Planning and strategic thinking is key to meet your goals. Choose 5 of these life lessons learned from chess and list how you can apply each one to your life right now.

Career

Think like a chess player.

From drumming on late-night TV, recording in the studio, and flying to Poland in between, see what a day in the life of musician Amir "Questlove" Thompson is like!

Watch what a day in the life of a musician is like.

Talk to the music teacher at your school about what you're interested in and ask if there's a band you can join. No music at your school? Find some friends and start a band on your own.

Day to Day

Join a band--or start your own!

Musicians

Play one or more musical instruments in recital, in accompaniment, or as members of an orchestra, band, or other musical group.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Second Interest High-Point

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

First Interest High-Point

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Musicians, Instrumental

Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers

Musicians and Singers

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers

Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.

Play musical instruments as soloists, or as members or guest artists of musical groups such as orchestras, ensembles, or bands.

Sight-read musical parts during rehearsals.

Audition for orchestras, bands, or other musical groups.

Provide the musical background for live shows, such as ballets, operas, musical theatre, and cabarets.

Transpose music to alternate keys, or to fit individual styles or purposes.

Promote their own or their group's music by participating in media interviews and other activities.

Make or participate in recordings in music studios.

Compose original music, such as popular songs, symphonies, or sonatas.

Practice musical instrument performances, individually or in rehearsal with other musicians, to master individual pieces of music or to maintain and improve skills.

Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and other social gatherings.

Listen to recordings to master pieces or to maintain and improve skills.

Arrange and edit music to fit style and purpose.

Accordions

Acoustic guitars

Alto horns

Alto saxophones

Amplifiers

Autoharps

Bagpipes

Banjoes

Baritone horns

Bassoons

Bb clarinets

Bongo drums

Bugles

Capos

Cellos

Clavichords

Clip-on microphones

Cymbal stands

Digital tuners

Double basses

Drum mallets

Dulcimers

Electronic metronomes

English horns

Euphoniums

Finger picks

French horns

Guitar stands

Handbells

Harps

Harpsichords

Instrument mutes

Instrument tuning forks

Kettle drums

Laptop computers

Mandolins

Maracas

Marching bells

Marimbas

Mellophones

Musical cornets

Musical flutes

Musical organs

Oboes

Orchestral cymbals

Personal computers

Pianos

Piccolos

Sheet music stands

Sousaphones

String cutters

String winders

Stringed instrument bows

Synthesizers

Tablet computers

Timpani

Trombones

Trumpets

Tubas

Vibraphones

Violas

Violins

Wooden drum sticks

Xylophones

Apple GarageBand

Appointment scheduling software

Avid Technology Pro Tools

Avid Technology Sibelius

Blogging software

Email software

Facebook

Financial tracking software

Instagram

iZotope Ozone

MakeMusic Finale

Microsoft Word

Snapchat

Twitter

Web browser software

YouTube

I got accepted to Julliard in New York, but because of my financial situation I couldn't afford to live in New York City.

