Questlove has recently celebrated the 50th birthday of Black Thought by sharing a very special photo on social media.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday (October 4), The Roots‘ leader paid tribute to his longtime friend and colleague by sharing the “first-ever” photo that they took together.
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“Took forever finding this photo we took back in high school in 1988,” he wrote. “Our first ever photo. I’m not even sure if we were Radioactivity yet. I wish I could let these two know the journey that lay ahead for them.”
He continued: “Riq was always at the cool kid section in high school & im just a dweeb with the ability to mirror breakbeats on the lunchroom table—-so I got access other nerds didn’t. You changed my life by including me man. I love you for that bro. Welcome to the big league. It’s a cause for celebration because tomorrow is never promised (especially in our profession) Happy 5 decades around the SON good sir! 10/3/73 & forever @BlackThought”
Check out the picture below.
Black Thought and Questlove have certainly been through their fair share of things together, and most recently, they’ve had to face down a lawsuit from the widow of Leonard “Hub” Hubbard.
According to Pitchfork, Black Thought (real name Tariq Trotter) and Questlove (real name Ahmir Khalib Thompson) have both been accused of violating federal RICO statutes in regard to the management of the band’s finances.
The late band member’s widow, Stephanie Hubbard, filed a lawsuit against the two men on behalf of her husband’s estate in a Pennsylvania federal court back in March.
Hubbard’s estate alleges that Grand Negaz Inc., the company founded in 1993 to handle The Roots’ business ventures, gave the bassist a 17 percent share, while Black Thought and Questlove each received a 35 percent share.
There were also similar claims made in reference to other entities set up in 1999 and 2000 to handle publishing and touring ventures for the group.
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The lawsuit further claims that both Black Thought and Questlove allegedly used their business dealings to set up other entities for personal reasons while Hubbard continued to remain a stakeholder in the original aforementioned company.
Even though Hubbard left the group in 2007 due to a cancer diagnosis, the suit claims he wasn’t compensated per the terms of the original agreement and his absent funds were reportedly utilized to bankroll “other Roots-related projects.”
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Stephanie Hubbard’s attorney, Luke Lucas, told Pitchfork that he wishes people who did music together would “look out for each other.”
“Ms. Hubbard is the widow of a great musician and Philadelphia native, an undisputed founding member of a great hip hop band,” Lucas said. “Fame should not deter fairness for those who made your success possible. There would likely not be a Roots had there not been Leonard Hubbard.”
