Like the rest of the world, Questlove, music guru and drummer for The Roots, was and still is deeply shaken and saddened by the loss of Prince, who tragically passed away in April. Sharing some hilarious history, (when Quest was replaced by Finding Nemo), Questlove shared his heartfelt essay on Rolling Stone last month, detailing the music and explaining how Prince’s work was just as groundbreaking as the hip-hop legends, despite the difference in genre. He also introduced Madonna and Stevie Wonder‘s Prince tribute at the Billboard awards last week.
“Prince’s programming work on 1999 was beyond anything I had ever heard, just as innovative as the best hip-hop producers in the years to come: the Bomb Squad, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, A Tribe Called Quest, J Dilla.”
Following this, Quest today took to his Instagram to expanded this further, giving us his 40 reasons why Prince was a true hip-hop pioneer:
1. Came from troubled home.
2. Limited access to music forces him to create his own world of music.
3. Overcame poverty.
4. Creates fictional background tales to keep the press guessing.
5. Lives by the DIY creed.
6. Takes fashion taboos and makes them mainstream and acceptable.
7. Cock blocks and steals your lady on the low (ask Rick).
8. Puts his crew on—get them deals and makes them stars.
9. Pretty much wrote the book on gettin’ some better than any of his contemporaries.
10. Had beef with his peers who hated on him.
11. Invented the remix (not disco edits, but reimagining the album version).
12. Played mystery card—let us think what we wanted—gave the press middle finger.
13. Ghostwrote for everyone.
14. Used mad aliases.
15. Refused to be ordinary and eschewed the proper English language as a ways two communicate.
16. Knew the B side wins again and again.
17. Used the exotic honey to his advantage.
18. Used his music to give his views on the po po, politicians, gun control, war, God, squares and “the man.”
19. Turned a long music video into a revolution.
20. Best drum machine programmer ever.
21. Used synthesizers as a way of life.
22. Could make an entire album in less than a week.
23. Balled so hard in Paris and other parts of France—so he made a film about it.
24. Cut his crew off and got a new crew.
25. Went all hippie like it was nothing.
26. Made dis records.
27. Never wifed em, mostly replaced em.
28. Started his own label.
29. Parental Advisory was invented because of him.
30. Made a black album with a chip on [his] shoulder to prove he was still bad.
31. Plays sports better than you.
32. Had mad songs in the stash.
33. Had an MTV mansion/compound long before anyone did.
34. Changed looks constantly.
35. Dropped music on the net in record time.
36. Looked out for his peeps on the low doing benefits and raising like a modern day Robin Hood.
37. Tries taking on the man for his complete freedom.
38. Couldn’t tell him NOTHING.
39. Always escaped into thin air.
40. Left us too early.
Image: NY Post