Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove

First-time author “Questlove” Thompson is cofounder and drummer of the Roots, the popular hip-hop/neo-soul group that also serves as the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In this enjoyable memoir, Thompson tells of his work as a DJ and producer with some of the biggest names in the music business, such as Jay-Z and Common, and Dave Chappelle (Thompson was the Chappelle’s Show’s music director). His always fascinating and sometimes hilarious recollections touch on everything from drumming at age five in his father’s professional doo-wop and soul band to roller-skating as an adult with Eddie Murphy at a bizarre party hosted by Prince. Thompson’s eclectic “meta” mix of writing styles—punctuated by interviews with Rich Nichols, the group’s longtime comanager—appropriately captures the almost two-decade-long history of the Roots.(June 25)