Drummer

What do you wanna do with your life? You should be a lawyer, a doctor, an accountant, blah, blah, blah. [MUSIC] >> The road other people expect you to take in life is not necessarily the one that will make you happy. [MUSIC] Last summer, three groups of friends from the U.S., England and Canada went on a roadtrip across North America to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives. >> On the road, we spoke with inspirational people to find how how they found their way. This is Roadtrip Nation. [MUSIC] >> I've considered doing a lot of things in the last year and a half, some more seriously than others. But for example, I thought about going to journalism school, I thought about going to law school, I thought about going to film school. I thought about getting a master's degree in philosophy or some kind of liberal arts thing, and being a teacher. I thought about being a rabbi, or a religious educator. Going into business, getting an MBA. I mean those are the main ones but there are a couple more, probably. Having all those options out there is very exciting and very scary. It's an exciting possibility, knowing that I might be able to figure it out in the next 30 days. [MUSIC] >> Heading to Damon Dash's Rocawear headquarters. [MUSIC] >> I was ridiculous when I was young, I was crazy. I'm quite sure the people I went to high school with, in school, I was probably most unlikely to succeed, you know what I'm saying? I was such a clown and I was such a smart ass. Even when I was little, like ten, I used to always introduce myself as Damon Dash. Like I'm Damon Dash and they'd be like, and? I'd be like I'm just saying I'm Damon Dash. >> We want to talk to you about the period of time in your life when you maybe didn't know what you were going to be. >> I still don't know what I'm gonna be. All I knew, all my life, was that I was gonna be rich. That's all I knew. You know what I'm saying? I didn't know how I was gonna be rich. I didn't know how I was gonna make my money. I just knew that there were opportunities that would present themselves and that I would capitalize and that I never wanted to have a boss. And if I did have a boss, he'd have to be paying me money like I was the boss. >> How and when did you develop this- >> Entrepreneurial spirit? Hanging out in Harlem. We have this attitude in Harlem, you have to have this swagger, you have to have the best clothes, the best cars, the best girls, the best jewelry. And you have to make money to get those things, so everyone's always trying to get money. Like before, I used to hang out on a stoop, I used to hang out on the corner, this is my stoop now, I'm in an office, you know what I'm saying? I get paid for this, how could I knock this hustle? >> Can you talk a little bit more about the harder times, like growing up maybe? >> The hardest things that have ever happened to me have been the tragedies in my life. I don't necessarily think I went through anymore pain than anybody else did but I just know that when it hit, [BLEEP] hit hard. I've caught a couple of bricks. When you get obliterated, like when as a child, you loose your mother, and I lost my mother and I was obliterated but I was in pain and at that point, I became fearless. You know what I'm saying? I'm not scared of nothing, like what I was scared of already happened. At that time, really when my mother died, one of my things was, damn, I don't have the security I had. I always knew that if I didn't have money, my mother would take care of me, you know what I'm saying? So I was like, who's gonna take care of me now? So, actually, yeah, that might have been the moment I turned into a pure, I gotta get money. >> At what point in your career have you felt most successful, and why? >> I never really feel that successful. It's almost like the smarter you get, the dumber you know you are, you know what I'm saying? The minute I have success, I'm like damn but now, I'm around people that are having ridiculous amounts of success. >> You know you don't say your successful but from the outside people look at you as like a mogul and an icon for our generation, for your culture. You're sitting here on top of Manhattan, are there still things that you fear and doubts that you still have? >> No. >> Nothing, I mean even on a personal- >> There's no doubt in my mind that I'm gonna be a billionaire, I know it. It's just how long it's gonna take. I know I'm gonna have $1 billion when it's all said and done. >> If you were born with $1 million, just the day you were born, what would you do with your life? >> I probably wouldn't appreciate a lot of things. The reason why I have so much fun is cuz I went through, I saw so much. I know how it feels to not have a lot of money, I know how it feels to struggle. I know how it feels to just overall have a lack of something, so I appreciate it. >> It's like everything I got is just because I fought for it. I didn't go to school for none of this, you