Five Excellent Recent Books Blending Music and Personal Narrative
Music writing often combines the personal, political, and historical in new and inventive ways revealing the interconnectedness of these categories.
questlove
A Freewheeling Questlove Drops a New Hit with ‘Hip-Hop Is History’
With its deft layering of words, its samples, and how it articulates sound, Questlove’s Hip-Hop Is History is like De La Soul’s excellent album 3 Feet High and Rising.
The Best Books of 2021
As is PopMatters‘ ethos throughout our 22 years of publishing, there’s a strong current of feminism electrifying our picks for the Best Books of 2021.
Questlove Drums Circles Around Music History
Circles are central to Questlove. He loves a circular connection and a sidelong glance. Circles overlap and connect in his artful book, Music Is History.
The Past Sings in Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul’
Questlove’s Harlem Cultural Festival documentary, Summer of Soul, is a propulsive reminder of the ways art and society speak to each other.
The Roots Pack Gramercy Theatre with Special Guests for Jam
After the National's Citi Sound Vault show, I caught one of the Root' tremendous nights of special jams.
Nigel Hall: Ladies & Gentlemen… Nigel Hall
On his solo debut, Nigel Hall brings his blend of authentic soul and undeniable funk to the R&B landscape with rewarding results.
The Roots: New York – 7 August 2014 (Photos)
To celebrate the launch of their new Times Square location, Guitar Center invited the Roots to headline the party.
Alabama Shakes + Questlove: MB Evolution Tour – Terminal 5, New York (Photos)
The free, traveling 'Evolution Tour' put together by Mercedes-Benz launched in New York with a performance from Alabama Shakes and some interactive art from Mr. Brainwash.
Soul Train: The Hippest Nostalgia Trip in America
Soul Train was more than entertainment for black America. It was inspiration and validation. Questlove gives us another ride.