Questlove presents De La Soul as Webby Artist of the Year at the 18th Annual Webby Awards. Awesome speech.

?uestlove plays a cadaver on this week’s episode of Law & Order. Ice-T examines in the deadest collabo ever.

Fela Kuti lives on. AIDS awareness organization Red Hot has partnered with cross-genre collaborators representing rock, hip-hop, Americana, and classical for the release of Fela Kuti compositions on Red Hot + Fela. The album features classic Fela anthems like “Lady” recorded by tUnE-yArDs, Questlove, Angelique Kidjo, and Akua Naru, “ITT” by Superhuman Happiness, “No Buredi” reimagined as an electro-house track by Nneka, Sinkane, Amayo, and “Afrodisco Beat 2013″ by Tony Allen, M1 + Baloji. It also includes cover versions by Spoek Mathambo, Brittany Howard (from Alabama Shakes), the Kronos Quartet along with TV On The Radios’ Kyp Malone and Tunde Adembimpe, and many more.

My Morning Jacket, Merril Garbus, Brittany Howard and Antibalas Horns will be performing “Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am” on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon this Friday, October 11. In addition, you can celebrate Fela Kuti’s 75th birthday at various Felabrations shows throughout October and November.

Questlove tells the story of how he randomly (very randomly) found J. Cole’s iPhone at a gas station.

?uestlove talks about organizing the lineup for the 2013 Roots Picnic — yes, Naughty by Nature will be there — and gives an update on The Roots’ collaborative album with Elvis Costello, “Wise Up Ghost.”

What is largely considered The Roots best LP, 1999′s Things Fall Apart, has finally been certified platinum by the RIAA, selling over 1 million copies. ?uestlove took to Twitter to make the announcement, stating: “It took 14 years…..don’t let it be said that dreams don’t come true. #platinum,” and then Instagramming the pic below. Congrats to the legendary Roots crew!

With ?uestlove on the drums and Rahzel on the mic, the duo performed a 20-minute impromptu and unrehearsed set above the heads of the lucky few who will happened to stroll by on this beautiful spring day. In the spirit of inspiration, collaboration and making new music, which is what Red Bull Music Academy is all about, both artists played off each other by creating beats, throwing lyrics – all in celebration of exciting things to come.

During the Red Bull Music Academy, New York City can look forward to genre-defying concerts, sub-rattling club nights, jaw-dropping installations, and inspiring talks from music legends from April 28 to May 31. As a long time supporter and former lecturer of the Academy ?uestlove will be participating in Red Bull Music Academy’s ‘A Night of Improvised Round Robin Duets’ at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on May 1.

“With the music landscape changing and evolving so rapidly these days, it’s no wonder that the Red Bull Music Academy chose a city that eats, lives and breaths music,” said the sought-after DJ, music journalist and accomplished producer. “Everyday New York musicians are collaborating with new writers, new artists – all walks of life.”

Tickets are still available for many of the 37 events with over 230 artists at 34 venues across New York including Culture Clash, where four leading NYC music crews in Reggae, electronic, hip hop and tropical bass face off on four stages at the venerable Roseland Ballroom and 12 Years of DFA Records at Brooklyn’s Grand Prospect Hall. To find out more information and ticket links, please visit www.redbullmusicacademy.com.

Bonnaroo 2012 Superjam featuring “My Summertime Thang” (by Prince) remixed by Questlove filmed live on Saturday, June 9th at Bonnaroo – This Tent

Band Members:
D’Angelo: Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar
Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson: Drums (The Roots)
Pino Palladino: Bass (The Who)
Eric Leeds: Saxophone (Prince)
Jesse Johnson: Guitar (The Time, Prince, Janet Jackson)
Captain Kirk: Guitar (The Roots)
James Posyer: Keyboards (The Roots)
Frank Knuckles: Percussion (The Roots)
Kendra Foster (Vocals)

Filmed and Directed by Danny Clinch

Roots drummer and frontman, ?uestlove, will look back on his life thus far in an upcoming memoir, Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According To Questlove. The book will double as an autobiography, as well as a cultural study, billed as “musings about the state of hip hop, the state of music criticism, the state of statements,” and his thoughts on “pivotal moments in black music and pop culture.” The book is due June 18th theough Grand Central Publishing.

