Questlove

Ahmir Khalib Thompson, known professionally as Questlove, is a musician, drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, which has been serving as the in-house band for "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" since 2014. Beyond his work with The Roots, Questlove has produced recordings for a wide range of artists, including Elvis Costello, Common, D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Jay-Z, Nikka Costa, Al Green, Amy Winehouse, and John Legend, and he played drums on Christina Aguilera's song "Loving Me 4 Me" and Joss Stone's cover of the White Stripes' "Fell in Love with a Girl."

Questlove has received many accolades for his work, such as an Academy Award, six Grammy Awards, and a BAFTA Award. Notable wins include a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2000, and an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film for "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)."

In addition to his music career, Questlove is the co-founder of the websites Okayplayer and OkayAfrica. He has also created and hosted the podcast Questlove Supreme, launched a weekly radio show on Pandora, and started his own publishing imprint, Auwa Books. He has written several books, including "Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove," "Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation," "Something To Food About: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs," "Creative Quest," and "Music Is History." His children's book "The Idea in You" was published in 2024.

Questlove made his directorial debut with the film "Summer of Soul," which won multiple awards, including Best Documentary at the 94th Academy Awards and the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. He is currently working on a feature documentary about J Dilla titled "Dilla Time." Moreover, he had an active role in the Broadway play "Fela!" as an associate producer and he was one of the producers of the cast album of the Broadway musical Hamilton. He is also an adjunct instructor at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University.