The Questlove Show - Samara Joy Part 2

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

In Part 2 of her conversation with Questlove, Samara Joy unpacks why Carmen McRae is such a powerful influence on her singing. The Bronx native talks about recording at Rudy Van Gelder’s famed studio, and why those hallowed jazz halls are a perfect match for her voice. Joy also opens up about her musical family, the months she spent adding lyrics to compositions by Charles Mingus and Sun Ra for her latest Grammy-nominated album, and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar.

This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd

was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Ellen, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg, a lesbian. Michael Mancini.

My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When a group of women. discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist.

They take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that, trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

The Questlove show is a production of IHeart, Radio. People, people, what's up? This is Questlove. And last week, we brought you part one of my in-studio conversation with Samara Joy. At the top of the month, she'll be competing for two Grammy Awards, all right, including Best Vocal Jazz album for a latest LP portrait. If you haven't heard already, make sure you spend time with that album. And with part one of this interview, this is where I really got to learn her story and dig into her craft. So part two, we're going to have a little more fun. We talk about her time in the studio, her ensemble, and yes, where she gives her Grammy Awards, she's already won. All right? Enjoy. What was your first job ever?

I was a cashier at ShopRite part-time. Yeah. Okay. What album have you committed to memory from start to finish? No skips. Perfect album. The audience with Betty Carter. That's live with John Hicks on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Kenny Washington on drum. And he was actually my professor, but he was 18 years old. I was about to say, you were only Kenny Washington. Like, there's nothing like, oh, I got gods with me. I mean, he was an incredible professor, but also an amazing musician. I've gotten to play with him.

But that album, Betty Carter, she does things, the arrangements, the songs, the compositions. I love it. Okay, so the, it's kind of mad Libby. The singer to whom everyone compares you to is. Sarah Vaughan. However, the singer that you really patterned your style after is Oh my gosh. Carmen McCrae.

I love you say that. If you can ever find there's a rendition she does of a song called The Mystery of Man. You've got to look it up. It's devastating to hear it, like just the way that she emotes in her voice. But what is it about Carmen McCray that? Honestly, I think it's that. Like, she's not necessarily most acrobatic of saying. singers. She comes from the school of Billy Holiday, as she says, so herself, like, that's one of her main

inspirations. And so I think she just kind of gets right to the heart of a song, you know, and that's something I feel like I need to learn. It's like, as I'm learning the possibilities of what you can do with your voice, there's also something to be said about having taste and knowing when to withhold and knowing, you know, less or more. Yeah. So, so I just, in some cases. And so I feel like I listen to her over and over again and I find something new every time, even if it's the simplest, you know, idea or riff or... And she was also pianist, too, so I admire that because I feel like she could pick out the pretty notes

to improvise on on a melody that still go along with the chords without, you know, maybe disrupting. But her rhythm was insane too. So, yeah, I think her... The way that she improvises on a melody, the way that her feel is, like, rhythmically interacting with the band. That's what I love. What other instruments do you play?

I used to play bass, electric and upright. Used to? I mean, like, you forget after. I used to. I used to. Because my dad, he got me a Fender Jazz bass for Christmas, along with a Brothers Johnson record and a couple more. So I was like learning their songs.

He was trying to make you thunder thumbs? Oh my God. No, George Johnson is like my, I love his playing. To the point where I was, I looked up like a educational video that he did from the 80s. Yes. And he started off with that. I was like, okay, I think it's time for me to put it down, actually. but I play piano now

but I used to play bass I miss it okay name me an artist that we would be shocked is an influence on you or that

we didn't see coming I don't know if I'm someone non-jazz like predictable you know how's your Metallica history

how's your I feel like I'm so predictable I don't know my origins are pretty clear. As far as lyricists, do you know of a lady named Margo Gerean? No. She only released one album to her name, but

