Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove

( 19 )

Overview

"You have to bear in mind that [Questlove] is one of the smartest motherf*****s on the planet. His musical knowledge, for all practical purposes, is limitless." —Robert Christgau

MO' META BLUES
The World According to Questlove

Mo' Meta Blues is a punch-drunk memoir in which Everyone's Favorite Questlove tells his own story while tackling some of the lates, the greats, the fakes, the philosophers, the ...

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More About This Book

Overview

"You have to bear in mind that [Questlove] is one of the smartest motherf*****s on the planet. His musical knowledge, for all practical purposes, is limitless." —Robert Christgau

MO' META BLUES
The World According to Questlove

Mo' Meta Blues is a punch-drunk memoir in which Everyone's Favorite Questlove tells his own story while tackling some of the lates, the greats, the fakes, the philosophers, the heavyweights, and the true originals of the music world. He digs deep into the album cuts of his life and unearths some pivotal moments in black art, hip hop, and pop culture.

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson is many things: virtuoso drummer, producer, arranger, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon bandleader, DJ, composer, and tireless Tweeter. He is one of our most ubiquitous cultural tastemakers, and in this, his first book, he reveals his own formative experiences—from growing up in 1970s West Philly as the son of a 1950s doo-wop singer, to finding his own way through the music world and ultimately co-founding and rising up with the Roots, a.k.a., the last hip hop band on Earth. Mo' Meta Blues also has some (many) random (or not) musings about the state of hip hop, the state of music criticism, the state of statements, as well as a plethora of run-ins with celebrities, idols, and fellow artists, from Stevie Wonder to KISS to D'Angelo to Jay-Z to Dave Chappelle to...you ever seen Prince roller-skate?!?

But Mo' Meta Blues isn't just a memoir. It's a dialogue about the nature of memory and the idea of a post-modern black man saddled with some post-modern blues. It's a book that questions what a book like Mo' Meta Blues really is. It's the side wind of a one-of-a-kind mind.

It's a rare gift that gives as well as takes.

It's a record that keeps going around and around.

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Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

The publisher's promotional copy calls this book a "punch-drunk-on-culture memoir," but make no mistake: There is wisdom in that punch. Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, drummer/founder of the Grammy Award-winning hip-hop group The Roots, has made a lifelong applied study of his craft. "His musical knowledge, for all practical purposes," testifies critic Robert Christgau, "is limitless." This meta-memoir, co-written with New Yorker journalist Ben Greenman, ripples with stories and opinions about everything from growing up in '70s Philadelphia with '50s doo-wop singers to black culture, white culture, pop culture, music culture, with intermittent riffs on people, places, and his ever-growing fame. Editor's recommendation. (P.S. Yes, this is the drummer you see on Jimmy Fallon.)

Publishers Weekly
First-time author “Questlove” Thompson is cofounder and drummer of the Roots, the popular hip-hop/neo-soul group that also serves as the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In this enjoyable memoir, Thompson tells of his work as a DJ and producer with some of the biggest names in the music business, such as Jay-Z and Common, and Dave Chappelle (Thompson was the Chappelle’s Show’s music director). His always fascinating and sometimes hilarious recollections touch on everything from drumming at age five in his father’s professional doo-wop and soul band to roller-skating as an adult with Eddie Murphy at a bizarre party hosted by Prince. Thompson’s eclectic “meta” mix of writing styles—punctuated by interviews with Rich Nichols, the group’s longtime comanager—appropriately captures the almost two-decade-long history of the Roots.(June 25)
From the Publisher
"Attention White Girls: Stop reading about vampires and read what Questlove has to say instead. Mo' Meta Blues is a magical kaleidoscope about a high concept, low maintenance genius named Ahmir. Like him, it's smart, funny, sweet and in a thousand places at once. Read it or rot on your vine."
—Amy Poehler

"Questlove is an artistic giant and spiritual genius whose roots go back to Curtis Mayfield and so many others. This book is a gem to read and a joy to feel! Don't miss it!"
--Dr. Cornel West

"I truly love this book. I felt like I was having a conversation with Ahmir, and I may have even said aloud a few times, "What? No way!" It's everything I want to know about someone who is obsessed with music...his love for music (contemporary/revolutionary/cool) is tireless. I am forever a fan of Questlove's fanaticism."
—Fred Armisen

"A busy thicket of musical geekery . . . likable . . . funny . . . MO' META BLUES has an open-mike, improv-night spirit . . . The end pages on my copy are crammed with song titles; they resemble the back of a popular girl's senior yearbook." —Dwight Garner, New York Times

"Smart, funny, insightful . . . [The] joy of this book is getting to live inside Questlove's jam-packed, restless brain for a while . . . Four stars." —Rolling Stone

"MO' META BLUES isn't just a memoir. It's a dialogue about the nature of memory and the idea of a postmodern black man saddled with some postmodern blues. It's the side wind of a one-of-a-kind mind. It's a rare gift that gives as well as takes. It's a record that keeps going around and around.

