Lit Review: Mo' Meta Blues

Lionel Hampton once remarked, “Seemed to me that drumming was the best way to get close to God.” So what better way to get an understanding of existence, of the human experience, than by getting to know a drummer?!? Mo’ Meta Blues is drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson first foray into writing an autobiography. The work doesn't follow the typical autobiographical narrative but a memoir that pendulums back and forth between the events of ?uestlove’s life out of sequence like those of Kurt Vonnegut’s work “Slaughter House Five.” From his middle class upbringing in the Illadelph by moderately successful Do Wop singers to his meteoric rise as the co-founder of the multi-Grammy award winning Legendary Roots crew, there is an underlying connective theme throughout his life : Music. “When you live your life through records, the records are a record of your life.” - ?uestlove. 

Ahmir’s true talent may not lie in producing or DJing or dare I say drumming but rather in his near encyclopedic knowledge of music; which he used to tell the story of his life. As someone who too has in their mental repertoire seeming limitless esoteric albums and obscure artists, I found ?uestlove’s storytelling through records to be endearing, poignant, touching, and even awe inspiring. His appreciation, his reverence of music, of his craft raises the level of musicianship. For that we should all give the drummer some!!     -J After Dark

---