‘SLY LIVES!' asks: What is the burden of Black genius?
As Questlove parades a litany of famous songwriters, producers, and musicians before us in the film's opening montage, we get a brief primer on why his subject was so integral to music. 'It can't be overstated how massively popular they were,' we're told of the band. Stone was also the first songwriter to use a drum machine in a hit song, 'Family Affair.' He wrote music that was classified as R&B, soul, psychedelic, funk, and rock. Sometimes a song was all of those genres at once.
You probably know the band's hits, either in their original form or as samples for too many rap songs to mention. LL Cool J famously opens 'I'm Gonna Knock You Out' with a Sly & the Family Stone sample. 'Everyday People,' 'Stand,' and 'Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)' became beloved anthems. The
Advertisement
Without Sly & the Family Stone, there would be no Prince and the Revolution, a notion seconded by fellow Minnesotans and Prince protégés Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. You can hear Stone's influence in Prince's music, plus both men played multiple instruments and wrote all their songs.
Jam and Lewis are just two of the many talking heads the film interviews. Members of Sly & the Family Stone are also interviewed, looking much older than they do in the bounty of clips from nearly 60 years ago. The band members speak highly of their leader but also truthfully. Their tone is a mixture of love, exasperation, pain, and joy.
Advertisement
Director Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and producer Joseph Patel. 'SLY LIVES! (a.k.a. The Burden of Black Genius)' examines the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone.
Disney/Kelsey McNeal
In addition to sounding great, 'SLY LIVES!' is superbly edited by Joshua L. Pearson. When you have a fellow musician and mix master like Questlove at the helm, every clip is perfectly selected; every song and sample feels part of a bigger thematic whole.
Additionally, since this is a film by someone who understands how to make music, we get more than just platitudes. People like Chic's Nile Rodgers discuss how songs are crafted, and the unusual ways Stone incorporated instruments and hooks into his compositions.
But all is not sunshine and flowers and hippies writhing around at Woodstock (where Sly & the Family Stone played). This is a darker film than 'Summer of Soul,' one that quickly puts us on notice. After that exhilarating and complementary montage introduces the film, Questlove presents archival footage of Sly Stone being interviewed — and it's like a kick in the gut.
With the camera pointed at Stone, his interviewer says, 'There are guys and girls all over this country trying to get to the top, and you get there.
And you blow it
.' Immediately, you see the joy leave Stone's face. It's brutal, but it's also not untrue. Stone's own demons eventually led to drugs, run-ins with the law, and the demise of the band.
If you were around for Sly & the Family Stone's
Advertisement
So what happened? Questlove has a theory that's summed up in his title's parenthetical aside. He presents this theory to his interview subjects. 'For Black artists in America, success can be more frightening than failure,' he says. 'The world's watching you … and I think that Sly was kind of the first Black artist to go through that publicly.'
'A burden came with his genius.'
From there, 'SLY LIVES!' becomes an exploration of what 'Black genius' is, and why it may be a double-edged sword. And it's here where the film slightly disappoints — because we never get a definitive answer. Everyone has difficulty pinpointing the exact definition. I don't think I was expecting a conclusive argument, to be honest, but the creative part of me held out hope that I'd get one. Blackness forces your skillset to be held up as an example, whether you want it or not. We are not a monolith, but damn if we're not often judged as one.
Perhaps Andre 3000 sums it up best when he basically says we'll know Black genius when we see it. 'SLY LIVES!' not only lets you see that genius, it also lets you hear it in the music of Sly & the Family Stone. And since this movie is streaming on Hulu, you can sing along and dance with impunity from the privacy of your own home.
★★★½
SLY LIVES!
