Questlove has dedicated his lengthy and highly-decorated career to uplifting Black people. He’s launched his new publishing imprint Auwa Books. He’s organized the 50th anniversary of hip hop tribute at this year’s Grammy Awards. He’s made public archival footage of the Harlem Cultural Festival for his Oscar Award-winning, documentary Summer Of Soul. He’s spoken out against the erasure of African-American studies in Florida schools. He’s done it all. Yet despite all of his accomplishments, still, to some, all Black people look alike.
After “Because I Got High” musician Afroman was sued by several Ohio police officers because he used footage of their botched raid of his home, Questlove took to Instagram for an epic storytime. Long story short, back in 2003, Questlove got mistaken for Afroman and was chased through London by fans of the musician.
In the post shared to Instagram, Questlove writes, “Man. The one time in my life I got chased in a city unprepared ‘Speed Demon’ video style was when I had a day off in London. I thought I’d hang around the old neighborhood and go record shopping. I had zero clue that ‘Because I Got High’ was a massive hit in Europe.”
When spotted by, as he put it, “[t]hree drunk dudes,” shouting, “Oh sh*t Afroman! ‘because I got high,’” things quickly escalated. Questlove continued, “[It] started with three dudes, and then they got belligerent, and now the site of me speed walking only confirms their drunken notions. Now it’s 4….soon 7. Now, I’m crossing the street, almost getting hit cause I forget the traffic goes the opposite way. Now it’s a mob of 11 yelling and singing ‘Because I Got High.’”
Questlove confesses the experience “[w]as more annoying than dangerous.” Still, he’s “Slightly irked that I know to this day those mofos for the last 20 years have been the life of the party giving their version of spotting a one-hit wonder who refused to show his gratitude when they acknowledged him.”
Source: https://uproxx.com/music/questlove-mistaken-for-afroman-london/