“I’m up to a good 75,000 records. My first collection was basically taken from the household that I grew up in, so it’s my father’s collection. Then it’s the work I put in.”
This week’s Me to You is an absolute hall of famer, Questlove. When he’s not drumming for The Roots, bandleading for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, or in his role as professor at New York University, Questlove can spare time, even if just a little, for an interview, which is exactly what he did with Jamison Harvey back in 2014. Catch the interview in its entirety here.
Starting with the innovative recommendation of Donuts by J Dilla, “Airworks” has been selected to open up the playlist. The masterful sampling is something that can be returned to time and time again in this record. It is used in a way that shapes the melody, which is impressively smart. Each track on the album is equally unique, but there is a groove to “Airworks” that I just can’t resist.
The Roots, for whom Questlove is the drummer, debuted in 1993, and have continued to make exceedingly original pieces of music. In the original interview, Questlove reminisced over his father keeping Roots records, “and I thought, whatever. And here’s that moment, ’cause I don’t know if I have any Roots stuff!” Fortunately, the Roots 1995 album Do You Want More?!!!??! remained in his collection, and “I Remain Calm” is a sure favorite from the record.
Questlove noted that “Dilla’s favorite snare is on Al Wilson’s Show and Tell LP”. Although it features “A Song for You, which is a hot favorite for snare-sampling “Love Me Gentle, Love Me Blind” is an irresistible mention for Me to You. It has an undeniable capability to find its way to reaching the very depths of your blues, and most likely the person next to you. It conveys a longing desperation in such a cool and easy way. Impressive.
In our interview, Questlove told Jamison that Average White Band’s Person to Person LP “single-handedly changed my life. This is the record that I applied the 10,000 hours of practice to.” And I can see why, with “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” being a perfect ending track for the record. The song has a sincerity and determination that remains sweet and leaves you rooting for them to be loved. And they’re Scottish, which is brilliant. More Scottish funk, please.
Check out Questlove’s full list of recommended records below, and learn why they are significant to him in our original interview. Don’t forget to save the playlist I have curated from these recommended records to get a taste of the good stuff. Enjoy!
Photo collage by Morgan Jesse Lappin. Limited edition prints of the collage work are available here.
Questlove’s Recommended Listening List:
D’Angelo – Voodoo
10cc – 10cc
J Dilla – Donuts
Al Wilson – Weighing In
A Tribe Called Quest – The Love Movement
Shuggie Otis – Inspiration Information
Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express
Average White Band – Person to Person
The Roots – Do You Want More?!!!??!
The Jacksons – Live
Prince – “Soft and Wet”
Rare Earth – Ecology
Neil Sedaka – Overnight Success
Rufus & Chaka Khan – “Dance Wit Me”
High Inergy – Groove Patrol
The Temptations – Sky’s the Limit
Sly & the Family Stone – Greatest Hits
Heatwave – Too Hot to Handle
Congress Alley – Self-titled
The Ohio Players – “I Wanna Hear from You”
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