The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Jenifer Lewis Part 1

Episode Date: June 12, 2026

As The Questlove Show's celebration of Black Music Month continues, we're revisiting one of our favorite conversations. Actress, author, and cultural force—and yes, songstress—Jenifer Lewis shares hard-earned wisdom from her life, career, and travels. Listen as this queen of multi-hyphenates commands the QLS stage with humor, honesty, and unforgettable stories. Questlove called this 2022 two-parter interview a Top 3-all-time guest interview, and you'll hear why.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. It's that time to put on your jersey and wave your flag, whoever you root for. Why do I watch the walk up? That's like asking me, why do I breed? And it's beautiful. The guys are young and cute and fit.

It's not just a game. It's your culture. I like watching it with my dad. It's a connecting force. From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda Chavari, and this is American football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S. and its underdog roots. Listen to American football on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Joy is essential and it's also elusive, but now there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence.

Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotby. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats. Open your free IHeart Radio app. Search Joy 101 and Listen Now. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotfi is presented by CVS. All right, listen up. The Jonas Brothers here.

Our podcast is called Hey Jonas. We've here since everyone has a podcast, we wanted to as well. And we've had some incredible guests so far. And now our good friend, Nile Horn, is joining the show. How's it going, boys? Hey, Niall. It was the same thing with Slow Hands. The whole answer is not about anything else really, is it?

You know, or taste so good can't be about food. You do the same, Nick, with some of the stuff that you've done. You too, Joe. Drop what you're doing and listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Everyone sees me as a football player, but before anything else, I'm human. Every single day, I'm still learning how to live with problems, mistakes, relationships, emotions ever since I was born. This isn't a normal podcast. Everything here is spontaneous, real and genuine, just honest conversations about what it means to be alive.

I'm Javier Tchariot-Orenandez and listen to Learning to Be Human on IHard Radio, Apple Podcasts, or whatever you get your podcast. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was hiring. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in too, he's like, you know I love you, dog.

You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. What's up? It's June, and that means it's Black Music Month. And every year on Quest Love Supreme, and now the Quest Love Show, we honor it by bringing you an episode every day that celebrates black music,

It's history and its impact. My team and I have selected episodes from our archive that we feel are especially relevant to the celebration, offering history, insight, and a little fun along the way. So be on the lookout for four brand new episodes throughout June, each connected to the past, present, and future of Black Music. We're going to highlight trailblazers, innovators, cultural conduits, and revolutionaries whose work continues to shape the world around us. Happy June.

Happy Black Music Month. Put him right now for a moment in his room. Give him a treat and put him in his room. Little shit. Got me by the nose. This motherfucker. Everybody else is scared of me. This nigga don't know.

Nickets, don't make no fucking attention me because he's so pretty. Motherfucker. I can already tell where he's up. So it's going. Nice. Class-heavy already. I'm not going to cuss. I'll be a good girl.

No. No, no, please. Curse. No, that's what we're in for. Yeah, I'm ready. I'm playing them games. Okay, let's get in it. Ladies and gentlemen of QS ology,

okay, based on that energy, people warn that this episode just might top the Deas and Mero episode as the most realest in QLS history. And the most realest in QLS history. And I'm here for it. I'm manifesting it. Again, this is Questlove Supreme.

You're a nerd paradise of sometimes awesome and occasionally useless information or edgimication. Our two brethren, unpaid Bill and Shooka Steve, I guess you can say they're holding down their illustrious careers right now, so they won't be joining us. So this is going to be a powwow with, hello, Lai. How you doing? You're in Lai right now.

I was waiting for you to say, with the blacks. Come on now. Fonte. Hello? What up? What up? What up? We're the OJs. We're a trio today. We are. And oh, what a trio.

With that said, ladies and gentlemen, I will say that our illustrious guest is indeed. Okay, so since the title is somewhat self-proclaimed, it was the title for her first memoir, which was the mother black Hollywood, I would like to say that probably that title for her might be somewhat reductive because I feel that she's more than just the mother of black Hollywood, you know, for a woman or human of her stature. And I don't believe in numbers sometimes,

especially when Laia is trying to remind me how old I am. But I will say that for over four decades, our guest has been going strong in ways that, you know, her contemporaries can't even compete with and I will say that she is she is conquered and taken every medium by storm I'm gonna I had to write them all down so let's go with it UBBased musical in 1979 pre-Broadway Dream Girls where she was the title of F.E. White Bet Middler's background singers were called Harlets right I believe so yes she was a a harlot in in bet mittler's uh uh show um she's landed many a scene stealing moment and practically every show that she's ever be it tv or movies name them murphy brown uh dream one i love dream

one that's one of my favorite show in living color uh rock hang with miss cooper a different world she's on helen on freshman to belair come on uh she was dean davenport on different world Tina Turner's mom and what's love got to do with it. Yo, she was even in friends. I didn't know that more than the third black women? Yeah. Right. I didn't even know that black people were in friends.

Lucky's mom in poetic justice. Yo, the way she tells him to shut the fuck up. In poetic justice is my favorite. That is my favorite use of shut the fuck up I ever heard. Anyway, name it. Dead presidents. Girl 6th, the preacher's wife, the temptations, castaway, strong medicine, Pixar's cars.

She was Tony's mom and girlfriends. Beaches. The family union. Right. Peter Browns. Juana, man. That's O'Raven. Boss illegal.

Princess and the Frog. Think like a man. Baggits claim. A gazillion animated voiceovers. Yo, she's even Erica's mom in the On and On video. She's so pretty. Wow. Yeah.

Yes. And I'm wearing my bodew shirt right now as we speak. Yo, she was even in this, this unknown, local syndicated production of some show called Blackish. You guys might have heard of it. She's written two very informative books on her life. She's the reason why I believe in audiobooks. Before, I'm not saying I was one of those snobs that was like,

you know, you know, those people are like, oh, the book is better. You know, you see the movie and they're like, oh, the book is better. And then there are people that book shamed me because I don't have a tangible thing to read. And they're like, well, you're not reading the book. You just listen to the audio. But no, during the pandemic, I've read like 70 books. I'm more edgimicated than I've ever been. Ladies and gentlemen, this introduction has been 10 minutes long.

Please welcome. And we still haven't finished with her discography. Yeah, dude, it's just too much the name. Even Disney rides with her voice in it. Please welcome to Questlove Supreme, Jennifer Lewis. Thank you for coming. Hi, everybody. Hello.

Welcome. Welcome. Yes. It's great to be here. It's great to be here. I'm loving all of these conversations about the book and my career. Might as well get it out of the way.

I just received my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Yes, you did. I am still flying high from it. Right before the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I went on one of my trips around the world. I went to Ankhawat in Cambodia. I took a helicopter through the Himalayan mountain range and set my eyes on Mount Everest. I'm trying to say that without crying.

What was that experience like? Well, let me give you this story. Hit me. It was one of the most beautiful moments of the trip. The captain of it's a private jet, Abercrombie and Kent. It does these trips around the world. And because I only get so much time free, I have to get on a jet like that, you know, and go and do as much as I can. I'm trying to see the entire world before my knees give out.

I don't want to go to Machu Picchu and say, oh, the Incas were up there. No, bitch, I'm climbing this motherfucker. You climbed? I just. She will. No, I climbed Anchor Watchers now. And I had this little Jordanian boy. Take me up Petra in Jordan, the hills of Moses.

Most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. You understand me? I have seen the cultural treasures of this world. The Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. I just played Camel Pollo in Dubai and took a helicopter over all those islands, the palm trees and the crowns. And I also, this is what. What happened? The captain of the pilot said, ladies and gentlemen, if you'll look off to the right of the plane, I believe I see the peaks of the Himalayan mountain range. And there was Everest sitting above the cumulonimbus clouds. And I said, as I was filming outside of the plane, I just was saying to myself, there was a yoga.

a teacher right next to me, one of the passengers. And she overheard me say, Dear God, now I've wanted to climb to the top of that mountain since I was 13 years old. And she looked at me and said, look at you now. You're above it. Shit. God then. I went. And when I saw it with my own eyes, you know, they put the helicopter down at 11,000. thousand feet and we only have seven minutes to take pictures of Everest and that whole world of the base camp at the base of Everest it was unbelievable it was it was stunning it was majesty it was God itself you understand me a little colored girl from Kenlock Missouri who ate dirt as a little girl and set a little booty on a wooden hole to shit

In 19 below zero in St. Louis, Missouri. We went on to India, Kathmandu, and I stood in front of the Taj Mahal. It was an unbelievable trip, and then to come back to the United States and become a part of a cultural treasure in Hollywood. It's been a ride, ladies and gentlemen, and let me tell you, I walk around in a state of grace. I never gave 100%, y'all. I gave 2,000 because I didn't know how not to.

