy Goodman at Democracy Now last week for this interesting and insightful interview...

Part 1:  Questlove on Police Racial Profiling, Stop & Frisk, the Message He Took from Trayvon Martin Verdict

On the heels of this week’s historic ruling declaring the "stop-and-frisk" tactics of the New York City Police Department unconstitutional, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots joins us to talk about his own experiences being racially profiled by police. Questlove describes the first time he was harassed by police, as a young teenager in Philadelphia on his way to Bible study, to the most recent: being pulled over in his car by the NYPD two weeks ago, despite being one of the most acclaimed artists in hip-hop. He also discusses the message he took away as an African-American male from the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin: "You’re guilty no matter what, and you just now have to figure out a way to make everyone feel safe and everyone feel comfortable, even if it’s at the expense of your own soul."

Part 2:  Questlove on His Musical Upbringing, Hip-Hop’s 40th, Soul Train and New Memoir, "Mo’ Meta Blues"

In a week where hip-hop culture is marking its 40th birthday — the anniversary of the first Bronx block party thrown by New York DJ Kool Herc — we’re joined by one of its most eclectic and influential voices, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. Born in West Philadelphia and immersed in music from an early age, Questlove rose to fame as the co-founder and drummer of The Roots, the legendary band that has helped define a new generation of neo-soul and conscientious rap. Well into their third decade as a group, The Roots are now the house band on NBC’s "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." Questlove is also a prolific music producer, a DJ, and an influential presence on social media, with some 2.6 million people following his tweets on everything from music to food to politics. Questlove joins us to discuss his upbringing, his musical interests, transitioning to "Late Night," and his new memoir, "Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove."