Music Is History

New York Times bestselling Music Is History combines Questlove’s deep musical expertise with his curiosity about history, examining America over the past fifty years—now in paperback

Focusing on the years 1971 to the present, Questlove finds the hidden connections in the American tapes, whether investigating how the blaxploitation era reshaped Black identity or considering the way disco took an assembly-line approach to Black genius. And these critical inquiries are complemented by his own memories as a music fan and the way his appetite for pop culture taught him about America. A history of the last half-century and an intimate conversation with one of music’s most influential and original voices, Music Is History is a singular look at contemporary America.

About the Author

Questlove is an American drummer, DJ, producer, designer, culinary entrepreneur, music educator, and bestselling author of Music Is History (Abrams, 2021), Mixtape Potluck Cookbook (Abrams, 2019), Creative Quest (Ecco Press, 2018), and Mo' Meta Blues (Grand Central, 2013), among other titles. He is also the cofounder of The Roots and the bandleader for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He lives in New York.