she's from Long Island, and she was a vocalist. I can't remember what the name of the album is. I think it's like sing a song or something like that. But she's this really dope lyricist, and I've been learning how to write lyrics to jazz compositions, and she did that a lot. Yeah, I was going to ask you about your vocalese game because I'm realizing that you're like she wrote lyrics to an Ornette Coleman composition called Lonely Woman. It's unbelievable. So she's one that I look up to that might be unexpected. Okay, I'm skipping now because since she brought it up. Okay, so in portrait, of course, you know, every jazz artist does the American song book, you know,

like, and they'll choose the safe ones. They'll choose autumn leaves or whatever. But you're like, the way you laid the gauntlet down you're choosing Mingus' craziest period even with SunRot. So with Mingus alone, and I have an obsession and a love for jazz vocalese

and, you know, name it, King Pleasure, Eddie Jefferson, Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross, like all of the, for our listeners, Vocalise is where I guess the rule is basically you add lyrics to an existing jazz song, and do you have to follow the pattern of what the solo is?

You can, and I started off doing that, like writing lyrics only to the, well, writing lyrics to the melody and the solo, but now I just kind of write lyrics to the melody because the solo can be a little hard or challenging when people doing triplets and 16th notes and stuff like that. So have you ever heard the grand royal of all jazz vocalese posse cuts?

Have you heard Freddie Free? Freeloader by Yes. Bob McFerrin, Twisted. Yeah. All right. So during the pandemic,

that was one of my favorite exercises. I would DJ like five hours online. And I think one night, I read the comments where someone was telling me that there's a story

of how Hendricks like literally micromanaged Bob McFerrin, George Benson, and Algero to follow the Coltrane Miles solos on the original Freddie Freeloader.

and I was like, no. And I stopped the record, and I put both albums up and played them note for, and realize, oh, God, they're literally, they left no stone unturned. So with Vocalese, oh, gee, and you started on the highest mountain, you started on like Mount Fiji. How did you even decide for that particular song? because Mingus is frightening to conquer. Yeah, I mean, it's a blessing to have musicians around you who put you on, for lack of a better word. Like, musicians, they let, like, I didn't listen to Sun Ra or Mingus

before the band that I currently work with. And so they're, you know, listening to songs on their own time. They're listening to Mendelssohn and Revelle and all this kind of stuff. And I'm just listening and absorbing. And so when I heard Reincarnation of Lovebird by Mingus, I realized that even though the melody is complex, it's still melodic, it's still lyrical. And I had the crazy idea to put words to it. And, you know, standards, one of, I guess, or the bedrock of jazz music, you hear so many musicians,

Max Roach, Benny Golson, Miles, playing standards and adding their own flair while also writing their own composition. So there's merit to doing it. But I guess they all learned form, they learn harmony, they learned ways to make. make the songs their own and then wrote their own composition. So I guess that's how I tried to do it, is learn standards, learn, you know. That's literally the best way to learn jazz is vocal-wise, like, walk me through the process of, I'd listen to the original.

And even as far as your lyric phrasing and whatnot, like, how long did it take you to? It took me, like, to learn the song, it took me at least six months. because there were certain parts of it that I just couldn't, I had to slow it down because I couldn't hear like the exact pitches. And I needed, in order to be able to think of words to put along to it. Yeah, I have to like internalize the song and be able to sing it without the recording. And of course, the arranger at the time had the idea for me to sing it completely acapella before all the music comes in.

That's what I was going to say. And then you do it aquaella. Like, what the hell? No, and it took me another couple months to write the words to it because it's such a deep song. I wanted the words to kind of reflect that and be a compelling story that doesn't take away from the melody and take away from the story the melody is already telling. So, yeah, it was a process, but I love singing it. And now I feel like I've added another layer, you know, and I'm able to sing complex melodies that might not be written for voice. But, you know, I can, if it's in a certain key and in a certain range, I can make it happen.

