Quest for Craft

CHAPTER 5, CRAFT AND EXPRESSION WITH DJ, PRODUCER, SONGWRITER, MARK RONSON – Questlove and Mark Ronson delve into issues around finding your voice as a craftsperson and an artist, referencing Mark’s early days as a DJ, his breakout work with Amy Winehouse and his collaboration with Bruno Mars. Episode includes an interview with composer and musician, Kris Bowers (who has created scores for Bridgerton, King Richard, Kobe Bryant’s Muse and Madden NFL).

CHAPTER 6, CRAFT AND PERFECTION WITH HISTORY-MAKING BALLET DANCER, MISTY COPELAND – Questlove and Misty Copeland share their experiences and learnings to explore the concept of perfection, how it relates to the craft and creativity where it falls short. Episode includes an animated segment voiced by Questlove during which he relates how the music of J. Dilla taught him to transcend conventions of perfection.

CHAPTER 7, CRAFT AND PLACE WITH AUTHOR AND NYC GURU, FRAN LEBOWITZ– Questlove and Fran Lebowitz discuss how where you are and what surrounds you…can inspire you. They explore how everything influences what you create, from the people around you to the ground you’re walking on. Episode includes a segment with Atlas Obscura editor-in-chief, Samir Patel, who talks about how craft and place are related around the globe.

CHAPTER 8, CRAFT AND CHEMISTRY WITH COMEDIAN AND MASTER OF ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE, KENAN THOMPSON – Questlove and Kenan Thompson explore the importance of chemistry to the creative process through the lens of Thompson’s tenure at Saturday Night Live and Questlove’s career with The Roots. Episode includes an interview with former astronaut, Leland Melvin, who talks about chemistry through the lens of the space walks and the crew at the International Space Station.

Chapter 1, Craft and Chaos with Michael Che - Questlove and Michael Che chat about how to infuse purposeful levels of chaos into their careers, how it can push you to a new level of creativity and how it can be a key factor in honing your craft.

Chapter 2, Craft and Community with Jimmy Jam - Questlove and Jimmy Jam connect on meeting their core creative partners at a young age, and chat about how instrumental their creative communities have been in helping them become the artists they are today.

Chapter 3, Craft and Time with Patti Smith - Questlove and Patti Smith delve into the topic of time as Patti reflects upon her time with Electric Lady Studios, from attending the opening party to going on to record many of her albums at the legendary studio.

Chapter 4, Craft and Practice with Malcolm Gladwell - Questlove and Malcolm Gladwell cover the topic of practice and Malcolm shares the true meaning of his 10,000 hours theory, how it’s been misunderstood in the past and how getting better at your craft can involve going beyond your mastery to take on new challenges.