The Roots' Questlove announced he will be releasing a new nonfiction book called Music Is History. Set to appear on shelves October 12, the book will look at the last half-century of music and explain the importance of one song from every year since 1971.
The years overlapping with Questlove’s own life will include anecdotes from his time as a young fan and musician. Besides specific songs, the book will discuss the important role American music plays around issues of race, gender, politics, and identity. There will also be themed playlists curated by The Roots' drummer himself.
A press release for the book explains its purpose with more detail:
“Music Is History moves fluidly from the personal to the political, examining events closely and critically, to unpeel and uncover previously unseen dimensions, and encouraging readers to do the same. Whether he is exploring how Black identity reshaped itself during the blaxploitation era, analyzing the assembly-line nature of disco and its hostility to Black genius, or remembering his own youth as a pop fan and what it taught him about America, Questlove finds the hidden connections in the American tapestry.”
Questlove is no newbie to the publishing world. Aside from his music career, Questlove is a best-selling author whose previous books include Creative Quest, Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove, Something to Food About: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs, and Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation.
Questlove has also been dipping his toes into filmmaking. In February, it was announced Questlove would direct an upcoming documentary on Sly Stone. His previous documentary Summer of Soul won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and was picked up by Hulu and Searchlight Pictures. The film will open to the general public on July 2.
You can pre-order Music Is History here.
Discover thousands of free stations from every genre of music and talk at Live365.com.
Ready to start your own station? Contact one of our Product Consultants today.
Keep up with the latest news by following us on Facebook (Live365 (Official) and Live365 Broadcasting) and Twitter (@Live365 and @Broadcaster365)!
Article Image: Questlove performing at a music festival. (benhoudijk via DepositPhotos.)