So will you try to conquer old Farrow Sanders or Don Cherry? Like, when you get into free jazz? Maybe. There's a vocalist. The one who sung a lonely woman by Ornette Coleman, Gene Lee. She does, she's like more, I guess, she's classified as avant-garde or free. And she played with this pianist called Rand Blake. And so listening to her music and the stuff that she does with Anthony Braxton and stuff,

I'm like, there's something here. I don't know quite yet. I'm still digging, but who knows? Damn. I never thought I'd meet someone that outskools me on my own podcast. I want to know more shit. You were born in Castle Hill, correct? All right, so that's not exactly the South.

When I hear the Bronx, of course, I think of like, oh, we're hip-hop started in the Bronx River projects. Castle Hill isn't exactly the South Bronx. So what are your earliest memories or your fondest memories of growing up in Castle Hill? Well, it was my grandma's house. She bought it. She was from Virginia. She moved to Philly.

And then she bought that house, I want to say, in the 60s, maybe late 50s, early 60s, because she wanted a family house, and she wanted to be able to host people and have family and just have a place where we all could kind of settle. And so I grew up in that house. I grew up with her, and I grew up, you know, being friendly with the neighbors and my brother, you know, they're playing basketball outside.

My grandma, you know, making food, salmon croquets and all that kind of stuff. So you're saying that technically you should be a Philadelphian. I know there's so many connections leading towards that. That's adjacent. That's home. And then there was just a migration to the Bronx. Yeah. I don't know how it happened.

Got it. Okay. Do you still have family in Philly? Yes. Yeah. All spread out. Got it. My grandfather still lives in West Philly.

All right. So what TV show would best describe your childhood great? Now I feel another like, why grew up in streaming? No. No, I actually did watch Saturday like cartoons and stuff. Okay, so cartoons still existent when you and your memory bank. So what TV show best describes your childhood? It's not a cartoon, but that's a Raven.

I guess maybe that's still new school. No, that's old school now. Okay. Raven's 40. My uncle used to also burn CDs of like Looney Tunes and the Jackson's Variety Show and stuff. So I used to watch that too. Yeah, that's so dope. All right.

Who was your first celebrity crush? Oh, my gosh. It was probably from some Disney Channel movie, maybe like Zach Efron or something, probably. Gotcha. Which means it was ultimately Corbyn Blue as well. So I'll say those two. I'm going to pretend I knew what those are. Oh.

What's a Corbyn? No, I know. Is it a style of cooking? I know. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it. Yep, that's me.

Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl.

You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And Rule 2, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of The Girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me?

The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe.

On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast

to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits, teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode.

Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed Blaring inconsistencies in her story.

This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in so much, correct? I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

Greg, a lesbian, Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news

at Maricopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The posters adorn your child.

childhood bedroom. And if so, who was there? I had a mix of posters. See, we would go to Blockbuster. I went to Blockbuster. I did rent DVDs. You were so born in 1999. You were so born in 1999. And so they would have like, I think it was like Tiger Beat, like Teen Magazines. And my mom had a standing subscription with Jet and Essence. And so it was a combination of like teen magazines and, and, you know, black magazines that were on my walls. Got it. Okay, so I'm kind of placing a position as a musician

where I'm judged by pop rules and hip-hop. So everything's sort of circular, looped, and whatnot. And often I'm told, like, just keep the song as simple as possible. What is your process for writing original composition? Like, what ritual do you have? Do you need to be in a space alone with your thoughts, or is it you and someone else riffing and figuring out what it is?

I don't write as much original material as I should. Eventually you are. I would say the one that I have that's on the album, Peace of Mind, was written and inspired by an Abby Lincoln record called Straight Ahead. And there's a song on the album called In the Red. And the composer and trumpeter Booker Little, he wrote it to, and he like, there's a song, There's no defined time on the song.