I was born with this charisma and this gift, and I have tried to honor it all my life. It's been a hell of a ride with my bipolar disorder, but I contained it. I stayed, as I said in the ceremony, accepting the star, it was not the work I did on, camera and on stage that has put this broad smile on my face that defines my success. It was the work I did off.

It was the journaling. It was the therapy. It was after five years agreeing to get on medication. I don't want to have a push medication, but I take it. And when I talk like this, I tell everybody, this ain't the truth. This is my truth. This is my story. This is my song.

So if you ask me, I'm going to tell you. this is how I did it. And look at me now, I did it. This is already the greatest episode of, in the five-year history. So when you were talking about medication with your bipolar disorder, what led to the decision to get on it after years of not being on? How did you make that decision? Let me tell you something.

Human beings change for two reasons and two reasons only, because we are habitual creatures. One is a deadly disease. Two, you just got to get tired. Sick and tired of being sick and tired. It wears you out, right? It will wear you out to continue a habit over and over and over again. And see, I had a sex addiction.

And little girl, there's only so much sex you can have, for God's sake. But here's the thing about the medication. It took my therapist five years for me to come to that decision. Because I thought it would take my edge. I had, I told us, I said, I look, I'm Jennifer, motherfucking Lewis, bitch. I don't need no goddamn medication. Ain't nothing wrong with me.

Well, Miss Lewis, yes, there was something wrong. I was not happy. The mania of bipolar disorder is dangerous. is dangerous. You understand? I do. You do dumb shit like speed in a car

and you're not thinking that you could hit a whole van full of children. Come on now. I don't do road rage no more because a friend of mine said to me once when I flipped somebody out,

I flipped somebody off when I was younger. My friend turned to me, Jennifer and said, Jennifer, oh, what if that person's mother just died and they just heard about it. And you and you telling them to go fuck themselves. What's wrong with you? I never, I, now baby, I let people go. Somebody's got to say something to stop you from ruining your life. And I say to everybody with 7.6 billion people on this

planet, you've got to ask for help. Somebody's there. Don't you dare spend your life in those dark rooms like I did. You wake your ass up. Sometimes when I wake up, I have to pull on sojourner skirt. Sometimes I have to say, hair and where you're at. Sometimes I have to pull up Mandela's photograph to remind myself of how fragile his shoulders were and that I'm standing on him. You don't go to South Africa and go over to that island and see that cell. And not walk out of there and come home and say,

I, oh, you don't get to do. You got to give back, Jenny. You got to tell the world what you've seen. Don't you dare. We are as sick as our secrets. So don't keep none. God damn it, you tell. tell somebody. I don't get what it is.

And if they don't listen, go tell somebody else. Go ahead, baby. Another question I had in regards to you talking about your sex addiction. How did you determine what was the line of demarcation between, okay, I'm a person who enjoys sex versus, okay, this is an addiction? Child, when you start picking up men, I was so bold in my shit. And I was so, well, I know I still am, but I was not, honey, I was a brick house, a Motherfucker couldn't touch me in my 20s.

I was so pretty. I got this man like, what you're talking about? Okay, I'll take it. But I had skin like a baby's ass. And I was, honey, I was at the top of my game. I was on Broadway. I was gorgeous. I had that thin ass waistline.

I still got it. But I needed to come down from those Broadway shows. When you get a standing ovation, you think somebody wants it to end? No. So I went and did another show in my bedroom, you see. With more adoration. Let me tell you something. You get tired. You get tired. I didn't think about because of the mania. I wasn't thinking of the dangers of that. Taking a strange man to your house. I don't know if y'all might be too young to remember Mr. Goodbar. The movie with Diane Keat. It's too much.

