André 3000, Q-Tip and more are waxing poetic about Sly Stone and his influence in a teaser trailer for Questlove‘s forthcoming documentary about about the life of the funk legend.
Set to premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival next month, SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) will then debut to the masses on Hulu on February 13.
Along with the announcement of Hulu acquiring the doc last week, the streamer released a quick trailer, which finds Tip calling Sly an “innovator” and Dre adding: “He opened the door to come this way. When it came together, his sound – it was so future.”
Check out the teaser below.
When announcing the project in 2022, Questlove said: “It goes beyond saying that Sly’s creative legacy is in my DNA… it’s a black musician’s blueprint. To be given the honor to explore his history and legacy is beyond a dream for me. Sly’s influence on popular music and culture as a whole is immeasurable, and what his career represents is a parable that transcends time and place.”
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Amit Dey, head of MRC Non-Fiction, added: “Questlove’s vision, sensitivity and reverence brings the urgency that Sly’s story and music deserve, and we’re excited to be working with him to bring Sly’s story to life.”
The Roots drummer’s initial connection with Sly on film came in Summer of Soul, which spotlighted the 1969 Harlem Culture Festival – a festival that didn’t receive the type of mainstream appreciation or coverage as another famous 1969 festival, Woodstock.
In September, it was announced that Questlove will also be helming a documentary about the iconic group Earth, Wind & Fire.
The film, for which no title has been revealed, will reportedly feature “exclusive” access to the group’s archives, and has the support of the band and the estate of EWF founder Maurice White, who died in 2016.
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“Having been baptized in the Afrocentric joy river of this powerhouse unit, I’ve learned about them, I’ve learned about us & more importantly, I’ve learned and rediscovered myself in the process. I’m so excited to be part of the process of preserving their positive but very vulnerable and real story of Soul, Self & Struggle,” Quest said.
