Author Guide · Music Memoir & Music History
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Questlove, born Ahmir Khalib Thompson in Philadelphia in 1971, is the drummer of the Roots, the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2014, and won an Academy Award in 2022 for the documentary Summer of Soul. On the page he does what he does as a DJ: he connects records to the times they came from. His books range from a memoir to a cookbook, a book on creativity and two histories told through music. Two of his audiobooks were nominated for a Grammy. This guide covers his 7 key books, in order, and where to begin.
By Lisanne Swart · 7 key books · 2013–2024 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Questlove’s best-known books are the memoir Mo’ Meta Blues (2013), Creative Quest (2018), Music Is History (2021) and Hip-Hop Is History (2024). Start with Mo’ Meta Blues, his own story; read on for the books on food, creativity and fifty years of American music.
Where to Start with Questlove
If you want his life story
→ Mo’ Meta Blues (2013) — the memoir, from Philadelphia to the Roots.
If you want American history through music
→ Music Is History (2021) — one year per chapter, from 1971 onward.
If you want to make things yourself
→ Creative Quest (2018) — his book on creativity.
If you want the story of hip-hop
→ Hip-Hop Is History (2024) — his history of the genre.
7 Questlove Books, in Order
Mo’ Meta Blues
His memoir, written with the journalist Ben Greenman: a childhood in Philadelphia, the founding of the Roots, and his life as a drummer, producer and record collector.
Soul Train
An illustrated history of the television show Soul Train, which ran from 1971 to 2006 and brought Black music, dance and fashion into American living rooms. Published by Harper Design, it combines Questlove’s text with photographs from the show.
Something to Food About
Conversations with chefs about where their ideas come from, written with Ben Greenman and photographed by Kyoko Hamada. Questlove approaches cooking as a creative practice, comparing the way chefs work with the way musicians do.
Creative Quest
A book about creativity, written with Ben Greenman and drawn from his own career and the artists he has worked with: how to find ideas, work with others, deal with failure and keep going. The audiobook was nominated for a Grammy in the spoken-word category in 2019.
Mixtape Potluck
A cookbook built like a mixtape, written with Ben Greenman and subtitled A Dinner Party for Friends, Their Recipes, and the Songs They Inspire: friends’ recipes paired with music.
Music Is History
American history from 1971, the year he was born, to the present, told year by year through songs and records. Each chapter connects music to politics, race and culture in that year. The audiobook was nominated for the Grammy for Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording in 2023.
Hip-Hop Is History
Questlove’s history of hip-hop, from its roots to its impact on wider culture, published under his own imprint, Auwa Books.
In What Order to Read Questlove
The books stand alone. Read Mo’ Meta Blues first if you want to know who is talking; the later books draw on the same life but are organised by subject.
Music Is History and Hip-Hop Is History work as a pair: the first is about America through music, the second about one music through America. The food books and Creative Quest can be read at any point.
A reading path
1. Mo’ Meta Blues (2013)
2. Creative Quest (2018)
3. Music Is History (2021)
4. Hip-Hop Is History (2024)
Everything Else Questlove Published
Beyond the 7 key books: 2 more, grouped by kind.
Open a group with the + to see every book in it.
Middle-grade novels
2
2 books · 2023–2026
- 2023The Rhythm of Timea novel for young readers, written with the crime novelist S. A. Cosby
- 2026Time for a Changethe sequel to The Rhythm of Time, again with S. A. Cosby
The years · 1971–2024
Quick facts about Questlove
- Known for
- Questlove is known as the drummer and co-founder of the Roots, the house band on The Tonight Show, and as the Oscar-winning director of Summer of Soul.
- 1971
- Born in Philadelphia
- 1993
- The Roots’ first album, Organix
- 2013
- Mo’ Meta Blues
- 2024
- Hip-Hop Is History
- Born
- Ahmir Khalib Thompson, 20 January 1971, Philadelphia
- Band
- The Roots, drummer; house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2014
- Film
- Summer of Soul (2021), Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, 2022
- Grammys
- Six wins, including Best Music Film for Summer of Soul
- Audiobooks
- Creative Quest and Music Is History both nominated for a Grammy
- Imprint
- Auwa Books, which published Hip-Hop Is History
The red mark is 2013: Mo’ Meta Blues, his memoir.
How Questlove Writes
Questlove writes the way he DJs: by sequencing. Music Is History gives each year a chapter and a set of records; Mixtape Potluck treats a cookbook as a playlist. The structure is part of the argument that music is a record of its time.
He often writes with a collaborator, most often the journalist Ben Greenman, who is credited on the memoir, the two food books and Creative Quest.
His subject is almost always other people’s work — chefs, Soul Train dancers, producers, rappers — and how creative people get their ideas. Readers who like that angle may also like Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act and David Byrne’s How Music Works.
Frequently asked questions about Questlove’s books
How many books has Questlove written?
Seven key books for adults are on this page, from Mo’ Meta Blues (2013) to Hip-Hop Is History (2024), plus two middle-grade novels written with S. A. Cosby: The Rhythm of Time (2023) and Time for a Change (2026).
What are Questlove’s books in order?
Mo’ Meta Blues (2013), Soul Train (2013), Something to Food About (2016), Creative Quest (2018), Mixtape Potluck (2019), Music Is History (2021) and Hip-Hop Is History (2024).
Where should I start with Questlove?
With Mo’ Meta Blues, his memoir. If you are more interested in music history than in his life, start with Music Is History.
What is Questlove’s most famous book?
Mo’ Meta Blues (2013) is his best-known book; Music Is History (2021) and Creative Quest (2018) are the most widely read of the later ones.
Does Questlove write his books himself?
He writes many of them with the journalist Ben Greenman, who is credited on Mo’ Meta Blues, Something to Food About, Creative Quest and Mixtape Potluck. His middle-grade novels are co-written with the crime novelist S. A. Cosby.
Has Questlove won a Grammy for an audiobook?
No, but two were nominated: Creative Quest in 2019 and Music Is History in 2023. His Grammy wins are for music, and for Summer of Soul as Best Music Film.
Has Questlove written children’s books?
Yes. The Rhythm of Time (2023) is a novel for middle-grade readers, written with S. A. Cosby; its sequel, Time for a Change, followed in 2026.
Is Questlove’s real name Ahmir Thompson?
Yes. He was born Ahmir Khalib Thompson in Philadelphia on 20 January 1971.
Is Music Is History worth reading if you’re not a hip-hop fan?
It is not a hip-hop book. It covers American music of every kind from 1971 onward and uses it to talk about the politics and culture of each year.
Footnotes
- Questlove — Wikipedia
- Questlove digs into the roots of hip-hop — CBS News, 2024
- Questlove spins the soundtrack of his life in Music Is History — NPR, 2021
- The Rhythm of Time — Penguin Random House
- Questlove wins the Oscar for Summer of Soul — Rock the Bells, 2022
- Time for a Change — Kirkus Reviews
Bibliography last verified 9 October 2026. Where sources give different first-publication years, this page uses the year in library catalogues or the publisher’s own record.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
“It’s about marginalized people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain.”
— Questlove, accepting the Academy Award for Summer of Soul (2022)
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