When we first got cable, my parents would. Whenever that cable, it was like, go to your room and me. I'm like, what is it? It's just a good part. Something is like, whatever. Yeah, well, it was dangerous. And let me tell y'all something. I never thought I'd run around quoting the Constitution.

But I understand this. And it is my motto. We all have a right to the pursuit of happiness. I wanted to be happy. I was depressed for many years and didn't even know it. They didn't have words like bipolar. Shit. I went on Oprah.

A long time ago, told him 60 million people out of bipolar. I lied. I'm tripolar in these streets. Okay? New shit. I am tri-polar. New shit. There's another pole over there.

But listen. You have. to be in it to win it. I gave up many times in my career, but I didn't quit. You hear me? I didn't quit. Yeah. I tell these kids you must dream the dream and focus only on that so that you can be well with your soul. You know what? I'm glad you said that because okay. So I too was trying to figure out. And here's, you know, the disclosure is, yes. I mean, I've been in and out of, not in and out of. I mean, I've, you know, I've had a therapist, I guess you can say in and out,

I've been doing therapy for like 30 years. But, you know, the thing is when the pandemic came, really, you know, again, like, I don't feel like, I feel like a person shouldn't have to be at rock bottom to make the change. So that's why I'm really glad the pandemic happened. because it wasn't a rock bottom moment. But that was definitely somewhat of a paradigm shift for me and taking mental health seriously and all those things. But you mentioned something.

And I noticed that probably the time that I might be liable to get in an argument, I mean, not a fight, not like pugilism or anything, but there's a moment after I get off stage where I can't describe the feeling. And you said that, and I was like, oh, so I'm not, you know, I just thought like, well, Amir, sometimes you're just an asshole after the 30 minutes after Root show. It's almost like after a Root show, I purposely look for a place to just sit silent and literally come down. And I can't explain it. And the thing is, it's like right after a show, that's when people were pulling for you.

And Amir, let's talk. And I can't explain. And the thing is, it's like, because these people aren't entertainers, it's hard to really explain to them the process I go through, which is kind of why it's almost like that feeling of when you're done a show and that high you feel is such a descriptionless addiction that I can't describe that I figured out that for at least the last 30 years

I've been doing DJ gigs after the Root Show because I love music and because I love DJ but basically I need to slowly come down off that high in the normalcy so usually after Root Show I will DJ for three hours so that way I don't have to talk to people I'm playing music and I come down

but and sometimes when I'm not DJing I wonder what that that is. And I thought I was the only person going through that. Because again, if you, I feel weird in talking about the mental health space thing and have my occupation, because I always feel like people look at me like, oh, here's the world's tiniest violin. Like, if people are in a certain profession, they might not, they might feel unworthy of having problems or whatnot. Like people might not. At this point, the world knows entertainers have trauma, right? I'm just. Let me interject here.

Yes, yes, please, please. Yeah. First of all, we are not normal creatures. Yeah, man. Right. Right. We are artists. We are different.

Are we better or worse than anyone? No. We just are who we are. And we form who. We form the artistry. It's like Lena Simone said. Mm-hmm. An artist's duty is to speak to the times.

Nina Simone didn't hide her pain. Anita Simone laid it on the piano. We have to learn what to put that quest. You have to put that somewhere. You have to compartmentalize that. You expressed it beautifully. It's called a glory. train love you hear me talking to you it's a glory train and nobody can stay on

that train too long you got to come off you got to get in the grass and you got to surround yourself with nature and have that gratitude it is a gratitude moment so use it for that you don't have to go crazy most people go and get drunk and party and carry on okay you get a couple of those a month but then sit the fuck down and talk about those feelings. Write them down so that the next time you feel it, you have something to balance it. Nobody's coming with the answer. Nobody's coming with a recipe. You got to pay attention to the self. It is the journey within that will get you where you need to be because what you will discover is how sure.

life is. Yeah. Listen to me. You want to know how you want to know how I live. I live like I got five minutes left. What if what if left? Who would you call? Think about that shit. What if? And I live like that. I ain't a lie to you. Sometimes it's something as at like when my assistant leaves I want to swim. But the shadows have come over the pool so it gets a little chill. And I stand there and go,

I don't want to get in this pool. Jenny, get in the fucking pool and relax yourself. You got to talk to yourself. But guess why I got in the pool? Because when I woke up, I wrote it down. You will swim today.

