Drummer/producer Ahmir Thompson a.k.a ?uestlove is a living link between the digital science of modern hip-hop and the flesh-and-blood textures of vintage R & B. He co-founded The Roots, universally hailed as one of the most sonically inventive hip-hop acts. Meanwhile, his collaborations with such artists as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Common have reasserted the importance of real-time playing in a style dominated by sampling and programming.