Quick-To-Read Conversation Starters: Give me 2 minutes of your time, I'll help you put your network to work (or play, or thinking, or…) with something worth talking about.
Questlove has said for a while how Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend may have saved his life during the pandemic. Not only do I find that relatable, but seeing as Quest and Conan both factored heavily into my pandemic and post-pandemic not dying experience, I was so excited when this crossover episode appeared in my … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Questlove On Conan
Questlove had just DJ’d Obama’s last-night-in-the-White-House party. What was supposed to be a more artistic set (what he usually does), had turned into “animal house,” with him being asked to play the more traditional party-DJ role (what he usually doesn’t do). The party was a success, but he felt like a hack. Sensing his disappointment, President … Continue reading “Serve The People” (The Advice Obama Gave Questlove)
The Broken Record podcast returns with a two-part interview featuring drummer, DJ, author, and all-around renaissance man: Questlove. They talk Voodoo, they talk about the sea change that was the Beasties and LL in the 1980s, and Quest tells his Obama White House party story. You don’t have to be a music geek to appreciate … Continue reading Podcast of the Week: That Time Obama Peer Pressured Questlove to Play French Montana
Value comes from doing the thing you’re willing to do that somebody else wants done but doesn’t want to bother with. Questlove demos 500 or so songs per week to curate custom playlists for 700+ very cool (and lucky) friends of his. His expression for listening to all this music because nobody else will (or … Continue reading Deliver Value (Aka The Shawshank S*** Crawl)
All the official De La Soul albums are streaming now. FINALLY. Do you know how many years I’ve only been able to listen in my car to the CDs (where my only CD player lives) ever since my last iPod bricked?! It’s been way too long. I want you to join me. I also realize not … Continue reading Sunday Music: De La Soul Listening Guide
The last thing I think about when I think about Darius Rucker is what an outcast he is/was. But this guy faced and overcame some serious adversity, at levels I hadn’t ever really fully considered. Take the perspective shift pill (unless you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about his career arc already, in which … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Darius Rucker On QLS
Before Jimmy Jam was writing hits with Janet Jackson, before he was playing with Prince, he was a Minnesota musician getting blocked from playing white clubs in the 1970s. He says it was a blessing. Think of this story next time you’re feeling boxed out. Jimmy Jam and his friends’ first few bands weren’t bookable … Continue reading Jimmy Jam On the Curse And Blessing Of Not Being Able To Get A Gig
Sometimes you think you’re just going to get some good 80s/90s Philly stories. Sometimes, you get one or two, but you end up with a dose of philosophy you weren’t expecting instead. Will Smith has been through some stuff in the past few years. Some of it’s been public. Very public. It’s not the topic … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Will Smith, A (Quest)Love Supreme
The path you’re going down doesn’t have to be the path you finish on. Doug E. Fresh invented beatboxing. If it weren’t for his music teacher, it might never have happened. In grade school, he wanted to learn to play the drums. He joined the school band but the teacher brushed off his request and … Continue reading Change Paths (How Doug E. Fresh Invented Beatboxing)
Hey! On Saturday’s I highlight a podcast (or three) about being a creative professional. Sometimes it’s direct, sometimes it’s indirect, but it’s always entertaining and educational. Check these out and send anything good you’ve heard lately my way! Need something for your tribe’s collective soul? Listen to Diana Chapman talk to Tim Ferriss. Chapman is … Continue reading Podcasts Of The Week: Drama Triangles, The Power Of Public Enemy, And Talking About Race