See, you got, that's what living on purpose is about. You can't go willy-nilly through this bitch. It'll eat you alive. You gotta know that you are in charge. Write the shit down. You write your story. Instead of like I said, going willy-nilly, skipping, tiptoeing through the fucking tulips.

That's what life is. Look, life is not a rehearsal. Live this bitch. Can I just say real quick? Excuse me. Let me just say this. And I hate to be all corny and go to the book that you have out, walking in your joy.

But I just realize, am I saying that right? Walking in your joy. Yes, walking in my joy. In my joy. But it's so interesting because a lot of people write books and they say things. But I like that you have some real practical things like what you just said to a mirror about living in those five minutes. And then you wrote something else that caught me.

And you said when you're feeling down, you come up with a song about your, how much you love yourself or how much people love you. That's right. I'm realizing, although I haven't finished a book, can people like the pen that like you pretty much got little workable jewels in here, not just like, girl, live your best life.

It's actually like, no. It's actionable advice. Exactly, exactly. But here's the work. The work is how am I going to live my best life? Right. And that's what I'm saying. And that's the work.

That's what you write down in the morning. Y'all, request, I don't know if you. know, but when I wrote the mother of black Hollywood, I started writing in a journal in the seventh grade. You want to know why? Because I knew I was going to be a star and I would need my book. That's seventh grade. Continuously. I am 65. There are 67 journals up there. I'm so jealous. That is, why don't we do this? Why do we start and stop? And I got about six.

God damn it. So the details. Oh, she's so right. That's why the mother black Hollywood is so good because of the details. I can tell you that I had hot apple pie a la mode with Cheryl Leroy Ralph on this date. Damn. You see? You see.

Yeah. So nothing is wasted. Live your life. And when I got into therapy the first time, my therapist looked at me when I told I'd written all those journals. She said, that's what saved your life, little girl. I believe it. I didn't know I was saving my life. Yeah.

But that journal served in me learning at an early age. I didn't even know I was doing it to be in charge of me and leave other people alone. child, people come and go for a season. Let it go. When they're no longer a reflection of you, you're not going to be comfortable around them. If the toxic shit is going on, the lies and the chaos, child, get the fuck out of there.

You ain't there. There are many rooms to go to. There are many cities. All you do is leave the room. Fuck out of there. Shit simple. Don't sit there with all that drama and shit. See, practical things that you can use.

It's so boring. It's boring. I said the greatest sin is somebody to say, oh, I'm bored. Bitch, better have my money. Pride is like love. You feel it in your heart. IR. Radio. Canada's number one streaming app for radio and podcasts, including IHart Pride Canada, your favorite hits and must have party bangers, plus personalized and curated playlists. Like back in the day pride. Come together, celebrate love. Take pride with you. Anytime, anywhere.

Just ask your smart speaker to play IHeart Pride Canada. Stream us on your phone. Or listen now at iHeartRadio.ca. I love the sounds. The buzzing from the stadium, the chanting from the fans, the announcers calling the place soccer, football at home. Why do I watch the Walk Up? That's like asking me, why do I breed?

I inherited that fandom from my mom. I like watching it with my dad. It's a connecting force. From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda Chavari, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S. and its underdog roots. We go beyond the game to the people and the stories that make it great. A soccer game is a festival. It's not just a game. It's your culture. I took an elbow to my head, which cracked my skull.

It is an American game. The Brazilians don't like hearing that, though. Are they the only ones that don't like that don't like it? Actually, nobody likes that. As we get ready for the Men's World Cup this summer, listen to American Football as part of the My Coutura Podcast Network, available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby.

Together, we're going to have meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people, like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges. I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand postpartner depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's a part of it's exciting because their new star is Javier T. Turino Hernandez. Everyone sees me as a football player, but before anything else, I'm human.

Every single day I'm still learning how to live with problems, mistakes, relationships, emotions ever since I was born. And I still have so many questions. Where do we come from? What happens after death? How do you deal with cancellation? Cristiano or Messi? Do aliens exist? What is love?

