Questlove is a hip-hop legend. Michelle Obama recognized this concrete fact, and she decided to have The Roots member bless her book tour with a curated playlist. According to Billboard, Mrs. Obama asked Questlove to create her The Michelle Obama Musiaqualogy playlist, which is split into three parts on Spotify and Pandora. "Like a lot of people, I connect many of my memories with the songs and melodies I was listening to at the time," the former First Lady told Billboard. "That's why I'm so thankful to Questlove for curating these playlists and infusing them with his signature style. Life's a little better when we live it to Questlove's beat."
The playlist spans several decades, and includes music from Prince, Earth, Wind & Fire, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monáe, Erykah Badu, Sam Cooke, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, George Benson, Jill Scott, D'Angelo, and more. The first volume of The Michelle Obama Musiaqualogy spans 1964-1979. Volume two embraces 1980-1997. Lastly, Volume three compasses 1997-2018. Volumes one and two are designed to be played in order, while the last entry is meant to be played in shuffle mode. Mrs. Obama has also announced that she will make a special appearance on Questlove’s Questlove Supreme podcast on Pandora. Check out all three volumes below.