"[MO' META BLUES] is incredible . . . [Questlove is] one of the more unabashed music geeks to ever walk the earth . . . a student of music and pop culture. But, as the book demonstrates, Thompson is also a wonderful storyteller." --Pitchfork.com

"A thoughtful, incisive analysis of hip hop-and pop music in general-from one of its foremost contemporary architects . . . a book with as much warmth, heart, and humor as introspective intelligence. Fanatics and newcomers to the music will both find plenty of revelation here." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A hip hop thinker with historical perspective . . . an excellent book." —Philadelphia Inquirer

"After reading it, you'll feel like you know Questlove. The book is intimate and funny. Plus, you'll come away with a crash course in hip-hop history." —NPR.org

Library Journal
★ 
Thompson, better known as Questlove, is the drummer and cofounder of the Roots, familiar to millions through their music and, more recently, as the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Questlove, who has over 2.6 million Twitter followers, busts out of the 140 character limitations with an autobiography that is insightful, provocative, and impossible to put down. It’s fascinating to hear Questlove’s story as well as his take on the music that has driven him and inspired countless listeners for the last 40 years. This is much more than the standard Behind the Music–style biography, and Questlove does his best to break down the barrier between writer and reader. Along the way he addresses the all-important question, “How do you take what you hear and translate it into something that can be heard?”

Verdict Anyone interested in the mechanics of creation and collaboration will find much to savor here. Questlove’s first book is not to be missed. You won’t be able to put it down until you finish—and you’ll want more when you do.—Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR
(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Reviews
A thoughtful, incisive analysis of hip-hop--and pop music in general--from one of its foremost contemporary architects. It's no surprise that this isn't your standard musical memoir. As drummer and aural conceptualist for the Roots, producer for other artists, Jimmy Fallon bandleader and provocative cultural critic, Thompson, aka Questlove, has pushed the boundaries of convention wherever his creative energies have taken him. Here, he enlists New Yorker editor and novelist Greenman (The Slippage, 2013, etc.), not as a ghostwriter but as a collaborator and occasional interrogator, interweaving the subject/author's voice with that of Rich Nichols, the Roots' career strategist and co-manager from the start, in a book that mixes chronological memoir with critical issues not easily resolved--e.g., "What's black culture? What's hip-hop? What are the responsibilities of a society and the people in it?" It conjures the life of Questlove from boyhood prodigy to die-hard fan to seminal creative force, through midlife crisis and subsequent renewal, and it captures the revolutionary boyhood excitement of hearing "Rapper's Delight" shift the axis of the musical world and the giddy weirdness of being invited by Prince to a private, after-hours roller-skating party. The author also discusses being a huge KISS fan, a worshipper of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, "a serious music-press nerd, the kind of kid who collected back issues of Rolling Stone and memorized all the record ratings" and how he and the Roots have faced the charges of being "not black enough." The result is a book with as much warmth, heart and humor as introspective intelligence. Fanatics and newcomers to the music will both find plenty of revelation here.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781455501359
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • Publication date: 6/18/2013
  • Pages: 282
  • Sales rank: 67656
  • Product dimensions: 6.20 (w) x 9.10 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Meet the Author

Ahmir

Ahmir Thompson, also known as Questlove, is the drummer and co-founder of the Grammy award-winning hip hop band The Roots. He is also a world-renowned producer, arranger, and songwriter. In 2009, The Roots became the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Questlove has over 2.4 million followers on Twitter and has been known to DJ damn near every night of his life.

Ben Greenman is an editor at the New Yorker and the author of several acclaimed books of fiction, including Superbad, Please Step Back, and What He's Poised to Do. As a journalist and critic, he has written widely on music and pop culture. His most recent novel is The Slippage. He lives in Brooklyn and has never been known to DJ, ever.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 19 )
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Sort by: Showing 1 – 18 of 19 Customer Reviews

  • Posted Thu Jun 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    I Also Recommend:

    Unbecoming Travolta: A Memoir of Mania and Multiple Personalities
    Super Boys: The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster---the Creators of Superman

    What a crazy, fun book. I loved the stories about brushes with c

    What a crazy, fun book. I loved the stories about brushes with celebrity.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Jul 04 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    I Also Recommend:

    I Remember Me
    Unbecoming Travolta: A Memoir of Mania and Multiple Personalities

    Questlove's book Mo Meta Blues is fascinating. It starts off wit

    Questlove's book Mo Meta Blues is fascinating. It starts off with Questlove interviewing himself - which I found very interesting. It then goes into a variety of subjects about Black History including fascinating stories about The Roots formation and trouble with recording labels. I loved this book and high recommend it.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Fri Jun 28 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    From the start, Questlove (in an interview with himself) contend

    From the start, Questlove (in an interview with himself) contends that he doesn't want this to be a straight forward memoir and wants to do something different in telling his story. This new format includes inserting letters from the co-writer to the editor (both named Ben) about the process & progress of the book which I found distracting. It also has footnotes throughout by Richard Nichols, the longtime co-manager of The Roots, as a counterpoint to Questlove's narrative, which I really enjoyed. As it turns out, though, to me it wound up reading like the standard memoir that he seemed to want to avoid, as it was still stories told in a linear timeline.




