[Update 2/13/25]: Years after it was first announced, the Questlove-directed Sly Stone documentary Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) is out now on Hulu following its recent debut at Sundance Film Festival. The film features interviews with D’Angelo, André 3000, Chaka Khan, Greg Errico, Larry Graham Jr., Vernon Reid, Q-Tip, Clive Davis, and George Clinton.
The Sly & The Family Stone bandleader has always seemed to be an intriguing topic for Questlove, real name Ahmir Thompson. The iconic psychedelic soul band was prominently featured in his first major music documentary, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), which chronicled the oft-overlooked 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival and earned him his first-ever Academy Award (Best Documentary Feature) among other honors. Thompson also launched his AUWU Books imprint in 2023 with Stone’s memoir, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again), as its first release.
Related: Read Questlove’s Review Of Dead & Company At Sphere [Photos]
Sly Lives!, which has been in development since at least 2021 (see below), is one of many projects in various stages of completion for Questlove, the decorated musician and Academy Award-winning music historian. He also helmed the new Ladies and Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, which examines the musical side of the hit variety show throughout its half-century run (now streaming on Peacock). He recently announced that he is directing a new documentary about Earth, Wind & Fire, and as of 2023 he was also reportedly directing a hybrid live action/animated reboot of Disney’s The Aristocats.
Watch the official trailer for Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) below. View the full documentary on Hulu here.
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) – Official Trailer
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[2/20/21]: Fresh off his award-winning screening of Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) earlier this year, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson has now been announced as the director for a forthcoming documentary about pioneering funk musician and bandleader, Sly Stone.
A report published by Deadline on Friday details Questlove will team up with Executive Producer Common for the currently-untitled feature documentary, but did not provide any further information on the project. The report generally states that the documentary “is expected to focus not just on [Sly’s] successes, but also the consequences and cultural expectations of that rise in an era of expanding media, shifting societal norms in the Sixties, the Black Power movement and the backlash that followed.”
Related: Yusuf/Cat Stevens, John Mayer, Questlove, More Remember Jazz Pianist Chick Corea
“It goes beyond saying that Sly’s creative legacy is in my DNA,” Questlove said in a statement about his involvement in the forthcoming film. “It’s a black musician’s blueprint….to be given the honor to explore his history and legacy is beyond a dream for me.”
The Questlove-directed Summer of Soul—which featured Sly & The Family Stone—took home the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary category at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Disney has since acquired the distribution rights to the film, which will be released to theaters at some point, and will stream on Hulu in the U.S. (and internationally on Star and Star+).