It's all like conducted, but it's like kind of slow and suspenseful. And he wrote it because he wanted to mimic or mirror the suspense that people feel when they're broke and when they're in the red. And I just thought about that tool, like that musical tool of like, oh, I didn't realize you could do that and express that kind of feeling through music. And if I did, I just didn't know it, you know, consciously. I'm totally channeling you out right now. I'm like, I never thought I had my life. And so with my first song, there's no defined time. because it kind of came after the Grammys,

and I was feeling a little bit uncertain. There were people kind of projecting what they felt I should do. You have this attention. You can do anything. You can sing anything. Cash in. Or make the same record that you did. And so I was just like, I don't want to do that,

which is not a new feeling. Every artist has had to make that decision at one point or another. And so I was feeling that, and that uncertainty matched the suspense that I heard on that song. And so I wanted to write something that was dissonant that eventually had a constant. incident resolution, which is dreams come true by Sun Ra. But that feeling of being uncertain, of wondering what decision to make, of feeling like I'm trying to stay grounded by my life is just

changing so much. And so I wanted to present that in the song. And so that was my inspiration for songwriting at the time, I guess. Do you have siblings? Are you the only child? I have four siblings. Where do you fall in the second to last? I have three older siblings and one younger. And are they also artistically inclined? Yeah, my eldest brother, he was like, in the early 2000s, he was like writing Virgini Wine and work with Dr. Dre and all these different people. What's his name? His name is Antonio.

Okay. Antonio McClendon. My sister, not so much. She sings when she's like around us, but she's more of a businesswoman. My second oldest brother, Daniel, he was the one who put me on to voodoo. and, you know, he was listening to Kanye. Like, he was listening, I'm sorry, I don't want to mention all these names on here, but, um. It's a music show.

You're supposed to mention. But he was listening to a lot of stuff that I just hadn't seen or, um, hadn't really been exposed to like, Ryan Leslie. I had never listened to Diamond Girl and it was like, I was like, what? This is crazy. He updates you on. Yeah, he can't, he made sure. I was like, oh, iTunes.

I never, I don't have my own laptop, so I don't have no idea what that is. And my younger brother's into it, too, but I think, I think we're all musically inclined in one way or another, but they all influenced me in one way or another. I got to know. What is it like recording at Van Gelder's studio? Oh. And I have to say of the 10 albums of note that I know that were recorded there in the last five years, yours is the only record that I feel really takes advantage of what. why that studio is so important. Thank you.

Because... Thank you so much. Yeah, I... Because the thing was, I listened to it, and when I got to the fourth song, I stopped it, and then I went to my boy's record, and I'm like, wait, this sounds like... Any...

This smooth jazz. Like, this is made... And I was just, on the impression, I always wanted to go there to record. But after 9 or 10 records, where I'm like, well, wait a minute, besides the physical space, like... It's not any different.

Is it like, and I was just, so I've been recording all my joins in Brooklyn, where the Dap Kings are and whatever, where it feels. And when I heard your record, I was like, wait a minute, it's possible. So what gives? I wanted to match the chemistry that my band, shout out to my septet, that my band had built on stage and the setting that we have where it's me, then the horns and then the rhythm section. I wanted, we've built this chemistry of playing together and matching each other's dynamics and stuff. on stage. I didn't want that to go away and have to hear everybody through headphones. So I had the drums in the room. Rudy Van Gild is perfect. Shout out Maureen and Don Sickler. It was an incredible, incredible and Bryn Lynch. It was an incredible room. It is an incredible

room and it's perfect for acoustic music. Drums in the room, horns in the room, piano. I think the only thing, no bass was in the room as well. I was the only one who was isolated because I make mistakes and I want to fix them. But other than that, I wanted to capture that same acoustic sound and that feeling that we get when we play together. And so everything was like two to three takes, Max. What you talk? What? You serious?

Yeah. Well, how long did pre-production take? I mean, pre-production was touring. So we were on the road for two years. We went into the studio. Yeah, but even when you're in a room together, they have to place things perfectly. Once we got adjusted, though,

two to three takes, 18 songs, three days. Are you ever going to return that studio? Yes. Absolutely. Okay, we're friends now. Before I give them my business, I just want to witness this happening because I refuse to believe that I was just on the impression that it'll never sound, nothing will sound as good as any of the blue note stuff that he did or any of the cult. They have so many great mics too. Yes.

