Questlove is enjoying a pinch-me moment after appearing in the video for De La Soul’s “Oodles of O’s” — a song he credits with changing his life.
The Roots drummer took to Instagram on Tuesday (October 8) to share a preview of De La’s long-awaited video for their 1991 hit, which is set to drop later this month.
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The clip contains footage from the group’s “Oodles of O’s” pop-up donut shop in New York City this past summer, with cameos coming from Questlove, Common, Masta Ace, Ebro Darden, DJ Tony Touch, actor Rick Gonzalez and others.
Despite his own illustrious 30-plus-year career, appearing in a video for one of his favorite De La Soul songs was no small feat for Questlove.
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“Astral traveling to another earth to tell my 20 year old self ‘remember the first song on the album that floored you so much that you and your friend from high school started getting serious about getting a record deal,'” he wrote on Instagram while gushing over the moment.
“(good news! you’ll get a record deal in less than 2 years!!!, but nevermind—-your life will truly begin some 31 years FROM THIS MOMENT…..——can ya hang on that long? (I’m just playing, sike im kidding, it’s really going to take you THREE DECADES dawg….
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“I know it’s a bi*****tch but at least you’ll be here with us……I mean back in 91 it’s not as rampant but let’s just say after 97? EVERYTHING IS CHANGING ……pssssh you won’t EVEN believe what happens with him!——-wait wait wait you’re messing this up lemme break the news!!!———-YOU are going to be in the video for ‘Oodles Of O’s’!!!!!*
“*you will shoot it some 33 years later after its release but damnit it was worth the wait!”
The full music video will be released on October 18.
Questlove recently credited another rap legend with inspiring him and Black Thought — but in a more urgent, forward-looking way.
While interviewing Common and Pete Rock on his Questlove Supreme podcast, the Philadelphia native explained how the pair’s joint project The Auditorium Vol. 1 has motivated him and Thought to finish The Roots’ long-awaited 15th album, tentatively titled End Game.
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“I believe that this particular album will spark a renaissance,” he said of The Auditorium Vol. 1 before mentioning other anticipated releases from rap veterans such as Nas and DJ Premier, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, and De La Soul, DJ Premier and Pete Rock.
“Not to be outdone, my band has been sitting on the sidelines watching all this action happening and, you know, it’s made us… I will say that it’s made Tariq [Black Thought] into — the muthafucka wrote seven songs in one day! We have not done that since our second album.”
Quest added: “[I walked into the room] and was like, ‘Yo, dawg. You ain’t gonna believe this but Rash [Common] and Pete made the perfect summit meeting record. No person’s outshining the other person. Everything’s [equal].’ I was just going off about it and I could tell I planted a seed.
“But then — I think after the Hollywood Bowl performance that we did — I think that lit something under Tariq. I mean, I can say in the last two weeks, he’s knocked off at least eighty percent.
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“I mean, back in, like, Do You Want More?!!!??! days, ‘Riq would write, like, six or seven songs in a setting. This album is definitely, like — it’s probably what he’s working on right now as I speak. It’s inspiring.”
The drummer then offered an update on the album’s long-awaited release, saying: “I know the exact date when I want to release it, and it’s not 2024. But it’s a very seminal 2025 date that will make sense once it comes out.”
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It’s possible that Questlove was hinting at January 17, which marks the 30th anniversary of The Roots’ aforementioned album Do You Want More?!!!??!
