Questlove is pulling back the curtain on a deeply personal subject.
During a recent episode of The Questlove Show, the legendary Roots drummer and producer opened up about his on-going apprehension about fatherhood. In a candid conversation with rapper Open Mike Eagle, Questlove admitted that parenthood has long been one of his biggest life anxieties, which has held him back on the decision for decades.
“One of the biggest fears I have in life is becoming a father,” Questlove confessed. He revealed that throughout his 30s and 40s, he kept telling himself, not yet.
“Alright, when I’m 33, I’m ready. All right, I’m 36. And all it takes is just like a day with one of Roots ‘kids for me to be like, Nope, I’m good. I’m good. I’ll wait till I’m 41. All right, 45. I’ll wait ’til then. And it’s time to shit or get off the pot.”
Questlove also questioned whether anyone is ever truly “ready” to have children. Speaking to Open Mike Eagle, who is the father of a 16-year-old son, the Academy award winner admitted he once believed he needed to reach certain financial milestones and complete major projects before he could even consider fatherhood.
Questlove has already made meaningful contributions to children’s culture, despite not being a father. He’s authored children’s books like The Idea In You and the graphic novel The Rhythm of Time.