That's what I'm saying. How did you figure out the code that no one else figured out? The thing is, Maureen, she's the only one, she's the only protege of Rudy Van Gelder. And so she knows everything. The radar system that they use, all the buttons and stuff, they're all named in sort of an unorthodox way. And she's the only one, like nobody's allowed behind the thing. Yeah, are they preset or? They're not, I think she sets them, but nobody's allowed behind her and behind the board.

You can't be behind the board. So she knows. Okay, one of those studios. What is the significance behind the Dear Beverly name for your imprint? What's the story behind that? My late Aunt Beverly was a pianist and a vocalist. And the only time I met her was when I was just born. I was born on November 11th.

You're 11-11-11. Yeah. 11-19-19. And a couple weeks later was Thanksgiving, and she was sick. and so she was kind of, she was a little bit weak physically, and she got the chance to hold me a couple weeks after I was born, and that was the only time I ever met her. And since then, everybody says that I sound like her,

and I even look like her sometimes. Epigenetics. Yeah. That's where it comes in. And so I wanted to name the imprint in honor of her. How did you choose the ensemble that work with you on these, and even with your producers? I know Brian Lynch, like, how do you go about choosing

This album was our first time meeting and working together. He's arranged and he's played with Art Blakey and the jazz messengers, but he also arranges and composes in his own right. And because this band is sort of my first, my first time playing with a larger ensemble, with horns. How many pieces? Seven. Four horns, trumpet, alto, sax, tenor sax, and trombone in a rhythm section.

I wanted to have somebody who had an ear for that music, but who also didn't try to come in and assume themselves as higher, than us because we were the ones who, I mean, the writers in the band are the horn players and the pianists, so they're the ones who are writing and we're the ones who are shaping it. And so I think he came in with an attitude and a mindset of helping us and supporting us and not necessarily overtaking or anything like that. So I don't know, it just kind of came about, the band came about through multiple connections. I met the trombonist and tenor saxophonist in college. And the tenor saxophonist, Kendrick McAllister, went to, he has friends who went to Frost School of

Music, University of Miami, and he also went to high school with them. And so that's how I met the alto saxophonist and trumpet, Jason and David. And the rhythm section I kind of just met on the scene, on the New York scene, jam sessions and whatnot. So it was multiple connections. You said my band a few times. Like, do you plan on keeping this unit? Because oftentimes with jazz musicians is almost like you meet who got called for the gig and sometimes that's a weird I don't know if I could live that life like I love the fact that I play with the same people because we know each other we know where we're going and I plan on keeping this ensemble because we've grown so much in the years that we played together already and now recently we got the chance they got the

chance to write for orchestra for the first time and so now we have stuff on the books with Atlanta Symphony, Chicago Symphony, New York Phil. And I just feel like we've grown and we've developed and we've learned each other. But there's so much more to learn. But now it seems like they can write and not necessarily think of something for piano or something for trumpet. But it's for the person and for the range that they can handle in the style and the attitude. They can write for people. So yeah, we've learned each other to a point where I think it can grow even more.

Is there a desire to ever record? I sound weird saying a modern sounding. Modern for what, you know, period. A modern sounding LP, to pull an algebra to do a soul album or whatever, like something outside of jazz. Do you have space for that yet or you're still just one step at a time? I think one step at a time, but a way that I try to explore. and express that side is with my family.

And so I recorded A Holy Night with them. Right. With my grandfather and, you know, with my cousins and my dad and uncle. And it was such a great recording with Sullivan Fortner on the organ. Incredible. That hopefully we get the chance to do an EP because my dad has, like, he has an arrangement of Mary Did You Know and Silent Night that we did on the last tour. That's really cool.

We wrote an original song together. Nice. So, yeah, maybe a holiday EP at some point we can, you know, make it a little more fusion, I guess. I feel I'm correct in the same since you are of the Elmo generation. Wow. Actually, you're younger than tickle me, Elmo. Do you know this thing called Tip Me Elmo that came out on there?

