In this mini, Open Mike Eagle and Cousin Jake unpack the new Thundercat episode of The Questlove Show and the wider universe surrounding it—from Los Angeles' borderless music scenes to the mentors and misfits who shaped them.

Inspired by Thundercat's custom mask medallion and reflections on MF DOOM, Mike recalls collaborating with the late MC/producer, reflects on processing Daniel Dumile's passing through song ("For Doom"), and shares memories of appearing on television alongside Thundercat and Flying Lotus. Mike and Jake also explore the rewards and risks of artistic reinvention, what it meant to connect with Hip-Hop beyond commercial radio and video shows, and how educator and musician Reggie Andrews quietly influenced generations of artists.

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As the celebration of Black Music Month continues, we are revisiting a 2021 Questlove Supreme favorite featuring the incomparable Bernadette Cooper.

Founder and bandleader of Klymaxx, acclaimed percussionist, songwriter, producer, and unapologetic trailblazer, Bernadette's influence extends far beyond the hits. Questlove and Team Supreme celebrate a career that reshaped Funk, R&B, and popular music while giving one of its true innovators the flowers she's long deserved.

This is a timeless conversation with an artist whose impact continues to resonate.

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Five years ago, in mid 2021, Questlove Supreme sat down with three members of The Jacksons, THE American Music Dynasty. In the spirit of Black Music Month, Ahmir's quote: "we would be pressed to find one person on this earth who has not been affected by their legacy" echoes powerfully. Jackie, Marlon, and the since-passed Tito discussed their 50-year musical legacy, the remastering of their classic albums, and their transition from Motown to Epic Records on QLS. The two-hour episode was recorded on Zoom, but the conversation is preserved as an evergreen look into the musical family that continues to shape music and culture.

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A pandemic-era classic, this 2020 conversation finds Questlove, Phonte, Laiya, Suga Steve, sitting down with the incomparable Robert Glasper. The Grammy-winning pianist, producer, and cultural force discusses his mission to push Jazz forward, blur genre lines, and build new bridges between Jazz, Soul, Hip-Hop, and beyond.

Having collaborated with Glasper themselves, Quest' and Phontigallo get the inside story from the artist who redefined "Black Radio" and helped reshape the sound of modern Black music.

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Thundercat joins Questlove for a wide-ranging, deeply personal conversation that traces his journey from Compton and church gigs to global stages with Flying Lotus, Mac Miller, and beyond. He breaks down the spiritual impact of MF DOOM, how mentors like Dazz Band affiliate Reggie Andrews and his musician parents shaped his ear. Thundercat reflects on surviving LA’s realities, finding creative family with Kamasi Washington and crew, and the role comics, anime, and Disneyland played in building his singular universe. He and Questlove compare Jazz upbringings, talk bass gods (Stanley vs. Jaco), grief and growth after losing collaborators, and the daily work of staying present in a chaotic world. Thundercat's newest album, Distracted, is out now.

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Questlove Supreme's celebration of Black Music Month continues with an classic David Porter interview. David is a true architect of the Memphis sound. Isaac Hayes's longtime writing and production partner tells Team Supreme about making hits with Sam & Dave, The Bar-Kays, Carla Thomas, and more. A longtime Stax Records artist, producer, songwriter, and executive, David Porter also recalls the label's glory days and its downfall and talks about his songs which have become sample staples. This interview first broadcast in 2023.

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In this Black Music Month QLS Classic, Grammy Award-winning vocal group The Emotions talk about their unusually early musical start, how hip hop reinvigorated their career and the deep influence of their family on everything they do.

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Questlove sits down with Open Mike Eagle in-studio for a candid mini-conversation about aging in Hip-Hop, grief, and learning to accept flowers without guilt. Ahmir opens up about losing collaborators (and friends), navigating therapy, and trying to define what The Roots should sound like in 2026 without their longtime mentor Richard Nichols. They break down the tension between survival and artistry in Black music, what it means to grow with a group for nearly 40 years, and why so many artists struggle to feel they “deserve” love and acclaim.

Open Mike shares his own challenges working in a three-MC crew (Previous Industries) and maintaining friendships intact when the music does not always pay the bills. It’s a rare, vulnerable look at midlife, creativity, and the business of staying human while staying dope.

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Austin rocker and axman, Gary Clark Jr., brings blues-rock center stage in 2019 as he joins Team Supreme to talk about his journey from booking gigs at 14, to collaborating with The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton and his new album, "This Land."

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In late 2017, DJ and New York Hip Hop legend D-Nice sat down with QLS. He opened up about Scott La Rock's life and death, how "Call Me D-Nice" could have been "Call Me Biz Markie," plus Questlove gets some juicy tales from the Latin Quarter featuring Mike Tyson, David Copperfield and more.

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In 2020 this episode we are re-releasing as part of Black Music Month, Estelle talks about strip clubs, looking for love in Los Angeles, gives Questlove a crash course on the UK music scene, and much more. There is wisdom in this gem of an episode.

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