Directed by Questlove. On Hulu starting Thursday. 110 minutes. Unrated (profanity)
Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
'SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen...50 Years of Music' Now Open at The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Featuring Performance by SNL Veteran Fred Armisen Hero Image CLEVELAND, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHO: 11-season veteran of Saturday Night Live, comedian, writer, producer, and musician, Fred Armisen; all 1,900 musical guests' performances from SNL's 50-year history WHAT: The official opening of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Saturday Night Live's 50th Anniversary exhibit, 'SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of Music' with a special performance by 11-season veteran of Saturday Night Live, Fred Armisen, from the PNC Stage to help celebrate the new groundbreaking exhibit, which honors 50 years of musical guests and musical sketches on Saturday Night Live. With over 150 RRHOF Inductees who have appeared on the show, the RRHOF is the only place on the planet where fans can view the 1,900 musical guest performances, including some never-before-seen dress rehearsal the evening included special activations throughout the Museum including the premiere of the exclusive edit of the critically acclaimed documentary 'Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music' directed by Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson showing in the Foster Theater, with artifact presentations by the Rock Hall Library & Archives and Curatorial Teams, special Saturday Night Live-themed trivia, visitor photo ops, and a jam session with the Rock Hall house band in the Garage featuring songs made famous on information about the exhibit can be found at can plan their visit to see the exhibit by visiting and as always, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is free to all city of Cleveland residents through the CLE VIP program sponsored by Key Bank. WHEN: June 14, 2025, from 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. WHERE: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame1100 Rock N Roll BlvdCleveland, OH 44114 MEDIA ASSETS (IMAGES/BROLL): Credit: Courtesy of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame**except where otherwise noted MORE INFORMATION: CONTACT/RSVP:J.R. Johnson / Kelly SchikowskiFTM@ Photos accompanying this announcement are available at in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
Paramount's ‘South Park' streaming deal is in limbo as Skydance merger drags on
LOS ANGELES — Media giant Paramount Global is trying to avoid a streaming future without Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny. As Paramount struggles to complete a key merger, the company is in the midst of a protracted negotiation to extend one of its biggest and most important franchises: the long-running, foulmouthed cartoon 'South Park.' Paramount's $900 million overall deal with 'South Park' creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker doesn't expire for another two years. New episodes run first on Paramount's basic cable network Comedy Central. But efforts to renew that venture and bring the show to the Paramount+ streaming service have hit a major snag, according to three people familiar with the discussions who were not authorized to speak publicly. The situation highlights deep tensions and disagreements as a trio of executives try to manage Paramount until the company's sale to David Ellison's Skydance Media, which has the right to approve or deny large deals such as the 'South Park' pact under covenants made with Paramount. Paramount leaders are desperate to lock down 'South Park' streaming rights in the U.S. and abroad. They've long been frustrated by a licensing arrangement made six years ago by the previous regime that sent the show to rival HBO Max, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. That deal expires this month. 'South Park' is one of Paramount's most important series. Along with 'The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,' the four boys and their celebrity-skewering ways put Comedy Central on the map for basic cable viewers, taking on hot-button issues including Scientology, the War on Terror, the royal family and the Trump administration. During a May earnings call, Paramount co-Chief Executive Chris McCarthy — who runs Paramount's media networks as well as Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios — told investors that 'South Park' episodes would begin streaming on Paramount+ in July. However, Paramount hasn't nailed down the streaming rights to 'South Park,' according to the three people familiar with the conversations. Since earlier this year, Paramount has made at least one offer to Parker and Stone as an early extension of their overall deal. The company also wants to secure rights to stream the 333 episodes of 'South Park' on Paramount+. Some of the knowledgeable people expect 'South Park' distribution fees to be valued at more than $200 million a year. But Skydance hasn't signed off, believing the deals to be too rich, according to the sources. Paramount executives believe the show is worth the big bucks, given the show's enduring popularity and legacy. Representatives for Paramount and Skydance declined to comment. Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel, whose firm WME represents Parker and Stone, defended Paramount and Skydance's handling of the situation on Friday by phone. 'Nobody has rejected anything. They are just doing their analysis,' Emanuel told The Times in a brief interview. 