Wait, seriously? No. Wait, I was kind of joking, but now he just stabbed me. Wait, explain, explain it, explain it. Maybe I do. I'm just not remembering. You know, Elmo is a character on Sesame Street. Yes.

Which I was leading to was it like being on Sesame Street. Oh. Sorry, it was in the recesses of my subconscious Right, but I also realized that Tickle Me Elmo came out in 96 And that was, that was, okay, great, just I was not born, I get it, okay, okay, I get it You were in first grade when songs in the Kia Life came out That is, I'm still on that, but anyway, Sesame Street was amazing

Sesame Street was so dope Did you find yourself, okay, so my, one of my former co-hosts of this podcast, Unpaid Bill, he's probably the person that brought you on the show I did the show once and during breaks I actually found myself engaging in real conversations with the Muppets

and maybe seven minutes into the conversation I was like wait a minute I'm not crazy you're the one that's crazy like talking to me but they told me the rule that they're not allowed

to put the Muppets down in front of kids or whatever so they have to stay in character yeah no it was wild I was still looking at the people while the cameras were rolling and so one of my friends was like fix your face stop looking at the

people on the ground, you need to be talking to the puppets. And so it's like, you're right. Let me smile and talk for the kids at home. So it was enjoyable. Nice. It was so much fun. What's the three best concerts you ever been to? My first one was Aretha Franklin at NJPack.

I was like 11 years old. And I was right next to the spotlight. That's how I was in the nose bleeds. So this is 2010? Yeah. Oh, God. Is this where she did touch my body by Mariah Carey? I don't remember that part.

She did that really. Oh, hell yeah. Oh, my God. Aretha. Oh, one night she, like, seduced Maxwell. She was like, a true diva. Yeah, she was wild. Makes rest in peace.

I think the second is more recent. I saw the reunion tour at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn with Kirk Franklin and the Clark Sisters and Yolanda Adams and Marvin Sapp and all these people. And the third one, I actually just went to the Vanguard. I've been to the Vanguard a couple times, but McBride was there. for his two-week residency. I've seen Chris Potter there. It's always amazing.

Yeah, I went last week to see him and told him, I think next year I'll do one with him. Chris and I have a very unhealthy relationship to worshiping James Brown. And the worship is so deep that James Brown, I believe, is the only figure that is incapable of knowing what mediocrity is. And I'm saying that usually when we dismiss our artists or like, whatever, it's never because it's bad songs. It's because it's just mediocre. It's like, all right, we heard that before. It's nothing special. But James Brown will either change your life by redefining music or it's just so laughably humorous that to me it's even more genius.

And so Chris and I kind of secretly, even though we're the number one and number two disciples of James Brown, behind closed doors, we only love his horrible work. It's an obsession. But, you know, like something so bad, it's great. That's what I'm saying. Like, everything James Brown does is classic, including when he fails, he fails spectacularly. Like, horrible songs. So we want to do kind of a tribute band to only his bad period. The way to make that distinction is if he has a mustache.

With no beard. Yeah, the mustache period of James Brown is that means the music's not that good. Talking loud and saying nothing is one of my favorite songs. Well, that's the classic period. That's the Afro. He's right on with us. Right. But for goodness sakes, to look at those cakes is the mustache period of James Brown.

So. Please. Yeah. The titles alone. Right. The titles alone. He cannot fail. Even when he's failing, it's life-changing.

It's spectacular. Wow. I assume you sort of glossed the earth a couple of times and touring. What is the most beautiful city you've ever performed in? What's the city that you love performing in the most? I think it's a tie between Paris and Bologna. Really? Yeah. What is it about?

In Italy. I don't know. Paris is obviously so charming. And I've been there so many times and it still feels new. And it still feels like there's more to discover. Same with Italy. I haven't gone as often as I want to. But it's so charming. The people are amazing. I feel like I can get around and learn the language a little bit and get myself, you know, at least a cup of tea or something. Maybe not a whole conversation. If I got to have a life redo, my relationship to Europe is a little bit different because the first four years of the Roots life, like we ran away from home, stole our budget, and got a flat in London and lived in Europe.

