Questlove sits down with R&B icon Eric Benét for a deeply human, wildly musical conversation tracing the singer’s journey from Milwaukee family harmonies to gold plaques and Grammy nominations.

Benét opens up about early sonic imprints like Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, and “Wichita Lineman,” his Alabama and Mobile roots, and how discovering Questlove’s own lineage story reshaped the way he thinks about ancestry, Haiti, and spirituality. The two dig into Prince vs. Michael Jackson, a legendary James Brown clip, and what it really meant to grow up in Milwaukee during the Jeffrey Dahmer years.

Benét breaks down his path from band life to major labels, the making and shelving of Better and Better, how David Foster and Dean Parks helped shape Hurricane, and why songs like “Spend My Life With You” and “Sometimes I Cry” never get old on stage. Along the way, the longtime friends talk vocal maintenance, the emotional cost of fame, the rise of Neo-Soul, and what Benét would tell his 16-year-old self. Benét's latest single, "Who's Gonna Save Us," is newly available now.

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According to our Questlove, Australian powerhouse The Avalanches—Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi—single-handedly changed his perspective on how music could be made and delivered.

Their acclaimed album, Since I Left You, not only “cracked our skulls open,” it remains one of Quest’s “top 10 albums of ALL time.” For two decades, the duo has left no stone unturned in mastering the art of building an entire sonic landscape from the ground up.

So how do they do it? And, perhaps more importantly, why? Listen as The Avalanches break it all down on this week’s episode. They weigh in on how many samples were used, how Prince Paul was an inspiration, and why sometimes archaic technology is more preferred than the cutting edge. Listen back to this classic QLS episode recorded in 2021, during the height of the pandemic. 

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Questlove is back to answer another batch of listener questions. This mailbag edition with Ahmir and Cousin Jake dives into recent episodes while revisiting classic Roots and Dilla history. Quest' clarifies a detail from the recent DJ Muggs episode, agreeing that Muggs essentially pioneered Hip-Hop's dark, dusty psychedelic sound. He also unpacks the backstory behind Phrenology's "roll call" segment, explaining how a reclaimed Slum Village beat, Ursula Rucker, and an exhaustive Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists inspired Justin Warfield's memorable closing shout-out. Elsewhere, Quest reflects on the Electric Circus sessions with Common and shares his perspective on J Dilla during the Welcome 2 Detroit era. The episode closes with some personal history connected to Philly dialect. Want to get your question on the show? Contact us through QuestloveSupreme.com.

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Legendary music journalist and MTV News icon joins Questlove in the studio for a deep dive into the evolution of rock criticism, music journalism, and pop culture. Loder traces his journey from his early days covering Janis Joplin and Captain Beefheart to his era-defining work at Rolling Stone and MTV News, sharing firsthand memories of punk at CBGB, Prince, and the rise of Hip-Hop into the mainstream.

Kurt opens up about writing Rolling Stone's first major Rap review, chronicling Tina Turner's life and remarkable comeback in book form, and navigating the ethics, responsibility, and influence of the critic's pen. Questlove and Loder also unpack the line between fandom and objectivity, the danger of snap judgments, and how artists like Prince, James Brown, and Joni Mitchell redefined the possibilities of pop music.

This episode is a masterclass in music history, criticism, and culture, told by one of the most trusted voices ever to cover it.

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