New ?uest for Roots Drummer

Photography has become a passion for Roots drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson. He started shooting in 2002, and on the day of his Paste interview was just about to lay hands on a “really awesome” new 12-megapixel Canon. Partly because he loathes posed shots (and partly because he has proximity to image-conscious pop stars), he’s taken to holding his camera at waist-level, snapping candid images of other musicians. Above is Thompson’s portrait of singer/songwriter Cody Chesnutt, who contributed to “The Seed (2.0),” a crossover single from The Roots’ Phrenology album. “That’s [from] the very first time we ever played Bonnaroo,” Thompson says, “and that was Cody’s first time playing with us. He does this thing where he goes outside and sings at the top of his lungs to warm up. So I kind of caught him in the heat of the moment. I think he was watching The String Cheese Incident on the other stage.” Thompson has also captured images of Meg White, Rick Rubin and others. To see these pics—and to hear him discuss the stories behind the photos—click here.