For decades, Sly had been one of music’s great cautionary tales. In the late 1960s and early ’70s, Sly and his band, the Family Stone, effectively ruled over American popular music, but by the middle part of the 1970s,

"His eyes reveal a precociousness and a lucidity that's there, but his motor function doesn't exist," Joseph Patel said of Family Stone legend

The new documentary “Sly Lives, aka the Burden of Black Genius,” which focuses on the life and career of the brilliant but troubled musician Sly Stone and his group Sly and the Family Stone, is both a conventional documentary and an extremely unconventional one.

In a fascinating new documentary on Hulu, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson turns the enduring myth of Sly Stone into a very human story.

In his sophomore documentary with Onyx Collective, "Sly Lives! The Burden of Black Genius," Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson unpacks the weights of success, artistry, and legacy for Black entertainers.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson Elvis at last month’s Sundance Film Festival to share what Black genius means to him… and to tease his next project(!).

What is Black genius?” It’s a slightly sideways question that results in some blank looks, but the filmmaker’s point is this: The bar for Black artists is so high that only a genius can clear it. What’s more,

Questlove’s new documentary aims to dissect the forward-looking brilliance of Sly Stone and his band, but mostly it traces their downward arc.

His extraordinary musical gifts were apparent early on. After a teaser opening that poses one of the film’s central questions – “What is Black genius?” – Questlove runs through those early years in which Sly’s interest in all types of music becomes clear.