know what I'm saying? Not for music, not for fashion. I've directed movies, it's crazy to me. You know what I'm saying? I just did it. You know what I'm saying? School is great but if you don't know what you wanna be or if you do know what you wanna be, you have to go live it. You gotta go do it. The best school is experience, and you, to a degree, have to start from the- Despite who I am and what I got, every business I went to, I started from the ground up. And then overall, I just think I'm also better than everyone who's doing it. I don't want to undermine anything that anyone's done but to me, none of this is just brain surgery. If they could do it, I could do it. I can probably do it way better. The experiences that I have made me the man I am today. Those experiences are the things that I sell. To me, life now is a constant test. You test it every day to see if you're gonna do the right thing or the wrong thing and I know, for sure, what goes around always comes around. I believe in karma. I believe in do unto others as you want them to do unto you and that's exactly what happens. You lie to somebody, they're gonna lie to you. You steal from somebody, somebodies gonna steal from you. As it relates to business or just living, always be honest, no matter what. Just have good intent when you do things and good things will come to you. But then, as far as work and work ethic, you have to work hard. You know what I mean? Always work hard, don' t expect anybody to give you anything. You know what I mean? And if you believe in something 100%, like 100%, some people believe in things because they can make money because they wanna make a dollar. But that's not how you really make money. If you really believe in something, believe, believe in something, then fight for it. You know what I mean? Don't let anybody tell you any different. [MUSIC] >> Oh my God. Oh my God. >> I'm mind boggled. He pummeled us. >> We thought he was gonna give us five minutes. I don't know what Laura thought. >> I think I have a very different perspective than you guys because I didn't know very much about him. He doesn't need $1 billion, no one needs $1 billion, that's just money hungry. >> Despite all that, you don't know what he's been through, seeing people get shot in the head. He's had such a different life, so yeah, our morals clash, what we believe in certainly clash, because we didn't grow up like him. I grew up in Forest Hills, that guy grew up in Harlem, big difference. It's crazy how driven he was towards money. >> Crazy! >> Almost solely, that was it. >> Yeah. >> But at the same time, it was good to see someone just honest about it, finally, someone says I want money, I love money. >> I don't even necessarily want to get into it, cuz I think we all agree more or less on some of this stuff but I also think it's important to think about it, you have to feel the flash and know where it comes from [MUSIC] >> We're meeting with Raymond Kelly, he's the NYPD Commissioner down at police headquarters. That's 4:00, and- >> Where is that again? >> It's at One Police Plaza. >> This'll be a really interesting experience. [MUSIC] >> I'm the youngest of five For children born on the west side of Manhattan when the west side was not nearly what it is today. It was a dangerous place. It was kind of a Westside story environment, where ultimately when I was 13 we moved out of there to Queens, because it was so bad. But, my three older brothers were all in the US Marine Corps. And that was kinda something that by dint of just being in the family I kind of wanted to do that. The police department advertised for the first time for a police cadet program. The idea was to get college graduates into policing. So I joined the first police cadet class ever. And it became a very exciting, interesting job for me. I realized that I really loved being a cop. I loved the excitement, the action, the activity. There's something about having flow and going to a call, responding on the radio to something, somebody with a gun or whatever. I mean your heart pounds but it's exciting and it probably is not unlike the feeling that I had in the Marine Corp. Certain people are attracted to that sort of work and I guess I'm one of them. [MUSIC] A lot of people, believe it or not, don't think about it. They don't think about what makes them happy, what they wanna do. They do it because their father did it or because they had family do it or go into family business or they go to the family school. There comes a point and time ideally if you can sit back and say what do I wanna do and it's not about money. This is never about money. Anybody that I know that's made a decision based on money. Don't get me wrong. It's nice to have it, but it's just no longer that important in this society. It's always, I've got more than this guy and so what? There's always somebody who has more than you. I think, if you think about it and focus on it, you'll find something