'We've got offers from other distributors. Everybody wants this show.' Skydance's $8 billion takeover of Paramount has been in a holding pattern for months as the two companies wait for federal regulators' approval. Skydance, backed by tech mogul Larry Ellison and RedBird Capital Partners, is eager to take over the storied media company. They intend to bring increased financial rigor to Paramount's operations, other sources have said. Paramount and Skydance have told Wall Street the deal will bring $2 billion in cost savings, with half of that coming in the first year. Deadlines are looming. The new season, the program's 27th, is scheduled to debut July 9 on Comedy Central. Unless Paramount strikes a deal with the creators by June 23, the company risks losing the franchise's streaming rights because Parker and Stone could shop the show to other interested streamers, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Hulu. However, sources cautioned that negotiations could go past the June deadline and that the parties expect a deal to get done. Represented by their longtime attorney Kevin Morris, who is leading the current negotiations, the duo carved out the internet rights nearly two decades ago. They formed a joint venture with Paramount (then known as Viacom) called South Park Digital Studios. That decision proved highly lucrative for Parker and Stone, also known for the hit Broadway musical 'The Book of Mormon.' Paramount runs the joint venture with Stone and Parker, sharing control of the streaming rights to the show that launched in 1997 on Comedy Central, although the duo can veto streaming deals they find unfavorable. Companies are typically not supposed to wade too deeply into another firm's affairs. Federal antitrust laws prohibit so-called gun-jumping, when an acquiring company begins calling the shots before a deal's official closure. But Paramount agreed to accept Skydance's input on big-ticket expenditures while the two sides wait for the deal to close. The 'South Park' streaming rights negotiations also have been complicated by a lawsuit brought two years ago by Warner Bros. Discovery. That company accused Paramount of violating terms of its 2019 licensing pact for 'South Park,' after Warner paid about $540 million for the show's streaming rights. Paramount and the 'South Park' creators developed specials featuring the four animated boys in a fictional Colorado mountain town to stream exclusively on Paramount+. Warner argued the move violated its licensing deal. HBO Max declined to comment. Two years after the HBO Max deal, Paramount struck a new accord with Parker and Stone for $900 million, sealing their partnership and ensuring new episodes of 'South Park' would be made. That deal runs to 2027, although Paramount executives have offered to extend that arrangement for several years. Paramount has long intended to shift the show to Paramount+ as soon as the HBO Max deal expires. The various parties have long envisioned a scenario where domestic and international rights would be shared by at least two different streaming services. Although neither partner would have exclusive rights, the current trend in television is for studios to maximize revenue to help pay for expensive programs, like 'South Park,' while maintaining some streaming rights. Paramount also has been dealing with another crisis that has been complicated by the Skydance merger. The company has sought to settle President Donald Trump's $20 billion lawsuit claiming subsidiary CBS News deceptively edited a '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, an allegation CBS denies. Trump's case hasn't been resolved, and the Federal Communications Commission has been slow to review Skydance's proposed takeover of Paramount, extending the deal review. The Skydance transaction has been pending at the FCC since last fall, leaving Paramount executives in limbo. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Paramount's 'South Park' streaming deal is in limbo as Skydance merger drags on
Media giant Paramount Global is trying to avoid a streaming future without Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny. As Paramount struggles to complete a key merger, the company is in the midst of a protracted negotiation to extend one of its biggest and most important franchises: the long-running foulmouthed cartoon "South Park." Paramount's $900-million overall deal with "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker doesn't expire for another two years. New episodes run first on Paramount's basic cable network Comedy Central. But efforts to renew that venture and bring the show to the Paramount+ streaming service have hit a major snag, according to three people familiar with the discussions who were not authorized to speak publicly. The situation highlights deep tensions and disagreements as a trio of executives try to manage Paramount until the company's sale to David Ellison's Skydance Media, which has the right to approve or deny large deals such as the "South Park" pact under covenants made with Paramount. Paramount leaders are desperate to lock down "South Park's" streaming rights in the U.S. and abroad. They've long been frustrated by a licensing arrangement made six years ago by the previous regime that sent "South Park" to rival HBO Max, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. That deal expires this month. "South Park" is one of Paramount's most important shows. Along with "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," the four boys and their celebrity-skewering