Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s new documentary, “Sly Lives!,” delves into the life and career of Sly Stone, the enigmatic leader of Sly and the Family Stone. The film, which begins streaming on Hulu this Friday, chronicles Stone’s rise to stardom, his groundbreaking role as the leader of a mixed-race, mixed-gender band, and the severe pressures that shadowed his success. The documentary also tackles the darker aspects of Stone’s life, focusing on how drug addiction eventually consumed both his career and family life.
It suggests that the relentless pressure to conform to a narrative he could never fit, coupled with the challenges of immense fame, accelerated his decline. Joseph Patel, who collaborated with Questlove on the Oscar-winning “Summer of Soul,” discussed the importance and relevance of Stone’s story in an interview. He elaborated on Questlove’s theory that success can be more intimidating than failure for many Black artists, and how Sly was one of the first to publicly experience this.
“Imagine being 26, a Black artist with a genre-mixing rock band, headlining Woodstock, on the cover of Rolling Stone, while serving both Black and white audiences who see you as a solution to race relations,” Patel said. “The weight of such expectations must have been overwhelming for Sly.”
The film also highlights the disparity between how Sly and white artists were treated as they evolved their musical styles.
Exploring Sly’s rise and challenges
“There’s a segment where Q-Tip discusses how white artists like David Bowie received praise for their career evolution, whereas Sly faced harsh criticism and racial slurs,” Patel explained. During a Q&A at the Sundance Film Festival, Questlove reflected on the mental health challenges faced by many of his past collaborators. He shared that he has witnessed numerous breakdowns among musicians he has worked with, recounting a disheartening pattern of “sabotage, panic, career-ruining moments.”
Questlove admitted that his own struggles with the pressures of fame have sometimes made it difficult for him to step in to help others.
“The way that I overwork, the way that I overeat, like I panic. It’s worse than, you know, worse than [Stone] does,” he confessed. The documentary is exceptionally strong in its attention to musical detail, featuring interviews with legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who provide thrilling breakdowns of Sly’s innovative recordings.
It also reflects on the burden of Black superstardom and the double-edged sword of exceptionalism in the music industry. Questlove hopes that the documentary will inspire more artists to seek help and work on their mental health, advocating for a more open conversation about the pressures that come with fame. “A lot more artists might hopefully see this and really start asking those questions and going with it and working on themselves,” he said.