naturally, just the right thing for you. But there are certain things that you find attractive, comfortable doing, those things are where you're gonna be happiest. [MUSIC] >> I feel like this is the worst morning of my life. Sweat and gunk is pouring out of my body. There's no breeze, still air it's like being in a dessert in the middle of Manhattan. See, I'm at the point where I'm just gonna knock on someone's random condo or apartment. [MUSIC] >> We're living off a mobile home. Our shower is broken. We haven't showered for a couple of days. >> Do you wanna take a shower? Go to my place, take shower. >> You know the guy who designed those three glass buildings? >> Yes. >> We're interviewing him at 3 O'clock, we wanna hose off. [MUSIC] >> We just showered on the streets of Greenwich Village with ahose from a body shop, mechanic's shop. We're actually a block away from Richard Meier's swanky building who have made this afternoon. [MUSIC] >> When I was growing up my parents had a basement in their house and I had a drafting board where I would make drawings. And I made model boats and model airplanes. And I just liked making things. I decided that architecture was what I wanted to do. I wanted to make things, I wanted to build things, I wanted to contribute to society. I wanted to make the world a better place if that's possible in architecture, and then I went to architecture school and I never looked back. I always felt that's what I wanted to do and I feel very fortunate. And I began by designing exhibitions, and one thing led to another and so I don't know where the next job is coming from, but somewhere, somehow it appears. Architecture can in a sense allow us to see things that perhaps we wouldn't see without architecture, that it heightens our perspective and our perceptions. >> And then personally why do you think you're attracted to that? >> Oh, cuz it gives me pleasure. It's the same reason I paint or I make drawings or collages. It's sort of my view of the world no matter what it is. I think I strive for a certain sense of order, try to take a certain amount of chaos that is all around us, and give it a sense of order. And I think that buildings, as I said, can reach out and create more order in a city that desperately needs it. It just helps everybody. >> It seems like you've done so much to be proud of. What would have been the most thrilling things for you and professionally and personally? >> It's always the last thing that you finish that's the most satisfying. Right now we're working on a house in Palm Beach. I'm as excited about working on that house as I was on working on a house 30 years ago. The Getty is very important to me, it always will be. But it's the past, there's nothing I can do there anymore. So it's the really the things that are happening now that are the most exciting. The funny thing is that, you know, with all of the things that I've done I still worry you know what are we gonna do next week, next month. What happens in September when we finish I know what are the things we're doing, what am I gonna do then? So I guess you fear that, somehow, you won't have enough to do. >> If we're giving you a microphone to speak to our generation of people who are trying to figure it out what they wanna do with their passion, what kind of things would you say? >> Well first of all, there's no one way. There's so many things you can do, there's so many things you can do well, but you can't do them all. It's not so much what you do, it's how you do it and what your attitude is about it. I think that if people just decide, this is what gives them pleasure, that's what they should be doing. [MUSIC] Me and Questlove, the drummer for The Roots and that we just, sort of the last minute decision. On our way to Chicago, we're gonna wing it back to Philly, and meet up with him this morning. And then head out to Chicago, so it's kind of a last minute change, but we're pretty excited. And he's not just a drummer, he arranges a lot, plays a lot of instruments. Very talented and cool guy. [MUSIC] I don't know if anyone who's truly successful feels a sense of completion. I think it's just a constant mission to stay ahead. Always work. Never sleep. Cutthroat. More more more, more more more. I don't know if I'm just insatiable by nature, or not, but average day I do 18 to 20 hour days. A lot of it is also just due to the fact that I'm sorta like the hamster on a treadmill going 300 miles per hour. And if the treadmill is taken up at a tally of how many miles I've done, I've not stopped to say, okay, how many? Oh man, 4,000 miles. Okay, you know. Obviously this is further than I would imagine 17 years ago. I started drumming at the age of two. I got my first drum set when I was eight. I had to go downstairs and practice every day from like three to five hours. The year that Michael Jackson won all those Grammy's, I think in 83, Wyn Marsalis had also won and man, I'd to this day I wish we'd just