We typically do our CRWN series with the hottest artists when they’re at their most relevant. But when it comes to Amir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of The Roots, that’s tough to do. They’re always reaching new heights and finding ways to make an impact. These guys stay working.
Case in point: On Saturday, I attended Infatuation’s EEEEEATSCON at my favorite venue in New York, Forest Hills Stadium. Questlove manned the keynote panel with legendary music manager, Shep Gordon. The session was named Mixtape Potluck after Questlove’s new book dropping this week. To hear these two wax poetic about food completely changed my perspective.
You see, I’m not a foodie. I generally eat for fuel. If something is supposed to be out of this world, of course I want to experience it, but for the most part I focus on eating healthy and clean. Still, the way Quest and Black Thought compared certain potlucks to classic Wu-Tang albums completely opened my third eye about food. I gained a new appreciation for food being a creative art that can only be enjoyed “in the moment.”
The next day we had the honor of hosting the two Roots mainstays on CRWN in front of a live audience. Elliott Wilson, our host and the newly appointed Chief Content Officer at Tidal, dove deep into their career highs and lows, providing tremendous insight. I love the way these guys think; true hip-hop connoisseurs (and nerds!) who stay true to themselves. They’ve been working together for an unthinkable 32 years.
The timing of this episode was based around their new AMC show, premiering this Sunday night after The Walking Dead. It’s called Hip-Hop: The Songs That Shook America and I’ve had at the pleasure of screening it in its entirety. Spoiler alert: it’s a real gem and it was more than edutaining to hear them discuss the production process alongside longtime collaborator Shawn Gee.
The show dives deep into so many classics, revealing the stories you might not have heard about the songs you definitely did. Episode 1 is about the making of “Jesus Walks” — back when Kanye was making music that mattered. Check out the full CRWN episode on Tidal today (email me if you need a trial code for Tidal) and catch Songs That Shook on Sunday.
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