Questlove Teases D’Angelo Project, Earth, Wind & Fire Doc After Sly Stone Tribute

At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tribute to Sly Stone, celebrated drummer-filmmaker Questlove (of The Roots) announced multiple forthcoming projects rooted in the legacy of soul and funk innovation. “You'll see soon,” Questlove told entertainment reporter Courtney Tezeno with a grin when asked about D'Angelo's unreleased tracks. “It's always the sound of yesterday, but for the future. This record is no different.”

Questlove teases a posthumous D'Angelo project that “blends yesterday's sound with the future,” signaling new material from the late artist has been seeded and a wider release is forthcoming. Reflecting on his tribute work for Sly Stone, he added, “Sly is the first music I ever heard in my life. My parents constantly played it since I was one or two years old. His music is in my DNA. I wanted to tell the story of why innovators, the gods we hold up in the light, sometimes self-sabotage. It's about their human side, and how often we're not allowed to be seen as human.”

The Sly Stone documentary, produced by Questlove and building on his Oscar-winning work for Summer of Soul, will explore what happens after the apex of innovation — “what happens after Woodstock when innovators stand too close to the fire. It's not a sensationalist story; it's about the human side of these gods we hold up in the light.” 

Meanwhile, Questlove's directorial venture into Earth, Wind & Fire's legacy is set for release on HBO in 2026, backing this seminal band's inclusive and forward-thinking influence with access to its archives and the estate of founder Maurice White.

Veteran soul singer Maxwell, who performed alongside Questlove and a star-studded medley featuring Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Beck, and Flea at the tribute, praised Sly Stone's boundary-crossing reach: “Sly had women on stage, white folks, Black folks, he was the future in music,” he told Tezeno. 

Reflecting on D'Angelo's passing, he continued, “I don't think I'd have a moment like this if it wasn't for his introduction to the world. My heart and soul go out to his family and his spirit in heaven.” As the night ended, Maxwell promised a powerful performance: “We're going to take you higher,” he grinned. “Spirits say higher.”