We're soon going to do a scripted series based on our fish out of water experience and living in Europe. Wow. So, like, my experience is in Paris is, like, it's not. Paris unless someone's pulling a knife out on you and chasing you through the streets. Really? Oh, we're staying on like two-star prostitute motels. I mean, we're broke, you know, you get the pillow, you get the comforter, you get the blanket. No.

This dinner tonight, bread and cheese, like we were, there's nothing like being a broke musician living in Europe. Like, I know jazz musicians that would tell me they would book, you know, like the summers where you go to all the festivals. Right. Half those cats tell me that, oh, we don't even book like hotels. Like, at the end of the night, they got to find somebody hook up with so that they can stay at her house. I would literally have, oh, I'm serious. That's how bad the brokerage is. So I love the fact that that you, like, appreciate, like, you talk about Italy. I'm like, oh, man, the time they thought we were the Nigerian drug cartel, like arresting us in the and the laundromat.

No. Oh, yeah. It was, we have a lot of crazy stories, but I'm glad that those are your experiences. What city would you like to retire in? If you don't retire in your native New York, what city would you ever consider, like, when all said and done, this is where,

this is my final stop or you're in New York to the bone? I think I'm going to stay in New York or at least near it With all the beautiful places that we've had the opportunity to go, I still can't imagine. Like, New York just feels like my home base. I will eventually probably want grass at some point and not just be, because I live in Harlem now. You live in upstate. That's true. I just got a farm upstate.

Like, there's... What about those taxes? Yeah. Well, dude, I mean, but look what we do for a living. I know. But the taxes is. I know. I get it.

I get it. I mean, I used to visit my cousin in Poughkeepsie all the time, and it's beautiful up there. So it's possible. And I love since we're subway people, Metro North, Amtrak. You're young. You're in the 20s. Trust me. When you get up there, huh?

You're on a farm. I panicked purchased during the pandemic. A farm. Yeah. No, it was great. It was, and it was the only time normally shouldn't have been that easy for me to purchase. I'll just say this much. It just happened to be, if you remember in 2020,

the week that George Floyd happened during the pandemic. Yeah. That is when all of Upper Escalon, New York was like, oh, they're going to set the city on fire. Descend upon it, yeah. Right. And literally, I guess this couple that they were in their 80s, like if you live in this part, that's your third house.

You know, like people like, oh, I have a house upstate and da-da-da-da. That's not their main house. That's like, you know, they stay there a month or two. Literally, like, their kids are calling them from the Swiss house. Like, we got to get mom and dad out of there before they destroy New York. You know, so thanks to the fear of black lives matter. Wow. Literally in two days, they moved their parents out of the United States and sold me.

That place dirt cheap. It's still being worked on. So a lot of work had to be done. But it's, I never thought that I would embrace trees and quiet and grass. and like I wanted to live in the city and the chaos and all that stuff, but I'd learned the power of silence. Ideas come to you, song ideas come to you when it's dead silence. And now you can just play the drums whenever you want.

No disturbing of any neighbor. I guess you'd do that anyway. I'm past that. Drum. I'm talking about movies and writing books and world leadership. Oh, drumming. Whatever. I'll drum for you.

Oh, thank you. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind. the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network, on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends,

Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed.

I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft.

And we've got a special guest, The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode.

Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12. and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed

revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in someone, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used.

for sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Gregalespian and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences.

Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until George. Justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When things get stressful, what is your, have you allowed yourself a self-care routine? I'm working on it now. See, the thing when you're on tour, I don't really have one. Right.

Or it just changes by the day. But now, at least for the next two months, I've, like, deleted all social media. And if I log on to it to my laptop, it's something. only to check messages. Okay. I check out and make a list of all the books that I've bought and haven't read throughout the year and start. Okay.

