What Had Happened Was — "Do You Want More?!!!??! Part 2"

Podcast by Stony Island Audio & Talkhouse
Host: Open Mike Eagle
Guest: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Season 4, Episode 5 | Released November 8, 2023

Episode Overview

In this installment of "What Had Happened Was," host Open Mike Eagle continues his in-depth conversation with Questlove, legendary drummer and leader of The Roots, digging further into the making of the group’s groundbreaking second album, Do You Want More?!!!??! The episode explores the technical innovations, production philosophies, and creative decisions that made the record distinct from their debut (Organix), with rich stories about studio experiments, crew dynamics, influences from hip hop and jazz, legendary mixes, and a full appreciation for Black Thought’s versatile MC skills.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Evolving the Sound: From "Organix" to "Do You Want More?"

• Sonic Ambitions and Studio Upgrades

  • Questlove explains the need to "ramp our game up" sonically beyond their debut, Organix.
    • “How can we sonically ramp our game up from Organics?” (02:31, Questlove)
  • Big technical leap: hiring Bob Power, engineer known for work with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.
    • “Bob Power is the answer. So we locked him down to mix. Bob Power did all of our favorite records.” (02:56, Questlove)
  • The band wanted the live feel but the punch and clarity of classic hip hop.

• Mixing Live Instruments with Hip-Hop Aesthetics

  • The challenge: translating Roots' full-band sound through the lens of hip hop engineering.
    • Bob Power delivered: “loud drums and bass – and you didn’t lose the vocals.” (03:04, Questlove)
    • Open Mike Eagle and Black Thought riff on classic mix lines, referencing Bob Power’s signature style. (03:00–03:14)

The Philly Context and Identity

• Philly’s Sonic Reputation

  • The Roots resisted Philly’s then-stereotypical sound, instead aspiring to New York’s golden-era innovators.
  • Questlove recalls, “We weren’t looking at Philly acts…we gotta be as innovative as Dayla, Tribe…just to get our foot in the door.” (06:08–06:48)

• Kelo Saunders: The Human Ableton

  • Kelo Saunders was brought in to engineer, chop, re-EQ, and "sample" Questlove’s live drumming, triggering extra percussion and aligning the band with hip hop’s breakbeat tradition.
    • “All they wanted to do was literally take everything that we did and line it up and add more oomph to it.” (08:47, Questlove)

• The “Nigga Drums” Compliment

  • Q-Tip’s infamous description of The Roots’ essence—Questlove recounts:
    • “Yo, man…the reason why I love y’all, cause you sound like nigga drums.” (10:29, recounted by Questlove)
  • Questlove reflects on acceptance and pushback against genre labels, e.g., “neo soul.”

Black Thought’s Supernatural MC Skillset

• The "In Your Dreams" Experiment

  • The group recorded “In Your Dreams,” which had Black Thought impersonating a pantheon of classic MCs (Q-Tip, Pete Rock, Chuck D, Ice Cube, Method Man, etc.), showcasing his mimicry and writing ability.
  • Questlove: “So that way people can see that Tariq is literally every MC.” (13:50)
  • Time-intensive work: took “seven weeks to mix” versus the standard “seven to seventeen hours.” (13:50, Questlove)

• Open Mike Eagle's Awe—and Intimidation

  • OME repeatedly expresses awe (and self-doubt) in hearing Black Thought’s versatility.
    • “Like, I’ve never felt worse about being an emcee in my life.” (22:07, Open Mike Eagle)
    • Questlove: “He’s empathic, man...he’ll listen to it to know what not to do. Wow. [...] He might be the greatest ever.” (22:33–25:30)

• Black Thought as a Cultural Sponge

  • Nothing is off-limits for Black Thought—he studies every MC, "even if it’s bad," to absorb something from everyone.
    • Questlove: “Tariq is literally a sponge, and there is no MC that’s off limits…” (25:14)

Building the Album: Studio Stories

• Fractured Recording Process

  • Production was complex and piecemeal—songs constructed in "quarters":
    • First quarter: tracks for “From the Ground Up.”
    • Sessions fragmented; Questlove: “It was a fragmented section…we chip a little bit, a bit at a time.” (27:51)
  • Manager Rich Nichols’ tough calls kept the album on track under tight deadlines.

• Legendary Track Origins: "Proceed"

  • Roots of “Proceed” linked to an old gospel tour groove.
  • Malik B often the most enthusiastic about groove ideas, rallying the group.

