Questlove Is Wearing Crocs, Packing Crystals, and Avoiding Private Jets
The multi-hyphenate artist and filmmaker shares his travel essentials and favorite way to fly.
In this edition, American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor Questlove took a moment away from hosting the Stella Artois x Questlove Cheesesteak Diner Event at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia to share his tips, tricks, and must-packs with Opheli Garcia Lawler. Questlove has directed the Academy Award-winning documentary Summer of Soul, and is the drummer and joint frontman for The Roots.
Travel is imperative. This year is the 30th anniversary of when The Roots moved to London. For five years in the UK, we learned about the importance of jam sessions and community. We moved to the UK because it helped us—they were more embracive of jam bands and that thing. Here, the environment really wasn't made for that. So when we came back here in '98, '99, our whole thing was like, "All right, well, we got to build a movement, and bring everything that we learned in the last five years to the States."
I think the first step in human growth is literally making sure that you're not a creature of habit. I had no choice because I grew up in a showbiz family where we just traveled anywhere and everywhere. I encourage parents that have kids to travel, even if it's just out of your borough. I know people, I know New Yorkers that haven't gone to Queens yet. Then they go and say "Yo, I didn't know they had all of these restaurants!" It's just important to get out and get out of the habit of what you're used to. The more you travel, I feel, the more well-rounded you are.
Which is weird because it's also we're like the last generation of seeing—I don't know if you call it cultural colonialism, but the first time I went to the Middle East, I saw a Burger King and a 7-Eleven, and they were playing "Sweet Home Alabama" in the hotel. It's like, "Wait a minute, where am I at?" In '97 or '98, that also became the year where other places in the world started doing their version of what they think New York is.
But there are still some places that are really unique and give you that feeling of something different to experience from what you're used to. I think it's important. It stretches your vocabulary.
Rapid fire
What's your opinion on going barefoot on airplanes?
I might be slightly guilty of, well, I don't know… For me, I feel like Crocs are about as close as you can get to fuzzy bunny rabbit slippers and the feeling of walking on your rug at home barefoot, on a plane. However, I've also been subjected to many corn chip-smelling seat partners, so it depends on what the sweat action is in the ankles.
Window, middle, or aisle seat?
All right. So my all-time favorite travel method is JetBlue's Mint, which is the single seat. That's my favorite way. I prefer that over private jets. To me, private jet travel feels like the equivalent of all middle seats, and you have to be familiar with the people that are in your circle because you have to face them. It's close. If intimacy is not your thing and you're with a party of 12 people, you're going to get to know those 12 people.
What's your go-to drink order on the plane?
If I'm on JetBlue Mint, I will get the mint drink (Mint Condition) without alcohol. On other flights, I'll do cranberry juice, no ice.
Do you have a jet lag cure?
Oh, I never have jet lag. What is sleep? You're talking to Questlove over here. I will actually say that the second I sit on a plane instantly [Questlove makes a snoring noise]. One time I sat next to Skrillex on a six-hour red-eye flight. And I don't know if he was scoring something or was about to master a record or whatever, but it was an urgent mission. And I woke up when we landed and I was like, "Wait, did you stay up all night working on that one track?" He says, "No, actually, I made four songs." And so I was like, "I hope I wasn't snoring too loud for you." So yeah, I slept the whole time, and he got a lot done, but I never had jet lag.
Must-have travel items
There is a special Bluetooth speaker that I travel with because I sleep to cushy bells and meditative bowls. This particular speaker fills up the entire hotel room.
I'm big on sketch pads. Usually first thing in the morning when I wake up, I'll do some sketching—or, I'm in the habit of writing out my goals for the month, what I want to achieve. I'll write that out. So I bring a bunch of stationary and a bunch of pens.
Because of my propensity for foods that are garlicky, I always have breath mints with me. I'm obsessed with breath mints.
I always travel with about 10 crystals. I always have them next to my nightstand.
There are always five hard drives in my bag. Five hard drives and my laptop, because I'm working on various projects and whatnot, even when I travel.