What Had Happened Was Illadelph Halflife
8 snips
Nov 22, 2023 Questlove takes us back to 1994 to discuss the creation of The Roots' Illadelph Halflife album and the controversial direction change it brought. They explore their sound influences, the meaning behind the album title, and their struggle to get their music played on radio. They also touch on therapy, the origins of their production company's name, and their financial situation after closing the budget on their previous album.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Genesis of Illadelph Halflife
- Questlove shares how "Illadelph Halflife" began with a crisis of direction in the group.
- The album title reflects instability, either exploding or imploding, to capture the moment's tension.
Learning to Sample Beats
- Questlove recounts learning sampling from Kilo Saunders to match a more traditional hip-hop sound.
- The band transitioned from live instrumentation to self-sampling to create beats for Illadelph Halflife.
Silent Treatment and New Direction
- After disappointing DJ massive flex with silent treatment remixes, the band decided to create a more traditional hip-hop album.
- This caused Questlove personal turmoil feeling unsure if he would be replaced in the group.