Questlove Hid His Roots Membership From Disapproving Father

The drummer had to keep his hip-hop band a secret from his dad, who saw the genre as lacking in art and music.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 2:20pm

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Questlove, the drummer for the iconic hip-hop group The Roots, recalled having to hide his involvement with the band from his father in the early days. Questlove's father, who preferred traditional session drumming, disapproved of hip-hop and saw it as lacking in artistic merit. Questlove had to secretly work on The Roots' first album 'Organix' before finally revealing the record deal to his dad, who referred to Questlove's bandmate Black Thought as a 'hoodlum.'

Why it matters

This story provides insight into the generational divide that existed around hip-hop music in its early days, when older generations often dismissed the genre as crude or lacking in artistic value. Questlove's experience highlights the challenges faced by musicians trying to pursue their passions in the face of parental disapproval.

The details

Questlove explained that his father wanted him to be a session drummer like Bernard Purdie, working with established artists. However, Questlove's own musical interests lay in hip-hop and the burgeoning Roots collective. He had to secretly work on the group's first album 'Organix' before finally revealing to his dad that he had a 'record deal' and was part of a band. Questlove's father, who referred to Black Thought as a 'hoodlum,' simply didn't see hip-hop as a legitimate art form.

  • Questlove had to hide his involvement with The Roots during the recording of their debut album 'Organix'.
  • Questlove finally revealed his record deal and Roots membership to his father while working on the group's second album 'Do You Want More?!!!??!'

The players

Questlove

The drummer for the iconic hip-hop group The Roots, who had to hide his involvement with the band from his disapproving father in the early days.

Black Thought

Questlove's bandmate in The Roots, whom Questlove's father referred to as a 'hoodlum.'

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What they’re saying

“I was halfway done through our second album, 'Do You Want More?!!!??!', before I had to tell him, 'I kinda have a record deal.' 'Record deal doing what?' 'You know, I got a band.' 'With who? That hoodlum Tariq?' You know, he thought… [Black Thought] was a hoodlum. 'That hoodlum boy you hang with.'”

— Questlove, Drummer, The Roots

“You know, cause he just thought that hip-hop was just, 'Bppt bppt, b*tch, suck my d*ck and bppt my d*ck and dah dah.' He didn't see it as an art form. You know, I'd blast Public Enemy's 'Nation Of Millions', and he's just like, 'Ahhh, there's no music, that's not art, it's not music.' So we just never bonded on that level.”

— Questlove, Drummer, The Roots

The takeaway

Questlove's experience highlights the generational divide that existed around hip-hop music in its early days, when older generations often dismissed the genre as lacking in artistic merit. This story provides insight into the challenges faced by musicians trying to pursue their passions in the face of parental disapproval.