Questlove Reveals Personal Inspiration Behind New Young Adult Book: ‘I Want Black Nerds to See Themselves As Well’

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Questlove has a new book in stores this week, and the drummer and producer says he wanted it to be something his younger self would be proud of.

That’s the inspiration behind The Rhythm of Time, the drummer and producer’s new young adult book, which tells the story of a music-obsessed kid from Philly who travels back in the time to the Nineties.

Released on April 18, the book has already hit number one on Amazon’s best-sellers list, under the “Children’s Action and Adventure Books” category.

Buy The Rhythm of Time $16.12

In a recent interview on The View, Questlove says he dedicated the book to his 9-year-old self, who had a love for reading but never saw himself represented in the books that were available to him. Referring to himself as an “alt Black kid” who never fit in with the fashion stylings or lingo of the day, Questlove says his motivation for writing the book was simple: “I want Black nerds to see themselves as well.”

The Rhythm of Time tells the story of seventh-grader Rahim Reynolds and his friend Kasia Collins, who spend their time building and testing seemingly crazy gadgets. But Rahim suddenly gets transported back to 1997 when he gets his hands on one of Kasia’s special cell phones. He must find a way to get back to the present, while dodging some nefarious obstacles in his way.

While the book isn’t autobiographical, Questlove says he drew from his own upbringing in Philadelphia for the time travel thriller. The Grammy-winning artist teamed up with New York Times bestselling author S. A. Cosby on The Rhythm of Time, which is the sixth book Questlove has written, joining releases like his 2015 memoir Mo’ Meta Blues and a collaborative cookbook he put out in 2016.

As publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books writes in the book description, The Rhythm of Time is “a high-velocity tale where two best friends discover that sometimes the best beat is the one that brings you back home.”

Questlove’s new children’s book is recommended for ages 10 and up. The 260-page novel is available now on hardcover for $16. You can also get it on Kindle and on audiobook (listen to it free with a 30-day free trial to Audible here).