Real Madrid or Varsa? From every day and ordinary to the deep and extraordinary. This isn't a normal podcast. Everything here is spontaneous, real and genuine. This podcast is like a deep talk with your closest friends, where vulnerability comes out. Conspiracy theories end up on the take. And goals and lessons are shared. All in this life has an order

perfect and all is just. Wait me, I'm going to pressurame, but me will go to be going to connect. The Chicharito. Oh, Jolito, Hernandez. And together with IHA Radio, we're going to make the ordinary,

extraordinary. Stay close. It is a carac. Wow. Listen to learning to be human on IHard Radio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. All right, listen up.

The Jonas Brothers here. Our podcast is called, Hey Jonas. We're here, since everyone has a podcast, we want it to as well. We've had some incredible guests so far. And now our good friend, Nile Horn, is joining the show. How's it going, boys? Hey, Niall.

It's the same thing with Slow Hands. Slow Hands is not about anything else, really, is it? You know, or taste so good can't be about food. You do the same, Nick, with some of the stuff that you've done. You too, Joe. Drop what you're doing and listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Okay, so, of course, like, in the last two years is the most that I've heard. black people

speaking on finding joy finding their their mental health and all those things because previously it was a secret I would never like

in 2011 I would never share with nobody that like there's trauma attached to that too right because you don't want to share like oh

people think I'm crazy or whatever the thing is is that I know that for black people their go-to answer was always the church. Especially of an older.

You know, I was born in 71. I know you were born before I was. 57. For a lot of people in, you know, pre-80s people, whatever, like their thing is always like, I'll find God or I'll talk to my preacher. So this is almost an denominator to hear of your generation, of your experience, really, not even diving into the pool of mental therapy, but I mean, you're going to be abyss

of it. You're going to the deepest level of it. So what was it what was the moment that told you that my mental health has to be addressed in and handled this way as opposed to

right away. I do consider that I do consider organized religion as a vice akin to gambling, sex, Drugs. Let me say this to you. Yeah.

There's a line in the movie I did, Carina Carina, where the little the little girl says these people believe, I'm paraphrasing, but they said these people believe in God. And the people that,

somebody that said it was Jewish. And the question that was asked by a child was, she said, why do these people sing about this? And the mother said, because it makes them feel good. And the little girl said, what's wrong with that? Mother said, I guess nothing.

Look, if you want to be an organized religion, that's okay. Let people do what they want to do. That's what gets me through life to allow, allow others to be where they are. What are you going to do? Go and make them a Buddhist. Go and make them a Muslim. You're going to make them. What are you going to do?

Once again, once again, pay attention to yourself. Everybody on this planet has one job and one job only. Self care. And if you need to cry to Jesus to do that, then you go on and cry to Jesus. But allow other people to cry to whoever the hell they wanna cry to. That's what I don't like about religion.

Everybody think their religion is the best one. So I don't believe in that. Leave people alone. Leave people alone. If they want to work, you let them worship Jesus. Let them work in Buddha or Muhammad or Allah. Let people do what the fuck they want to do. I know who I am.

I searched every religion in this world. I have been down the road less travel. And when I got to the end, that was none but the big ass. mirror. You cannot run wherever you run. You will meet yourself. There's no running and I told them on the breakfast club.

I got money to run. And you can't even run. You can't run. Don't ask me for now. I'm like, what's his name? The baby I love. Dave Chappelle, I'm rich, bitch. But don't ask me for shit.

All right, there you go. What do you say to him, to even like to what on Amir's question, like you're leading the pack of your generation in that way. Like he said, like you're, it is kind of special. Do you see in the difference in the generational, how we're now using words and have vocabulary for things that we didn't have before? When I went, uh-huh, I got you. When I went on the road with the mother black Hollywood,

because it was my journey through bipolar disorder, I was able to feel not only the temperature, but the temperament of the United States. I went all over during the Trump era. People are starting to wake up. I was very pleased. They're starting to get counseling in churches. They are starting to put more counseling in youth centers. Our children are falling apart.

And I'm not the only woman in the world that cares. People are coming together. We are getting better. Everybody wanted to talk about the stigma. Yes, there is a stigma, but we are getting better. You see, my mother didn't have the Oprah Winfrey show. Okay? That's what I'm saying.

