| Questlove Supreme | |
| Host: | Questlove (Ahmir Thompson), Phonte (Phonte Coleman), Unpaid Bill (Bill Sherman), Laiya St. Clair, Suga Steve (Steven Mandel), Boss Bill (Bill Johnson) |
| Genre: | Music podcast |
| Length: | 90–180 minutes |
| Language: | English |
| Network: | iHeartMedia, iHeart Podcast Network |
Questlove Supreme is a weekly podcast led by Questlove (Ahmir Thompson) and co-hosted by Team Supreme: Phonte (Phonte Coleman), Unpaid Bill (Bill Sherman), Suga Steve (Steven Mandel), Laiya St. Clair, and Boss Bill (Bill Johnson).[1] [2]
Questlove Supreme features interviews with musicians, songwriters, producers, actors, directors, and industry executives. QLS has recorded and published over 300 episodes. Guests include: Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Maya Rudolph, Solange, Shep Gordon, Q-Tip, Usher, Chris Rock, Steve Miller, "Weird Al" Yankovic, The Revolution, and Chaka Khan. QLS also sometimes features public figures outside the music industry such as John Oliver, Bill Clinton, and Michelle Obama.
Questlove Supreme began as an extension of the music courses Questlove taught at New York University and is what he has called a "black nerd version of NPR." To prepare for each episode, Questlove personally listens to around 200 songs.[3]
The second season of QLS launched on April 26, 2017 with a three-part episode featuring Babyface.[4]
In 2019 the podcast moved from Pandora to iHeartMedia.[5] [6]
Questlove Supreme usually begins with a musical introduction, where the panelists participate in a "Shabooya Roll Call," an "age-old school bus chant" ad-lib format.[7]
Questlove hosts the show, with Team Supreme co-hosting, providing additional questions, reactions, jokes, and references. QLS guests are asked about their early musical experiences, influences, and careers, with other off-script questions emerging based on the conversation.
Episodes are released on Wednesdays on multiple streaming platforms. New episodes are released on a biweekly basis, with "Questlove Supreme Classic" episodes replayed every other week. QLS also updates a mix of songs referenced on the show.
Questlove has described the choice to have several co-hosts as a way to represent a "broad range of experiences". Co-host Phonte (Phonte Coleman) is a rapper in the hip-hop trio/duo Little Brother and producer. Suga Steve (Steven Mandel) is a music producer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, co-founder of J.M.I. Recordings, and former engineer at Electric Lady Studios. Unpaid Bill (Bill Sherman) is a composer, producer, arranger, and orchestrator known for his work on In the Heights, Hamilton, and Sesame Street. Laiya St. Clair is a radio host, producer, and voice artist. Boss Bill (Bill Johnson) is a producer.
Consequence of Sound summed the show up as a "music junkie's dream," specifically for its "handpicked mixtape of Questlove-approved jams."[8]