?uestlove sat down with NYU Local to discuss his new course with Clive Davis, Classic Albums. The in-depth conversation also finds him speaking on upcoming Roots collaborative projects with Elvis Costello, Al Green, and the long-awaited D’Angelo LP. Read on, party people:

Questlove: You know one of our big experiments on the Fallon show – our room is a studio. So, after Elvis Costello’s third appearance, we liked him so much we were like hey why don’t we make a record? Well what went from being one song to be released on Record Store Day became – why don’t we try four songs? Now we have a brilliant album. And, in the whole history of The Roots, I have never bragged on an album first, but I actually love this record.

NYU Local: Does it have a title?

Questlove: Yes, but he doesn’t want me to release it yet. More likely, it’s going to go to some subsidiary of Universal, like Def Jam or Blue Note.

NYU Local: It would be so cool if it’s on Blue Note.

Questlove: Yeah, I want it to go on Blue Note. Speak of which, we’re going to start the next Al Green record, um what else, I’m going to go back to my comedy roots and start working on Amy Schumer’s comedy special.

NYU Local: Really?

Questlove: Yeah I haven’t had a feeling in my stomach since I first saw the early Chappelle’s Show sketches and scripts.

NYU Local: I remember you being on it.

Questlove: That’s how I got Fallon – I worked all of season two and season three on the music.

NYU Local: It was awesome.

Questlove: Thanks. Schumer has the same team – Neal Brennan. It’s just as edgy. Again, I don’t want to put her in such a position because it’d just become a soundbite – ‘Questlove said Schumer’s going to match Chappelle’ – but for real, the last time I felt like ,“Oh shit are you allowed to do that?”, was back when they showed me the Chappelle dailies. She’s breaking every rule and hopefully people will be open to it. Also! My restaurant’s opening at Chelsea Markets. People have been wondering what’s happening with my food truck and I got rid of the truck and Chelsea Market offered me a position there so in March – it’s called Hi-Bird.

[Snip]

NYU Local: Any word on the D’Angelo album? I heard he may appear at a Brooklyn Bowl show.

Questlove: They announced that already?

NYU Local: It’s a rumor going around.

Questlove: Nice rumor! [Laughs] On that note, I have to go to class.

NYU Local: Any legitimacy to it?

Questlove: I don’t know…. It’s definitely not in February, but at Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday nights I can do whatever I want. I’ve asked a lot of luminaries. I have someone – not D’Angelo – that I’m trying to pull a coup on to perform there. They’re of god status and they’re considering it.

NYU Local: Professor King just gave me a copy of the D’Angelo reissues and I’ve been playing it nonstop.

Questlove: Wait until you hear the new album.

In a story we’ve been reporting on since July, AnimationOnFox gives us a sneak peak of the season premiere of The Cleveland Show, entitled “Menace II Secret Society”, which will feature each ?uestlove, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Bruno Mars, Will.I.Am as members of the hip-hop illuminati.

Roots drummer ?uestlove and legendary Def Jam founder Russell Simmons have teamed up for a “fundraising battle” for the re-election of Barack Obama. Donors can pick “I’m with Questlove or I’m with Simmons” in this mock “election” to see who can raise for money for the Obama campaign. At the time of this writing ?uestlove leads with a massive 72% to Russell Rush’s 27%. Participate now here.

?uesto appears on ABC’s cooking show, The Chew, and sits down at a makeshift drum-kit made up of pots and pans – and then proceeds to absolutley murder it, off the cuff.

The first episode in the “Animated Archive” series features Chappelle Show Co-Creator Neal Brennan’s tale of an evening he, Dave Chappelle and Questlove of The Roots spent at an after party of sorts in Prince’s hotel room. It got weird.