turned the channel. The first thing Wynton Marsalis said is you know as I stand here I really Want to thank my father for making me practice eight hours a day. And my dad's like [SOUND] >> Oh my god. [LAUGH] >> And I knew that my father's plan for me was to be like a top session musician. And I didn't even mention a word of the Roots to my father until probably 1992. We literally played on the streets of Philadelphia, had a shoebox out there, oh my god, if someone put a 20 out, that was Donald Trump city. All we wanted was date money. We just wanted to take our girl to a movie theater and go to McDonald's afterwards. Literally, I swear that's all we wanted to do. Just during that whole period, I had those feelings of anxiety. I had those feelings of we're not gonna make it. I mean my father was hard on me. Around that point that was a crossroads for me because, I got accepted to Julliard up in New York, but because of my financial situation I couldn't afford to live in New York City and attend that school. And then we got a record deal. So when we started, we moved to Europe and stayed in two-star whore houses, flipping over, okay, you get the bed, you get the comforter, you get the pillow. That was the lesson that we had to learn for three years. And then, eventually the ray of light came in 1999. I just thank God that we had some sorta focus of what the end result, not what the end result should be, just that there's something else better than this. And that is what enabled us to rise above water level and not drown. I think at the end of the day I just wanna be recognized. I will be happy if we are just remembered in the history books. I feel as though we're very fortunate to have longevity. But I definitely treat it as though each year is like Russian roulette. [SOUND] Okay, one year goes by. [NOISE] Oh, damn, 2009. [NOISE] 2010. A lot of the reasons that prevented a record label from just pressing the button that will cause the guillotine to slice our heads off was the fact that these albums are in Time Magazines ten best records of the year whatever. Then it's like I would kill the Roots, but this album got Album of the Year in over 300 critics pools. This industry taught me how to be a chess player. And even my girlfriend rags me like two members of my group just recently had children in the last three weeks. And I'm thinking, man don't they know that June is one of the most crucial, lucrative times? I told both of them, if you two want to have children you need to consummate it in April. >> [LAUGH] >> That way, during the slow down period of December through February you can have your children, we won't be on the road. And that's just how I think. I think like a chess player. I gotta think 12 steps ahead. I think the true answer to life is proper planning. Everyone on my block that I grew up with was either dead or in jail by the time we all turned 21, none of them are around. Two people in particular. Two of the greatest thinking minds are both doing 25 to life. For just a tiny bit of inebriation and a little bit of pride in front of a female. That's why I always use the chess analogy. People always move in the heat of passion. I've learned that it's so much better to properly plan out your life. Proper planning is my answer. [MUSIC] Life on the road has given me a lot of time to reflect, which is crucial. It's focused more life just experience. I think that's a big thing. It's like, this is the first time where you actually can pour all of your energy into the experience itself. That's actually the goal. And I'm still figuring out what that feels like and I'm still figuring out even if I'm comfortable with that because I've never really lived like that before. [MUSIC] >> From Illinois we went down into Iowa. I know Iowa from Field of Dreams and Kevin Costner. That's it. So Iowa was pretty wacky and we're getting out west and I never been really west of Chicago my whole life. And driving out to Kansas, tornado town. It was cool. [MUSIC] You get a lot of thinking done on the open road just driving for hours and I kinda like it. [MUSIC] >> An open road is a empty road in some ways. It's a place where you don't know what's ahead of you. And you have the opportunity to go forward unhindered, and you have the opportunity to turn back if you desire. >> We've seen like the whole spectrum of American culture in the last few weeks, 20 states, the Atlantic to the Pacific. >> Be open to any opportunities that present itself and build yourself up into a sorta human being that eventually can make a real difference. >> When you have a gift, I think you just have a gift in something and you'll feel it. >> And if you think, oh, I might be interested in that but, oh, I'm not sure, just go and try it. >> Is to basically kinda find where your limit is and then that's your starting point. [MUSIC] >> For more information on Road Trip Nation, and to learn how you can hit the road, go to pbs.org. [MUSIC] 