I just finished Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Workerson on The Great Migration. It's beautiful. Okay. I put a face mask in, because I bought, when we went to Korea, I bought so much skincare stuff that I haven't used yet. And so I'm like, oh, this serum, okay, in this face mask. I put it in the fridge for a couple minutes. How I snuck up back to the States?

I don't know how. But literally when I came from Asia, I had, yeah. A full suitcase of all the skincare products I could have. I had two Kipling bags of just bro masks. Really? Because they never think about the beard. True. So, oh my God.

Yeah, they got bro masks over there. True. I'm fighting to stay. I cook. At least I try to. I like learn recipes. Nice. And bake.

Like, I love making sweet potato pie. And I don't like asking my aunt to like make them all the time. I have to make them for myself at this point. So I'm learning how to make the pie crust and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, I just sort of tap into stuff I don't get the chance to do. Got it. All right. As we wrap up, all right.

What is the emoji that you overuse? The crying one. But I use it as a way of laughing. As a laughter. Yeah, yeah. I was going to say it all the time. All right. Got you.

So most people will do a jazz album as a departure album. Okay. If you were to do a departure album, what genre are you picking? Drilled? Oh my gosh. Oh, I'm such an old head. I probably want to do something like in the style of Donnie Hathaway. Donnie Hathaway.

You're older than me. And I'm older than you. How does that work? I know, right. But I have nothing is like one of my favorite Donnie Hathaway, Roberta Flack duets, as well of, of course, like Where's the Love and... Have you ever met Lela? Yes.

Yes, I have. She's so dope. Yeah, she's incredible. So my last question to you, what is the one thing you hope that we say about you when all is said and done? When you have a full cannon under your belt and you're in the sunset of it all, what's the thing that you want us to say about you? I hope that people say she's true to her music, but she was also a very genuine person. Like, I never like to leave anybody, any single person, whether it's an Uber driver or, you know, security guard or whoever, with a bad impression. And I always tell everybody good morning.

So I hope they realized that. I was authentic in my music. I never strayed for the sake of relevance or popularity. I wanted it to be something of substance, no matter what, whether people listened or not. and I was genuine. From the bottom of my heart, I'd thank you. I, you know, and I don't even want to do the hyperbolic, like, now I believe in music again.

Like, it's all riding on your shoulders and your shoulders only. But, yeah, I've really absolutely just baffled by your talent and the potential of what you have to offer. And where do you put your Grammys? I keep it with my parents, but they moved. Okay. Well, that's good. Usually artists do the thing.

I used to keep them in the bathroom. Oh. Just as a, I don't care. Raphael Sadiq used to make his like a doorstopper. Really? Oh my God. John Legend broke his. Yeah, but then.

No, I can't look at it. If I look at it, I'll be like, I got to practice today. You know, I can take a day. Well, the thing is, I used to be dismissive of it. And then I started dating someone, and she was like, you're a little too self-depripping. Like these are coming out the bathroom. Yeah. And we are putting them, yeah, we're letting you celebrate yourself.

So that's a. One day I will. When I'm actually done, but it's not done yet. It's never done. I want to thank you for doing the Questlove show. And you're one of my favorites. Thank you. Likewise.

Thank you. The Questlove show is hosted by me, Amir Questlove Thompson. The executive producers are Sean G. of Brian Calhoun and me. Produced by Brittany Benjamin and Jake Payne. Produced for IHeart by Noel Brown. Edited by

Alex Conroy. IHart video support by Mark Canton. Logos, graphics, and animation by Nick Aloi. Additional support by Lance Coleman. Special thanks to Kathy Brom. Special thanks to Sugar Steve Man Dell. Please

subscribe, rate, review, and share the Questlove show wherever you stream your podcast. Make sure you follow us on socials. That's at QLS. Check out hundreds and hundreds of QLS episodes including the Questlove Supreme shows in our podcast archives.

Questlove show is a production of IHeart Radio. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode.

Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Ellen's, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

Greg, a lesbian, Michael Mancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their

own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.