    I did like hearing about the inception of The Roots as a group and I listened to each album as my soundtrack while reading as he told the story of how they came about and the themes surrounding each one. As a fan, I've know about the difficulty the group has had with record labels, recognition from the public, and helping other musicians only to have their success eclipse theirs. Questlove's recounting of these topics was a learning experience that this lover of hip-hop appreciated.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Jul 03 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Funkin' Go-Nuts

    Eeeeep!! I loveeee Questlove and the Roots crew on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon!!<3 Mo' Metta Blues is awesome!! Goooo Questlove!!!!:)

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Aug 02 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Gave me mo love for Questlove

    I love The Roots and I love Questlove but I had no assumptions coming into this book since great musicians don't always make great authors.

    Turns out that Quest is a great author.

    He merges his own history with musical history in a way that allows us to learn about both without getting bored or overwhelmed by either.

    I especially enjoyed the various "playlists" and think it would be cool if there was an e-version that included playable links to the songs. (Or maybe for the audio version)

    If there was anything i didn't like, it was the footnotes. Some of them were rather long and rambly. They were intended to be his internal dialogue with himself, but some of them came across as if speaking directly to the reader and it becomes confusing at times.

    This book had some laugh out loud funny moments (the Flintstones car stands out) and overall Quest seems sweet, smart, and thoughtful (barring about 5 pages of acknowledgements that appear to have omitted Black Thought. Oops!)

    He does not get overly personal but the overall presentation is good enough to where you don't miss it. It still comes across as quite intimate and we do get to know him better.

    I checked this book out firstfrom the library but would purchase it to read again. I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it to fans of the legendary Roots crew, Quest fans, memoir lovers, and music enthusiasts. There's something good here for all of us.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Mon Jul 22 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    more from this reviewer

    One of the BEST musician memoirs out there

    As someone who grew up in the Philadelphia area at the same time as Questlove, I am quite biased toward loving everything Questlove/Roots. That said, Ahmir Thompson is, without a doubt, one of the most valuable voices of our generation and of the American experience. His perspectives are touching, surprising, raw, and sometimes gut wrenching. (Plus, the interjections throughout the book by the Roots' manager, Rich Nichols, are hysterical, enlightening, and have the feel of a big brother.)

    A must read for musicians, music fans, Philadelphians, and anyone with a pulse.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Jul 16 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Unique, hilarious & insightful. Worth reading if for no othe

    Unique, hilarious &amp; insightful. Worth reading if for no other reason than to learn what it's like to go roller skating with Prince. Highly recommended.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Tue Jul 16 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    I Also Recommend:

    George Washington, A Life
    Mother Daughter Me
    Unbecoming Travolta: A Memoir of Mania and Multiple Personalities
    Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth

    Questlove (ahmir Thompson) has written a very interesting book.

    Questlove (ahmir Thompson) has written a very interesting book. His knowledge of music is impressive. The details of the formation and struggles of the band The Roots is very interesting. The book is easy to read and moves quickly through time. I would recommend giving it a try.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted Fri Jul 12 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    Fantastic biography

    ?Love's life is one dedicated to music, plain and simple. Any aspect of music is what he is all about. His and the Roots journey is long, has bumpy, and ultimately one that produced some of the greatest Hip-Hop I've ever heard.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Dec 11 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Jenna

    Awesome!!!!! Thanks btw

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Gargamel

    Much better!! Longer and stronger. But really weird and creepy. In a good way! This story could go down so many equally good paths...

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Dec 09 00:00:00 EST 2013

    ♚ I AM ♚ #2

    Shouts rang along the concrete halls. "Get off of me!" A shriek of anger. I raced to the bars and peered out. A girl with golden brown hair and ice blue eyes faught with the guards who looked merely bored. As the trio aproached her cell they slowed. One guard stepped forward and banged on the bars making me jump back. He laughed, a deep booming, humiliating laugh. The girl glared at her captors. I steped away fron the bars, knowing if I tried to run, I would be cought anyway... the girl was thrown in. She tripped a bit over the orange jumsuit distributed to all those inmates, but her seemed to be much to big for her... I stayed out of her way as she brushed herself off muttering curses under her breath. I took a step forward "um-" she spun to face me. "Who are you?" She asked and unsure look passed her face. "Erm... Rosaly... you can call me Rose I guess..." I looked yp at her, but she continued to look expectantly at me. "Uh... what?" I asked confused "whats your last name..." she said with a look of 'duh' on her face "oh erm..." i tried to think of my last name... but the problem was, I never had one... I guess I could have made one up, but why? "Just Rose" I stated firmly. Glaring at her as though daring her to questionvme any further. "And you?" I snapped "jeez! Calm down... or I should say warm up!" she gave me a look of pure smuggnes. "I'm jenna." (Sorry it was so short. Forgot some things about jenna's bio and didn't want to get anything wrong! Thanks for the comments and see you in chapter 3!<br>
    -Jay*)

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