Questlove

The virtuosic drummer and bandleader of the Roots, Questlove wears many other hats -- make that afro picks -- as a producer, sideman, and DJ, as well as author, director, and podcast host, among other pursuits. In the '90s, the Roots laid the groundwork for neo soul, a movement driven by the Soulquarians collective, of which Questlove was a linchpin, involved with classics D'Angelo, Common, and Erykah Badu released in the early 2000s. At the end of that decade, the Roots began their long association with late-night television host Jimmy Fallon, enhancing Questlove's reputation as an unofficial hip-hop ambassador. Questlove's six Grammys include recognition for his production of Hamilton: An American Musical, and for his directorial debut, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised); he's also an Academy Award winner. He has since recorded Plumb (2023) with David Murray and Ray Angry, and directed Sly Lives (aka The Burden of Black Genius).