In his new book, Roots co-founder Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson starts in 1971 and moves year-by-year through his life, writing about memories, turning points and the songs he listened to.
TERRY GROSS, HOST:
This is FRESH AIR. I’m Terry Gross.
When I interviewed Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson over the summer after the release of his documentary “Summer Of Soul,” at the end of the interview, I immediately invited him to come back when his book was published in the fall. Well, it comes out next week, and I’m happy to say Questlove is back to talk with us about the book.
He’s the co-founder of and the drummer in the hip-hop band The Roots, which is, among other things, the house band for “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” (ph). He’s also the show’s music director. He’s won five Grammys. Among the things he’s famous for is knowing thousands and thousands of records and being a much sought-after DJ. At President Obama’s request, Questlove DJed Obama’s final White House party in January 2017.