My mama didn't know nothing about mental illness, and yet if someone were to ask me, I would say, absolutely she was. I do believe that she was depressed. She had me when she was 26 years old, and I was her seventh child. Whoa. And she was scrubbing white people's floors. You think she had time to give me affection? She was exhausted by the time I came along.

Listen, Eve Insler, who wrote the vagina monologues. She went all around the world. She went to Africa with the women that were having the clitorisism. If it's clitoris, I don't know if it's plural. I only have one. Clitoris. All right. All right, right minute, I used to have three, but I just got one now.

Now, listen. Remember what of those first horn stars that bitch had two? When we just had, listen. Vanessa don't. God damn. Keep going. That's real. You can have two?

Wait, but that bitch had two literacies. And she was the first. Why do I do that? No Rio has two. She, Vanessa Del Rio. Something like that. Something. like that. It was funny, but it let me get back to the serious shit. Okay, sorry.

Focus. Let me get back to the serious shit. Uh, listen. All I can say, I know, they're not going to three clitoris, honey. We got lost in them clitoris. I did too. I got lost. I need to find somebody to tell me where the clitoris is, it's clitoris this is. Come on, Jennifer, if you don't know. Clitory, clitori. Clitory. I have no idea. That is our promo for this general episode. You know, I'll come out of the bag with anything. I don't care. Multiple clitoris.

We love it. Thank you. Did you look it up? No. No. When I was in the Saranageddi, two little baby rhinoceroses thought I had some food. So they came over to me and they just going like this, just a dokey don'tky don't. And when they saw I didn't have no food, they kind of don'tky don't.

away from me and I start screaming. I never heard of Jenny Craig. Bad ass. Anybody got no food for you? I'll cuss out a rhinocerate bitch. You hear me? And then I had to look up whether it was not rhinoceride because most of my friends are...

Wait a minute. Because wait a minute, listen. Because most of my friends are major intellectuals. I keep smart people around me, honey. You got to. Listen, I can feel enough for everybody. You just tell me what the shit is what's going on. But here, but if I, listen, if I'm going to stand in the serengeti and cuss out two baby rhinoceroses,

what do you think I'm going to do with the story of the clitoris? Get the fuck out of it. Let's go. What's next? Who cusses out a rhinocle? So what you need to know is Jennifer Lewis will go anywhere. Ain't no shame in my game, baby. I'll do anything to make people laugh.

Is, because I'm also interested in your need to see the world now, I would have liked to have thought that I'm, you know, that I've, I'm well-traveled, at least in my 30 years of touring the world and whatnot. But you've seen the airport, the hotel, and the video. Yeah, I was going to say that I still, and I know I've done things that are special, whatnot. Like I'm, you know, again, post-pandemic, I am living life like, I mean, not to the five-minute rule. Once you said that, then I was like, oh, shit, I'm not doing shit with my life. For you, how did you even organize or make a bucket list of the things that you wanted to do before you leave this plane called Earth?

There was no bucket list. There was purpose. See, when I travel, I go into the trenches. I tell my private guy to take me wherever they're not going. I want to talk to the people. When I was just in India, there were four people serving me one night. They had on their little beautiful chef hats, little white chef hats and the white mask. And I said to them because I had come through the poverty of Agra, India.

And I'd heard the stories of the untouchables, and the caste system. So I went over to those four people that were cooking, and I told them that I came from that kind of poverty. And I looked at them, I said, you do know that you must rise up. Do you understand what I'm saying? I got a little nods from them. And then I said, one of you is gone. And I walked away with my plate of falafel and purposefully went back to them dramatically, pointed to the girl and said it's you. I said, and if it's not you, young lady, you better goddamn make sure it's your daughter.

And she sneaked over to me at my table. She took her chef off. She took the mask off and came over to me like she had been invited to that party, which you know was against the rules of the hotel. She stood over me and she said, I don't know your name, but I want to thank you. I will rise up, Miss Lewis. Because when she said that, I said, my name is Miss Lewis.

Oh, come on down, Jesus. You see, I'll call Jesus when it's, because my mama called Jesus. that's when things were good. You understand? So I go into the trenches. There's a video going around of me talking about voting at Hollywood and Vine

after I got my star. I didn't know I was being filmed. I was signing autographs. But when I get a bunch of kids in front of me, I'm going to use that time, whether I'm in India or Hollywood or Cambodia. Show me where the people are suffering.

