There’s no getting around the fact that 52-year-old Philadelphia-born drummer and songwriter Questlove gets better with age. Like a fine wine, the musician continues to improve by pushing boundaries both personal and professional. Not only is he the bandleader for the legendary Roots, hip-hop’s first live group, but he’s also a major player on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night show and an Oscar winner.
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But many fans of Quest might not know just what the artist has done for other musicians and performers, the songs he’s written for people outside of his own group.
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Without further ado, these are three songs you likely didn’t know Questlove wrote for other artists.
1. “Cold Blooded,” Common (feat. Rahzel, Roy Hargrove, and Black Thought)
Written by D’Angelo, Common, Questlove, Rahzel Brown, Black Thought, Kelo Saunders
Today, Common is a world-renowned rapper and actor. But before he was famous for roles in the John Wick franchise and for collaborating with Kanye West, he was known as Common Sense and releasing underground favorites like his 2000 LP, Like Water for Chocolate. On that song, Common employed Questlove to help with the tracks, including the song “Cold Blooded,” which Common and Quest wrote with famed R&B performer D’Angelo.
My little daughter, started, nursery school
Brother Com, gotta make our move through
The stylist and violence with vibrance
The sign of times with rhyme shit is timeless
The mind is a terrible thing to spill
Rap life’s like a dream that seems for real
2. “Playa Playa,” D’Angelo
Written by D’Angelo, Questlove, Angie Stone
Speaking of the R&B sensation D’Angelo, the singer worked with Questlove and Angie Stone on the song “Playa Playa” from his 2000 album, Voodoo. Using funk and jazz elements, the song opens the album. On it, you can hear the signature snare clap sound that Questlove has come to be known for today. Quest was the co-pilot on the album, the singer said.
We’re the playas number one (can you get the other track up?)
(All the way up?) we’re the playas number one
We’re the playas number one (yeah, yeah)
We’re the playas number one (uh, uh)
We’re the playas number one (yeah)
We’re the playas number one
3. “Wise Up Ghost,” Elvis Costello
Written by Elvis Costello, Questlove, Steven Mandel
This title song comes from the 2013 collaborative record with famed British songwriter Elvis Costello and the Philadelphia-born live band rap group the Roots. In fact, the album stems from Costello’s live performances on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night shows (the Roots are the show’s house band).
“Elvis first came on the Jimmy Fallon show in 2009,” Said Quest of the partnership. “I knew he was a fan of the Voodoo album I did with D’Angelo, so we asked if he would be open to the idea of ‘remixing’ his stuff. He was into it, so we did these radical versions of “High Fidelity” and “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea”, and he loved it. Then we did that a second time the next year, and then last year he was on when the show did a Bruce Springsteen tribute week. At that point, I kind of subliminally put out the idea of a larger collaboration. I was passive-aggressively suggesting it—I was too afraid to actually say, ‘Let’s make a record together.'”
Go on your merry way now if you must
Fool’s gold turns rivers into rust
Till you don’t know who to trust
Wise Up Ghost
Photo by Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images