<p>The Canadian team reaches New York City where they interview Damon Dash, hip hop mogul and entrepreneur. Next they interview Ray Kelly, NYPD police commissioner. The team also has the opportunity of meeting with Richard Meir, architect of the Getty museum. The team heads back to Philadelphia to interview Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson, drummer for The Roots.</p>

New York City - Philadelphia

I don't know if anyone who's truly successful feels a sense of completion. I think it's just a constant mission to stay ahead, always work, never sleep, cut throat more, more, more, more, more, more. I don't know if I'm just insatiable by nature or not, but average day I do 18 to 20 hour days. A lot of that is also just due to the fact that I'm sort of like a hamster on a treadmill, going 300 miles per hour, and if the treadmill is taking up a tally of how many miles I've done. I've not stopped to say, okay, how many? Oh man, 4,000 miles, okay just. I mean obviously, this is further than I would've imagined 17 years ago. I started drumming at the age of two, I got my first drum set when I was eight. I had to go downstairs and practice every day from like three to five hours. The year that Michael Jackson won all those Grammys, I think in 83, Wynton Marsalis had also won. And man, to this day I wish we'd just turned the channel. The first thing Wynton Marsalis says, as I stand here I really wanna thank my father for making me practice eight hours a day. And my dad's like [SOUND] >> [LAUGH] >> And I know that my father's plan for me was to be like a top session musician. And I didn't even mention a word of the Roots to my father until probably 1992. We literally played on the streets of Philadelphia, had a shoe box out there, oh my God if somebody put a 20 out that was Donald Trump city. All we wanted was date money. We just wanted to take our girl to the movie theater, and go to McDonald's afterwards. Literally, I swear, that's all we wanted to do. Just during that whole period, I had those feelings of anxiety. I had those feelings of, we're not gonna make it. I mean, my father was hard on me. Around that point, that was a crossroads for me because I got accepted to Julliard up in New York. But because of my financial situation I couldn't afford to live in New York City and attend that school. And then we got a record deal. So when we started, we moved to Europe and stayed in two star flipping over, [SOUND] okay, you get the bed, [SOUND] you get the comforter, [SOUND] you get the pillow. That was a lesson that we had to learn for three years and then, I mean eventually the ray of light came in 1999. Just thank God that we had some sort of focus of what the end result, not what the end result should be, just that there's something else better than this. And that is what enabled us to rise above water level and not drown. I think at the end of the day I just wanna be recognized. I will be happy if we are just remembered in the history books. I feel as though we're very fortunate to have longevity but I definitely treat it as though each year is like Russian roulette. Oh [SOUND]. Okay one year goes by. Oh damn, 2009, 2010. A lot of the reasons that prevented a record label from just pressing the button that would cause the guillotine to slice our heads off, was the fact that these albums are in Time Magazine's ten best records of the year, or whatever. Then I was like whoa. We killed The Roots but this album got Album of the Year and over 300 critics polls. This industry taught me how to be a chess player, and even my girlfriend rags me. Like two members of my group just recently had children in the last three weeks and I'm thinking like man, don't they know that June is like one of the most crucial lucrative times? Like I told both of them, like if you two wanna have children, you need to consummate it in April. >> [LAUGH] >> That way during the slow down period of December through February, you can have your children. We won't be on the road, and that's just how I think. Like I think like a chess player, I gotta think 12 steps ahead. I think the true answer to life is proper planning. Everyone on my block that I grew up with, was either dead or in jail by the time we all turned 21. None of them are around. Two people in particular, two of the greatest thinking minds are both doing, like, 25 to life with just a tiny bit of inebriation and a little bit of pride in front of a female. That's why I always use the chess analogy. People always move in the heat of passion. I've learned, that it's so much better to properly plan out your life. Proper planning is my answer. 

Chance

Dedication

Doubt

Fulfillment

Goals

Hard Work

Passion

Planning

Pressure

Success

Interview

I started drumming at the age of two. I got my first drumset when I was, ah, I was eight. And I knew that my father's plan for me was to be ah, like, a top session musician. And I didn't even mention a word of The Roots to my father until probably 1992. We literally played on the streets of Philadelphia, had a shoebox out there. Just during that whole period, I had those feelings of anxiety. I had those feelings of, you know, "We not going "to make it." I mean, my father was hard on me. I mean, eventually, the ray of light came in 1999. Just thank God that we, we had some sort of focus of what the end result... not what the end result should be, just that there's something else better than this. And that is what enabled us to rise above water level. And not drown. 

