Sly Lives! (2025)

Questlove delivers a soul-deep documentary on the legendary frontman of Sly and the Family Stone. The film celebrates how the band’s trailblazing mix of race, gender, and sound birthed a new era in music, fusing funk, soul, rock, and psychedelia with lyrics that didn’t just vibe... they sparked movements. Tracks like “Everyday People” and “Stand!” became anthems of unity and social change, gripping the hearts of a generation during the late ’60s and ’70s.

But beyond the music, this film asks a hard, necessary question: Is there a burden that comes with Black genius?

For Sly, success came with the weight of being a cultural symbol—a pressure that may have played a part in his descent into addiction and isolation.

Featuring voices like D’Angelo, André 3000, and Chaka Khan, as well as Sly’s family and former bandmates, the doc gives us more than nostalgia. It offers an unflinching look at the cost of brilliance, the spiritual exhaustion of representation, and the inner worlds of Black artists constantly asked to carry the culture. This isn’t just about music—it’s a mirror, a memory, and a message.