Review: Questlove’s new documentary, Sly Lives! is terrific, smart, and stylish

Questlove ’s new documentary, Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius ), begins streaming on Hulu this Friday .

In the late 1960s and early ’70s , Sly and his band, the Family Stone , effectively ruled over American popular music.

The film offers a lively if fairly conventional gloss on its subject's rise to prominence.

The documentary features interviews with legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis .

The subtitle of the film has sat with me as both evocative and elusive, right down to the word “Black” being crossed out: the burden of genius.

Some of the most striking insights come from Questlove ’s longtime collaborator D’Angelo , an artist whose musical gifts, tumultuous personal and professional history, and penchant for reclusiveness bear at least a passing resemblance to Sly.