QLS Classic: Deniece Williams

Before the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, Lenny Kaye was clerking at Village Oldies on Bleecker Street. In 1972, he compiled Nuggets—and its liner notes helped shape the emerging idea of Punk Rock. Questlove and Lenny nerd out as fellow record obsessives, swapping stories about organizing vinyl, seeing Jimi Hendrix twice, meeting Patti Smith (whom he played bass for ever since), and recording “Piss Factory” in the final 15 minutes of a session at Electric Lady. Lenny also talks about his new solo debut, Goin' Local, out now on Yep Roc. Made for artistic closure, not to chase a trend, the personal, unhurried record came from a simple conviction: “because I’m my favorite artist.” He reflects on creativity, his enduring love of music, and the crates he’s digging through now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Open Mike Eagle and Cousin Jake unpack E-40’s conversation on The Questlove Show. They get into how E-40 has kept writing new chapters—and inventing new styles—for nearly 40 years; what independence really means; and why “lyricist” can come with an unfair bias. Plus, E-40 credited one MC with helping shape his unmistakable delivery in an ah-ha moment of the convo. They also give flowers to Hieroglyphics’ Casual, a Bay Area great E-40 says deserves more credit. Which Bay Area rappers should we be talking about?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Nat Adderley Jr., serving as Luther Vandross’ musical director and longtime pianist was one chapter in a remarkable musical life—and a partnership that helped shape the sound of modern R&B. In conversation with Questlove, Nat looks back on making “Never Too Much,” flying in from Houston to play “A House Is Not a Home,” and trying to talk Luther out of recording the Carpenters’ version of “Superstar.” As Vandross is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Nat recalls the grandeur of Luther’s stage shows and the loss of drummer Yogi Horton. He also reflects on how his arrangement of “If This World Were Mine” found new life in Kendrick Lamar’s “Luther.” The funny, unpredictable conversation also touches on Nat’s new album, Took So Long—his first as a leader and a return to the Jazz roots that run through his family and his work. In a personal full-circle moment, Questlove tells Nat how a protest song Nat recorded at 15 with his uncle Cannonball Adderley changed his life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Open Mike Eagle and producer Cousin Jake react to the Vince Staples episode of the Questlove Show, which has quickly become one of the biggest videos on the QLS YouTube channel. The two unpack Vince's candor and persona, even as it applies to the Internet commentary when he stated he doesn't have a favorite song of his own, and why his blunt, unpolished honesty makes him such a good guest. Mike and Jake also look at Vince's deep Hip-Hop references, from Blu & Exile to Jemini the Gifted One and Murs, and debate whether the line between underground and mainstream Rap was ever real. Plus, they casually look back at a QLS season that ran from JoJo to Wallo, and Mike shares his upcoming tour dates. As a reminder, keep sending mailbag questions to @QLS or QuestloveSupreme.com, and tell somebody about the show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Questlove Show breaks from its usual one-on-one format to welcome Zeimani, Kucha, and BG—The Womack Sisters. Granddaughters of Sam Cooke and daughters of soul duo Womack & Womack, they released a self-titled album on Daptone that’s among Questlove’s favorite records of 2026. The sisters talk about growing up on tour and living in Ireland, London, Kenya, Thailand, and Paris—including how their father’s intuition helped the family get to safety ahead of the 2004 tsunami. They also discuss years of label rejections and driving for rideshare services while staying true to their sound. Along the way, there are surprises: a photo of Sam Cooke with Questlove’s mother, and Questlove’s story about a Roots show with their uncle, Bobby Womack, that went off the rails. Photograph by Rachel Kaplan for iHeart.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questlove catches up with the one and only Corinne Bailey Rae backstage at the 2026 Roots Picnic in Philly for a quick, casual bonus beat episode. Corinne—who guested on Questlove Supreme in 2024—talks about going back to her debut album 20 years later. She explains why she's stretching those songs out on tour so every night goes somewhere new, and how emotional it was to bring Black Rainbows and the story of Harriet Jacobs to the stage. She also walks us through her new children's book, Put Your Records On, about a young girl who finds a song for every feeling in an elder's record collection. Plus she tells us about writing sessions with Amber and Paris of We Are King and the run-up to her first headline show at the Royal Albert Hall on October 26th, so put your records on, y'all, and enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questlove sat down with director and composer John Carpenter in Hollywood to discuss Cathedral, a graphic novel and heavy metal album inspired by a single dream. Carpenter tells how a bongo lesson from his father led to the iconic Halloween theme. He also talks about casting Kurt Russell after their Elvis TV movie, why The Thing was his hardest shoot, and says The Exorcist remains the scariest movie ever made. Along the way, Carpenter turns the tables and interviews Questlove, sparking a lively debate about The Beatles and whether music has reached “creative diminished returns.” It’s a funny, engaging conversation between two directors who work in different worlds but share a love of making music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In early 2022, Questlove and Team Supreme spoke to one of the most beautiful voices in all of music — Deniece Williams. She recalls her working with Stevie Wonder and Earth Wind & Fire, before breaking out into a Grammy-winning solo career that has spanned decades and multiple genres. Hear the stories behind the songs and relive the greatness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Questlove Show hoped to record an episode with DJ Shadow while he was on the East Coast for the 30th-anniversary tour of Endtroducing….., but scheduling didn’t work out this time. Instead, Open Mike Eagle—who is performing on some of Shadow’s current tour dates—and Cousin Jake celebrate Shadow’s landmark debut, its lasting impact, and more. They talk about crate-digging in dollar bins, Shadow’s little-known production work for Paris, Gift of Gab’s verse on “Midnight in a Perfect World,” and the difference between a beatmaker and a producer. They also explain why Shadow’s music demands active listening—not background or the dreaded “beats to study to.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A real tycoon is in the building. Questlove sits down with Vallejo’s own E-40, the Yay Area legend who was selling records out of his trunk back when getting a major-label deal felt impossible. He built his own label, financed his projects independently, and gave Hip-Hop an entire dictionary of slang and similes. Now, with Turning My Money Over—a historic 40-song quadruple album—Earl Stevens isn’t slowing down. E-40 talks about growing up on Magazine Street in Vallejo’s Hillside neighborhood, the New York and Bay Area rappers who shaped his voice, and the year at Grambling State that taught him how to make it on his own. He explains how The Click navigated distribution through consignment sheets, mom-and-pop stores, and even rim shops—and how VHS duplication helped change the game for independent artists. 40 Water recalls his dealings with Tupac, advocates for members of the Hieroglyphics crew, and shares how being doubted by a room full of DJs decades ago only pushed him to go harder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.