• Cross-Pollination with Jazz Musicians

  • The Roots aligned with the progressive jazz collective M-Base (Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson).
  • Questlove discusses the contrast between the tradition of Wynton Marsalis and the experimental edge of M-Base.
    • “M-Base would have been what drill music is or trap music is to a traditionalist in hip hop. They wanted to push the culture forward.” (40:32, Questlove)

Key Crew Members and Emergent Talent

• Dice Raw: The Young Wildcard

  • Kelo also introduces Dice Raw—a wisecracking, prodigious 13-year-old who’d become a Roots mainstay:
    • “Dice was like this 13 year old, but he had a Redd Foxx blue humor, like a 1940s old ass man. He was like a Black Rodney Dangerfield, but he was 13. Like he had everything but a cigar.” (36:49, Questlove)

• Group Tightening

  • Over time, The Roots’ lineup for recording tightened, focusing on Tariq (Black Thought) and Malik B, with fewer extended crew features to present a distinct, core identity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Bob Power’s Magic (02:56–03:13)

• Questlove: “Bob Power did all of our favorite records, all the DeLa stuff, all the Tribe stuff…loud drums and bass – and you didn’t lose the vocals.”

Q-Tip’s Unforgettable Praise (10:29–10:52)

• Questlove: “Tip always had a term…yo, man, the reason why I love y’all: you sound like nigga drums.”

Black Thought’s Mimicry Masterclass (13:50–23:30)

• Questlove: “We were going to be like, yo, the first thing that comes out has to be In Your Dreams, so that way people can see that Tariq is literally every MC.”
• Open Mike Eagle: “Like, I’ve never felt worse about being an emcee in my life.” (22:07)
• Questlove: “He’s empathic, man…he’ll listen to it to know what not to do. He might be the greatest ever.” (22:33–25:30)

Digable Planets’ Grammy Radicalism (32:25–33:14)

• [Digable Planets, accepting the Grammy:]
  “We’d like to thank the Academy for recognizing us. So people, peace to the gods on Earth and Nation of Islam…They not out there eating at all.”
• Questlove (on its impact): “That was the most radical thing we ever seen…they’re not playing the game…which means it’s gonna be an empty platform. And the second we get our chance, we’re gonna grab that platform.” (32:56–33:14)

On M-Base and Jazz Progression (39:02–40:32)

• Questlove: “The jazz version of the Native Tongues was a collective called M-Base…M-Base would have been what drill music is or trap music is to a traditionalist in hip hop. They wanted to push the culture forward, right? So we wanted to roll with the progressive crew.”

Dice Raw’s Introduction (36:49)

• Questlove: “Dice was like this 13 year old, but he had a Redd Foxx blue humor, like a 1940s old ass man. He was like a Black Rodney Dangerfield, but he was 13. Like he had everything but a cigar.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:31] - Why Bob Power was hired; the Roots’ sonic ambitions post-Organix
• [04:46] - Kelo Saunders and the Philly hip hop scene’s production culture
• [08:47] - Kelo’s approach: treating Questlove’s drums as samples
• [10:29] - Q-Tip’s description of “nigga drums” and genre labels
• [13:50] - “In Your Dreams” session and Black Thought’s MC impersonations
• [22:07] - Open Mike Eagle expresses awe/intimidation at Black Thought
• [25:14] - Tariq’s openness and sponge-like approach to MC influences
• [32:25] - Digable Planets’ Grammy speech and its effect on The Roots’ ambition
• [36:49] - The arrival and colorful personality of Dice Raw
• [39:02] - Jazz collectives, M-Base, Wynton Marsalis, and progressive musical alliances

Tone & Style Notes

The episode is marked by Open Mike Eagle’s playful humility, Questlove’s encyclopedic recall and wry anecdotes, and a sense of awe for the creative process. Questlove’s passion for both technical craft and cultural context guides the conversation, while Open Mike Eagle acts as a relatable and curious fan, constantly impressed by The Roots’ history and Black Thought’s unmatched talent.

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a treasure trove for:

• Roots fans eager for behind-the-scenes detail
• Hip hop heads fascinated by the art of production & MCing
• Music history buffs tracking the intersections of jazz and rap
• Aspiring artists looking to understand the hours of labor, creativity, and scientific study that form the bedrock of great music

The show maintains its sense of fun and reverence while breaking down the making of a classic album—a must-listen for anyone passionate about hip hop’s golden age and ongoing evolution.