Questlove on the 'Burden of Black Genius' in his sophomore Onyx Collective film, 'Sly Lives!'

LOS ANGELES -- After winning an Academy Award for his 2021 documentary, "Summer of Soul," Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson returns to On The Red Carpet's Storytellers Spotlight to discuss his sophomore film, "Sly Lives! The Burden of Black Genius," produced by Disney's Onyx Collective.

The documentary on Hulu premiered to widespread critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. It highlights the legacy of the enigmatic Sly Stone and features musical luminaries like Andre 3000, D'Angelo, and members of Sly and the Family Stone, including Jerry Martini and the late Cynthia Robinson.

Thompson was drawn to Sly Stone's story because of his unique place in history.

"If you're looking at the historical context of where he falls, Sly's right at the Mason-Dixon line between pre-civil rights and post-civil rights," Thompson explains. "The fact that he assembled a multiracial, intersectional band of people from all different backgrounds-that's an act of harmony, but it's also an act of rebellion. He was a provocateur and a provider."

Beyond historical significance, Thompson emphasizes the deeply personal and artistic resonance Stone's music has for him and other Black creatives, a resonance he was happy to find Onyx Collective shares with him.

"It's rare, especially in this business, to meet people who understand the subtext of what I want to create," he said. "There's a constant motion of, 'We understand. Say less. I get you.'"

For Thompson, music serves as a timestamp of moments in life. He compares music to a Polaroid, a snapshot of where you were in life when you first heard a song or album. For him, his snapshot of Sly Stone's music comes from early childhood, an unconventional memory permanently seared into his mind.

At just 2 years old, Thompson was getting his hair washed when his sister accidentally spilled a cleansing powder in the tub. The powder hit his eyes, and he ended up on the living room floor, screaming, while his aunt and sister held him down as his father flushed out his burning eyes. All the while, Sly Stone's song "Just Like a Baby" played in the background, its sinister bass line scoring the moment.

"I see the American flag cover of 'There's a Riot Going on,' and somehow just that very sinister bass line is playing," says Thompson. "It has haunted me for so long. I mean, even in using that song as my closing credits.... I wonder if it was a mistake because I have such an odd relationship with that song. It's My first memory in life."

Despite these bittersweet beginnings, Thompson stresses the lasting positive impact of Sly's music on the culture.

"A lot of his music, if you just break it down by melody, you would swear that his music is akin to almost like nursery rhyme childhood melodies." said Thompson, "But rhythmically speaking, is some of the most aggressive, danceable funk that American society has yet to know."

However, Sly Stone's haunting genius, the genius that's inspired musicians like Thompson for decades, came at a cost.

"Sly's story will also wind up subsequently being everyone's story in Black entertainment." said Thompson. "Success is often an unspoken burden. Oftentimes, we're taught that monetary success is the answer to our problems. And when you find out that it's not that, then that means you start looking for other ways to self soothe, to self-medicate, to just make it feel better."

For Thompson, centering on Sly's humanity, feelings, and unique experiences beyond the artistic image and persona of a celebrity is of the utmost importance.

"I want to rest the notion of the troubled artist," he said. "You know, the idea of like, oh, they're just a drug addict and they had everything and then they lost it because they chose drugs. They didn't choose drugs. They don't know how to express the turmoil and the pain in their rearview mirror in present times. I wanted to just sort of peel back the layers and really present a human story about his experience."

Sly and the Family Stone's legacy extends far beyond their music. Their unapologetic blend of rock, funk, and soul set the stage for future genres, but also represented an America that was struggling to define itself amongst the cultural and political revolutions of the 1960s and '70s. The band's radical inclusivity, both in terms of race and gender, was a revolution challenging the status quo of the era.

Stone's influence can be heard across generations, from the psychedelic soul of Prince to the boundary-pushing hip-hop of Kendrick Lamar. With "Sly Lives!" Thompson continues his mission of preserving this influence, highlighting Black musical genius, and ensuring that the legacy of Sly Stone is understood as an essential piece of cultural history.

The burden of Black genius -- its weight, its beauty, and its struggles -- resonates deeply throughout "Sly Lives!," both as a poignant documentary and a necessary conversation about art, identity, and the price of revolution.

Onyx Collective's "Sly Lives! The Burden of Black Genius" is now streaming on Hulu.

Watch ABC's On The Red Carpet Storytellers Spotlight interview with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in the video player above.

Vanessa Czworniak Gonzales, and Cayela Cuevas contributed to this report.

Disney is the parent company of Hulu, Onyx Collective and this station.