Bring them to me. Like, oh, okay, so I'm in Argentina. And I tell my driver to take me to the real people. He said, oh, Miss Lewis, it's dangerous in there. I said, I don't care. Take me in. I got out of that car. All these kind of people were standing on the corner and everything.

They looked over at me getting out of that SUV, that Mercedes. But they saw the color of my skin. Oh. Oh, yeah. And some of them came off. And I said to them, oh, honey, I'll use that celebrity. I said, y'all know who I am?

I said, you watch television? I said, you know the show Freshprints? And that's when everybody wakes up, because that shit is global. Right. That show ain't just national and international. That shit's global. I was in a 300.

I was in a 350. year old glacier in Iceland and a bitch came up and said some shit about my friend. Really? I'm like, I'm like, goddamn, girl, we're in a glacier. Get the fuck out of here.

Before this ice come down, fuck who I am. Let's get the fuck out of here before the ice comes down and keep the fucking voice down before you're causing the avalanche. You tell her to keep her voice down. That's funny. I think that's actually I clip for. Wait a minute. This was after I

This was after I sang Amazing Grace in the wedding chapel that they had carved out in the ice. Oh, I bet that's cool. It's on YouTube. You can actually hear that. That performance is on YouTube. I sang Amazing Grace then. Wait a minute y'all, the guy said, does anyone sing? What you said?

Meant and my friend went, bitch, you ain't said nothing but a word. We went up to an ice podium and blasted it. that shit out. And I haven't released it yet, but I sang Amazing Grace in the Ankhartan in Cambodia, one of the great, old ancient temples. And then I sang it in the valley of Petra. I always get out and do a little something and leave my singing voice in those canyons and in those mountain range. But I will tell you this, I didn't sing Amazing Grace up in the Himalayans. I got the fuck out of there before my lungs burst at 11,000 feet. You can believe that shit.

Fuck Amazing Grace. I have to fuck out of there. I don't think we've ever had an episode. We're 45 minutes into this episode, and I'm thinking to myself, I don't even want to talk about the creative side of Jennifer Lewis. Like, the show is more about, like, the creative life, but... Listen to this. Listen to this.

I just, I just love Quest. I love Quest. I get my own song. I love. I just love Quest. Is that like just him now? Is that what that mean? Yeah, I'll share that.

That's for you, Pumpin. Hey. Franté Laia. I'll get in thinking, what rhymes with the quest? Just. Everyone is much love on the show. Yes, best. Love mess.

I shall keep that. All right, ladies and gentlemen, we're pausing it there for now. After that serenade, I needed a minute. So Jennifer Lewis, you know, lively, real and raw as anyone has ever been on Questlove Supreme. And I think she may have cussed more than any guest, including Disa and Miro. All right, you heard me say it in an episode, but you used to say it. see why I called this one of the best QLS conversations ever. So we expect you back next week for part two.

And make sure you pre-order Jennifer's second book walking and my joy in these streets. And I believe that's August 30th. Looks like this combo. All right. See y'all next week. What's Love Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. For more podcasts from IHeart Radio, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. It's that time to put on your jersey and wave your flag, whoever you root for.

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From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda Chavari, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S. and its underdog roots. Listen to American Football on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Joy is essential and it's also elusive. But now, there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotby. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting,

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And we've had some incredible guests so far. And now our good friend, Nile Horn, is joining the show. How's it going, boys? Hey, Niall. It's the same thing with Slow Hands. Slow Hands is not about anything else, really, is it? You know, or taste so good can't be about food. You do the same, Nick, with some of the stuff that you've done.

You too, Joe. Drop what you're doing and listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Everyone sees me as a football player, but before anything else, I'm human. Every single day I'm still learning how to live with problems, mistakes, relationships, emotions ever since I was born. This isn't a normal podcast. Everything here is spontaneous, real, and genuine, just honest conversations about what it means to be alive. I'm Javier Tornandez, and listen to Learning to Be Human on IHard Radio. Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

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That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis' keep coming to you. He's like, you know, I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the I Heart Radio.

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