ways put Comedy Central on the map for basic cable viewers, taking on hot-button issues from Scientology and the War on Terror to the royal family and the Trump administration. During a May earnings call, Paramount co-Chief Executive Chris McCarthy — who runs Paramount's media networks as well as Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios — told investors that "South Park" episodes would begin streaming on Paramount+ in July. However, Paramount hasn't nailed down the streaming rights to "South Park," according to the three people familiar with the conversations. Since earlier this year, Paramount has made at least one offer to Parker and Stone as an early extension of their overall deal. The company also wants to secure rights to stream the 333 episodes of "South Park" on Paramount+. Some of the knowledgeable people expect "South Park" distribution fees to be valued at more than $200 million a year. But Skydance hasn't signed off, believing the deals to be too rich, according to the sources. Paramount executives believe the show is worth the big bucks, given the show's enduring popularity and legacy. Representatives for Paramount and Skydance declined to comment. Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel, whose firm WME represents Parker and Stone, defended Paramount and Skydance's handling of the situation on Friday by phone. "Nobody has rejected anything. They are just doing their analysis," Emanuel told The Times in a brief interview. "We've got offers from other distributors. Everybody wants this show." Skydance's $8-billion takeover of Paramount has been in a holding pattern for months as the two companies wait for federal regulators' approval. Skydance, backed by tech mogul Larry Ellison and RedBird Capital Partners, is eager to take over the storied media company. They intend to bring increased financial rigor to Paramount's operations, other sources have said. Paramount and Skydance have told Wall Street the deal will bring $2 billion in cost savings, with half of that coming in the first year. Deadlines are looming. The new season, the program's 27th, is scheduled to debut July 9 on Comedy Central. Unless Paramount strikes a deal with the creators by June 23, the company risks losing the franchise's streaming rights because Parker and Stone could shop the show to other interested streamers, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Hulu. However, sources cautioned that negotiations could go past the June deadline and that the parties expect a deal to get done. Read more: Oh my God, they sued Kenny! HBO Max and Paramount's battle for 'South Park' Represented by their longtime attorney Kevin Morris, who is leading the current negotiations, the duo carved out the internet rights nearly two decades ago. They formed a joint venture with Paramount (then known as Viacom) called South Park Digital Studios. That decision proved highly lucrative for Parker and Stone, also known for the hit Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon." Paramount runs the joint venture with Stone and Parker, sharing control of the streaming rights to the show that launched in 1997 on Comedy Central, although the duo can veto streaming deals they find unfavorable. Companies are typically not supposed to wade too deeply into another firm's affairs. Federal antitrust laws prohibit so-called gun-jumping, when an acquiring company begins calling the shots before a deal's official closure. But Paramount agreed to accept Skydance's input on big-ticket expenditures while the two sides wait for the deal to close. The "South Park" streaming rights negotiations also have been complicated by a lawsuit brought two years ago by Warner Bros. Discovery. That company accused Paramount of violating terms of its 2019 licensing pact for "South Park," after Warner paid about $540 million for the show's streaming rights. Paramount and the "South Park" creators developed specials featuring the four animated boys in a fictional Colorado mountain town to stream exclusively on Paramount+. Warner argued the move violated its licensing deal. HBO Max declined to comment. Two years after the HBO Max deal, Paramount struck a new accord with Parker and Stone for $900 million, sealing their partnership and ensuring new episodes of "South Park" would be made. That deal runs to 2027, although Paramount executives have offered to extend that arrangement for several years. Paramount has long intended to shift the show to Paramount+ as soon as the HBO Max deal expires. The various parties have long envisioned a scenario where domestic and international rights would be shared by at least two different streaming services. Although neither partner would have exclusive rights, the current trend in television is for studios to maximize revenue to help pay for expensive programs, like "South Park," while maintaining some streaming rights. Read more: Wide Shot: 'South Park' at 25; how to lose billions in streaming Paramount also has been dealing with another crisis that has been complicated by the Skydance merger. The company has sought to settle President Trump's $20-billion lawsuit claiming subsidiary CBS News deceptively edited a "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, an allegation CBS denies. Trump's case hasn't been resolved, and the Federal Communications Commission has been slow to review Skydance's proposed takeover of Paramount, extending the deal review. The Skydance transaction has been pending at the FCC since last fall, leaving Paramount executives in limbo. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
