Questlove is opening up about mental health and what he wishes he could have done for some of his past collaborators who were struggling.
During a Q&A following a screening of his latest directorial effort, the documentary SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), the musician and Oscar-winning filmmaker compared Sly Stoneâs fall from fame in the â70s to the pressures Black artists often face. Questlove (real name: Amir Thompson) said heâs witnessed the breakdown of many musicians heâs worked with on their journey to âmaking it.âÂ
âMaybe one of them I think turned out okay,â Questlove, 54, said, referencing 12 artists he worked alongside at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. âThe thing is, itâs very jarring that 11 people that Iâve worked with in that studio, thereâs always a sabotage, panic, career-ruining moment that happens with them.âÂ
âI often wish I could have an intervention talk,â he added.Â
When crafting the unconventional music documentary, Questlove said the artists he had in mind included SZA, Solange, Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill and âliterally everyone.âÂ
Questlove said the film âis probably the closest that I could get to a press the panic button for every artist Iâve ever worked with.âÂ
He added that he isnât exempt from destructive behavior in response to the pressures of fame, which is why he previously didnât feel compelled to intervene.Â
âThe way that I overwork, the way that I overeat, like I panic. Itâs worse than, you know, worse than he [Stone] does,â Questlove continued. âBut, you know, my vices donât seem as drastic as angel dust or whatever.â
When he was no longer performing in 2020, Questlove said he spent time doing therapy work, where heâs been âkicking the can down the road,â and he implored others to tend to their own mental health.Â
The latest documentary project for Questlove, who previously directed 2021âs Oscar-winning documentary Summer of Soul and well as Januaryâs Ladies and Gentleman⊠50 Years of SNL Music, charts the traectory of Sly Stone, leader of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame funk-rock band Sly and the Family Stone. The group was known for late-â60s and early â70s hits like âEveryday Peopleâ and âFamily Affair,â and Stone, now 81, infamously struggled with substance abuse for decades.
With the filmâs 2025 release, Questlove said SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) comes when âminds will be ripe for itâ and âweâre on the right track.â
âA lot more artists might hopefully see this and really start asking those questions and going with it and working on themselves,â he said.
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) will be available for streaming Feb. 13 on Hulu.
Read the full article here