Focus

Ahmir Questlove Thompson Highlight

I think at the end of the day I just wanna be recognized. I will be happy if we are just remembered in the history books. I feel as though we´re very fortunate to have longevity, but I definitely treat it as though each year is like Russian roulette. [SOUND] Oh, whew. Okay, one year goes by. [SOUND] Oh there, 2009. [SOUND] 2010. A lot of the reasons that prevented a record label from just pressing the button that will cause the guillotine to slice our heads off was the fact that these albums are in Time Magazine's ten best records of the year or whatever. 

Opportunity

Risk

Russian Roulette

This industry taught me how to be a chess player. And even my girlfriend rags me. Two members of my group just recently had children in the last three weeks. And I'm thinking, don't they know that June is one of the most crucial. >> [LAUGH] >> Lucrative, crucial lucrative times. Like, I told both of them, if you two want to have children. You need to consummate it in April. >> [LAUGH] >> That way, during the slow down period of December through February, you can have your children. We won't be on the road. And that's just how I think. Like, I think like a chess player. I gotta think 12 steps ahead. I think that the true answer to life Is proper planning. Everyone on my block that I grew up with was either dead or in jail by the time we all turned 21, none of them are around. Two people in particular, two of the greatest thinking minds are both doing 25 to life for just a tiny bit of inebriation. And a little bit of pride in front of a female. That's why I always use the chess analogy. People always move in the heat of passion. I've learned that it's so much better to properly plan out your life. Proper planning is my answer. 

Choices

Values

Chess

Artistically, I'm satisfied. But once again, this is a very nasty double standard industry. I would like to think that we are slowly entering our prestige artist phase. But the thing that you have to understand about, Black music art form, is that pretty much, It's a very disposable art form in the eyes of executives. And if you're artistic, you might survive, you might not survive. So I do think of it in terms of art. I don't want you to think I'm just ice-cold, all about business and what's selling, da-da-da-da. But you're very much aware of it, like a white elephant in a room that you don't wanna acknowledge. I'll put it that way. 

Money & Financial Security

Art and Business

No one has all the tools and the resources to make something happen. And I don't think that's a pessimistic thing or whatever. I am perfectly cool with the fact that I'm not gonna release an album that is going to sell diamond records. I'm cool with the fact that, for the 84th week by on TRL, the new single by The Roots. I'm so cool with that fact. And once you're actually cool with the truth, I mean, there's a lot of people that in life are just, they're disillusioned. And they're absolutely just tunnel vision. This has gotta happen, and they're determined. I mean, determination's cool, but I also believe in actual reality. And reality says, okay, this is what you're working with, now how can you maximize on this? 

Societal Pressures

Cool with the Truth

Success is just stopping your job for 15 years and still being cool with it. &gt;&gt; Wait, can I just follow up? &gt;&gt; Yeah, yeah. &gt;&gt; I would want to know what you'd do in those 15 years if you had them. &gt;&gt; I'd go crazy. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; Somehow my tour manager forces me to, She'll sorta manipulate and trick me into taking off days. Yeah, she'll do something like okay, so we have a four day gig in Palm Springs. I'm like, really? And then I get there, it's cancelled, just enjoy it. I'm like, I'm just such a workhorse that I don't even know, I don't feel comfortable when I'm not working. 

I mean, above all, I mean, my personal motivation is critical acclaim. And I honestly, I probably think that it is critical acclaim because that ties into my survival. A lot of the reasons that caused or prevented a record label from just pressing the button that would cause the guillotine to slice our heads off. Was the fact that these albums are in Time Magazine's ten best records of the year, or whatever. Then it's like, well, I would kill The Roots, but this album got album of the year in over 300 critic's polls. So maybe survival is my only [LAUGH] motivating factor, God, I'm pathetic. 

Ahmir Questlove Thompson

Drummer

Videos

Ahmir Questlove Thompson

Milestones

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Art

Music

Being Creative

Hurdles

Challenges I Overcame

Financial

Interviewed By

Uncertain, Undeterred