You’d be hard-pressed to name an artist today who more completely personifies the concept of a “nonlinear path” than Questlove. The Philly-born drummer, DJ, author, professor, podcaster, and general renaissance man seems almost impossibly cultured — as if he’s lived 1,000 of the coolest possible lives in a few mere decades on earth. And in a way, he has. Born into a musical family, Questlove grew up steeped in the world of artists. Early on, he saw the exhilaration of the road life. He hung out with everyone from incredible guitarists to brainy lighting techs. He met actors and writers. All along, he was downloading into his creative DNA a love for building community in everything, whether that’s cutting gels for stage lights or entertaining millions of American families on TV every night. For Questlove, it’s always been about forging your own path, seeking out and deeply engaging with the people around you, and then making yourself ready for all the remarkable twists and turns you couldn’t possibly see coming. His particular brand of multi-hyphenate creativity, he says, has turned out to be remarkably fitting for this era: a time in which there are no limits to all the lives we can lead, and the paths we can walk.

Check out his collaboration with Citizens Bank’s Made Ready campaign, brought to life in our 4-part video series along with a special video set to The Roots’ new song, “Feel It (You Got It).”

MADE READY FOR MUSIC

�Feel It (You Got It)’ by The Roots

“I’ve been bringin’ birth to lyrics, before my first appearance. The fact that I’m still here is a product of perseverance.” That’s a line from the first verse of The Roots’ new song “Feel It (You Got It),” appearing on the group’s upcoming 2020 album. The inspirational anthem, created in partnership with Citizens Bank, perfectly summarizes Questlove’s journey and the idea of being Made Ready — pursuing your passions, wherever they take you.

If you need a little inspiration of your own, then check out the video below — featuring celebratory scenes from the Made Ready for Music event at Questlove’s alma mater, the Philadelphia High School of Creative and Performing Arts, plus crowdsourced footage from excited students, event goers, and Philly natives. Some clips were even recorded on custom smart glasses worn by event guests and designed to look like Questlove’s own iconic pairs. Questlove himself wore a pair of smart glasses so the audience could see the event from his perspective, in addition to sharing their own. The combined footage from the daylong celebration exemplifies the collaborative spirit behind the idea of being Made Ready for anything — as both an individual and a community.

Get your daily dose of inspiration and stream “Feel It (You Got It)” by The Roots on Spotify®, Tidal®, YouTube Music®, and Apple Music®.

Explore the Series

Made Ready for Music

Questlove's nonlinear journey to success starts here.

You Know the Show

Born Ahmir Khalib Thompson and raised in Philly, the artist now known as Questlove showed talent right from the start. “I could notate rhythm pretty perfectly before the age of one,” he says, laughing, on a recent shoot in New York’s iconic Electric Lady Studios. His innate musicality presented itself early, but it was the way life invited him to apply it that’s made him who he is today, and who he’ll be tomorrow.

The Cool Kids Table

Like so many great stories in the history of rock and roll, The Roots’ origin story began with a boy trying to impress a girl. As a student at The Philadelphia High School for Creative & Performing Arts (CAPA), Questlove already had learned that he could infiltrate the cool group by using his musical skills. “Don’t talk, just play a beat,” he recalls his fellow students in the cafeteria saying to him — at the time, a shy and brainy kid with a remarkable sense of rhythm. “So for an hour straight I would just bang on the lunch table while all the kids were freestyling.”

This Is Gonna Work Like Gangbusters

Questlove’s and The Roots’ work ethic, forged in high school, would serve them well throughout their journey. It’s easy now to think of the band as a permanent fixture of America’s late-night consciousness — these global rock stars piped into households across the country on The Tonight Show — but for 18 straight years they were road warriors, living out of suitcases and on buses.

A Real Legacy

Questlove’s path from shy kid churning out beats in his high school lunchroom to globally known creative luminary has been long and perfectly winding. It’s landed him, now, in a spot where he’s enjoying the present, but also applying his central approach to life — a kind of joyful restlessness — to the legacy he’s building. “The journey is never finished,” he says.

MADE READY FOR MUSIC

A Photo Tour of Questlove’s Return to Philadelphia

In the heart of South Philly in late September, the cheesesteaks were flowing when a hometown hero returned to where his story began. Specifically: they were Questlove’s meat-free cheesesteaks, as the performer entertained crowds at the live music event Made Ready for Music, presented by Citizens Bank. At Questlove’s alma mater — the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, or CAPA — students hit the stage performing band numbers and dances in tribute to the guest of honor. “I feel like I’m running for president,” Questlove told the crowd, after an emotional stage introduction from his sister. He ended the night with a DJ set, which he described as a musical journey through history, and finished with a tease of The Roots’ new song “Feel It (You Got It).” From the reactions in the audience, it’s safe to say Philly more than approved.

It was an especially appropriate time for Questlove to visit the place where he grew up and started building his career as he continues teaming up with Citizens Bank’s “Made Ready” campaign, which highlights life’s twists and turns that ultimately make us who we are.

The Roots’ new song, “Feel It (You Got It),” is about that very concept, and clips from the Philadelphia show — concert-goers received custom smart glasses that recorded HD video from different perspectives — are featured in a special video set to the new track. (The glasses were specifically designed for the event by Questlove’s stylist, Rebecca Pietri, to closely resemble his famous eyewear.) Visit citizensbank.com/madeready to explore more.