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Questlove Opens Up About the Downside of Fame in Relationships

The Roots drummer says, "I don't have a posse. I don't have friends."

Questlove considers himself to be "The Man" and while it definitely has its perks, The Roots' drummer says it's had an effect on his personal life. In his recent interview with The Village Voice, Questlove admitted that his passion for work has made it difficult to set time aside for nurturing relationships with others.
"You know, after work, everyone hangs and they go to a bar and stuff?" he says. "I don't socialize that way. I don't have a posse. I don't have friends. I got the people I work with. I got a mom and a sister."
The Roots are not only the house band on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, but Questlove also has side gigs as DJ, helps other artists with their musical projects, and is even working on a memoir, leaving little time for him to seek out romance. But don't feel bad for the lonely musician. Questlove, who says that fellow Roots co-founder Black Thought "is probably the most consistent relationship I've ever had in my life," finds that music is a "sacred, spiritual thing" for him, which is probably why he decides to just contend the sacrifices that need to be made for it.
"Music's spiritual to me," he says. "And I'm watching my words carefully, because I know in print this will sound real self-important. But music is a very sacred, spiritual thing for me. And not just something I want to pop on when I wanna feel 'street,' or 'cool,' or 'sexy.' It's literally a spiritual cleanser for me. That's what I want people to have."
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(Photo: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Rolling Stone)

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