The Questlove Show

This mini-episode of The Questlove Show features Ahmir, Open Mike Eagle, and producer Cousin Jake reflecting on Mike’s 2025 long-form QLS conversation. Open Mike Eagle shares that he’s just finished a new album, talks about his listening habits (ranging from British bands to YouTube talk shows) and how being embedded in the industry pushes him away from rap in his leisure time. They dig into live performance philosophy—testing unreleased songs on tour, reading crowd energy without begging for participation, and the Roots’ continuous, no-song-ending show structure. The convo closes with Mike’s existing and upcoming podcasts (“What Had Happened Was,” “Past Due,” and a new, working-titled “The Album That Changed My Life”).
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As we celebrate Black Music Month, look back to late 2024, when James "JT" Taylor joined Questlove and Suga Steve to revisit his upbringing and two decades with Kool & The Gang. JT detailed arriving with the legendary Funk-Jazz band to help them reach new plateaus with hit songs including "Celebration," "Ladies Night," "Joanna," and more. This conversation also touched on JT's solo career at MCA Records, his ventures in film, and his recent Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction. This one is smooth and soulful—just like JT Taylor's incredible voice.
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Hip-Hop visionary Fab 5 Freddy joins Questlove to trace his path from Bed-Stuy's Hancock Street to painting whole-car subway masterpieces, exhibiting in Rome, and helping bring Rap to the mainstream through Yo! MTV Raps. While discussing his new memoir, Everybody's Fly, Fred shares vivid memories of Brooklyn riots, preserving Malcolm X’s final speech on reel-to-reel tape, and even cold-calling Thelonious Monk as a kid. Freddy unpacks Brooklyn’s mobile disco scene, the origins of sound system culture, and how graffiti crews transformed subway cars into rolling art galleries. Along the way, he and Questlove swap stories about boomboxes, gritty ’70s New York, and the tapes, block parties, and community networks that laid the groundwork for Hip-Hop culture.
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The second half of the 2022 interview with Fred Hammond. The Roots' James Poyser joined Team Supreme as they interviewed their first Gospel artist — others would follow in time. This conversation is spirited, fun, and informative. Enjoy as part of our 2026 Black Music Month fleet of Classics.
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In 2022, Questlove Supreme interviewed our first Gospel legend, and we started right. Fred Hammond is a game-changer and an innovator. We covered it all in this two-parter. Oh, and keep your ears open for a special guest cohost with his own Gospel "roots."
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