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As "Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)" (2025 release; 112 min) opens, talking heads are gushing about how revolutionary Sly & the Family Stone was (multi-racial! Multi-gendered! Irresistible music!). The film's director then asks prominent Black artists what they think about the burden of Black genius. We then go to "San Francisco 1964", where Sly is a well-known and beloved DJ. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the second documentary from musician Questlove, whose first documentary "Summer pf Love" won the Oscar for best documentary. Here the Roots drummer assesses the life and times of Sly Stone, who in the late 60s shot out of nowhere like a comet to the very top of the music world and stayed there for a couple of years, only then to fade away rather quickly. (Sly & the Family Stone also feature prominently in the "Summer of Soul" documentary.) One of THE highlights for me was to see how the song "Everyday People" evolved from a slow and quiet song in its early stages to the exuberant iconic singalong as we all know it now. The film features tons of obscure footage, as well as plenty of comments from various talking heads (including Sly's 3 children and several of his ex-es). For a couple of years, Sly & the Family Stone ruled the airwaves and the concert scene. As the movie makes clear, with Sly & the Family Stone, there likely would not be Prince & the Revolution. And without "Thank You", there would be no Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation". And that's just 2 examples how influential Sly has been. If you have seen "Summer of Soul", one of the finest music documentaries I have ever seen, beware that "Sly Lives!" is quite good, but not the truly gold standard that was/is "Summer of Soul".

"Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius) premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to immediate acclaim. It started streaming on Hulu just last week, and I watched it the other night. This is currently rated 80% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, a tad too generous in my book. All that aside, if you are a fan of Sly Stone, or liked "Summer of Soul", I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusions.

This fascinating look into the musical career of Sly Stone. The genius gets overused, but it should be applied to Stone, a DJ, arranger, producer, songwriter, and performer. His Family Stone is one of the few projects that was wildly inventive and insanely catchy. And the reification of a specific social ideal of unity that transcended pablum. Yet, the pressure of success, the increasing availability of drugs, and the special burden placed on Black artists (too successful - you're not legit, not successful enough - you out) led to Sly becoming a parody of himself. While the film doesn't shy away from the downside, there is more disturbing material that could have been included. Those stories have been told, and it is time to focus on a particular moment in music history that was defined by Sly.

Follows a very standard bio-doc template... rise-fall-redemption. But I really liked the thread of black genius and the pressure placed on America's very best black performers. Most of the archival interview footage with Sly Stone was really compelling. He has a very good way of expressing himself meaningfully without capitulating to the awful questions people asked him. Right at the midpoint of the film, around the time when Sly Stone's run of genius albums is about to take a darker, inward turn, there is an interview clip of Dick Cavett interviewing Stone, with Cavett being a total, well, dick. Sly's response properly shames Cavett... and all us as well.

This is fine and will do the job as placeholder. It's in the standard format of blending clips, stills, archive footage, with contamporaries being interviewed, to take us through a famous life, the ups and downs and perhaps lessons involved.

Here it's Sly Stone, who oould have been a Prince of sorts. Theatric, multifaceted, but it was the civil rights years, and his creative life mirrors that trajectory; ebullient hope to transcend boundaries, to bitterly dashed dreams.

One lesson, and it's generally offered, is that there was no scaffold, blueprint, on which to know what to do build next, how to play the role of superstar. He, along with everybody else, had to make it up as they went along. Another talking point here is 'black' genius, the particular tolls of it in a world where boundaries are drawn starkly against you.

There may be parallels with someone like Brian Wilson; 'genius' in being able to perceive music as visual world, as shared streets you explore, but limited in the means, work, and focused commitment required to consistently bring it to life.

At least his Riot album is as important as anything from the time, a dissonant extended improvisation on previous fabric of soul music, and that as mirroring a dissonant collapsing America. It's probably a cornerstone for all black music that followed.

My own takeaway is of a man who in terms of vision was second to none of the greats of the era; adept at improvising self, savvy enough to be able to see the larger fabric.

But there's no real stage for him to move to, fails to transcend, and probably had plenty of reasons against him. The drugs were probably ways to dissociate, make believe he was what he couldn't summon. So he periodically returns as caricature of himself, clowning it for the camera, unsure how to be the next version of himself.

Meanwhile, just as he was cratering, Bronx and Harlem youths were rediscovering him in record stores, and were about to speak once more about what he used to; the world of stark limits, and yet somehow joyful dance, ironically cruising through cracks. Interestingly, the new music, hip hop, would eschew the whole band format, and pare it down to narrator and rousing, sometimes soulful breaks that suggest world.

Sly stone was a genius, a tremendous success from 1968-1972, and a pioneer of multiracial rock funk & pop.

His greatest hits lp is beyond great.

Unfortunately his career was derailed by drugs booze and not showing up for live gigs, destroying the band and ultimately Sly himself. Ironically, sly worked very hard for ten years to attain his success by showing up on time and being there. His unraveling remains one of the mercurial questions of rock history.

That he was an all time great, there is little question. Sly and the Family Stone were inducted into the rock n roll HOF in 1993.

Sly is still living. He should be touring like Dylan, but he chooses not to. He remains an enigma within a riddle.

A current documentary airing on Hulu from Oscar winner Questlove. Following the rise & eventual fall of Sylvester Stewart (Sly) & his band, we get a hallucinatory ascent of a mixed raced band who wowed audiences at Woodstock w/their mixture of rock & R & B which carried over to their many appearances on television at the time. Of course, one's demons reared its ugly head for Sly as his upward success came hand in hand w/his increasing drug use which by the time the late 70's rolled around the band were soon relegated to the past their prime heap but w/Questlove's expertise w/archival footage & interviews as well as modern takes on the band's output & influence from current songsmiths (Andre 3000 from Outkast, D'Angelo, Q-tip from A Tribe Called Quest) who put Sly & the Family Stone's music into righteous perspective.

Sly Stone is an infinitely fascinating character and musician. His music will be around forever.

Qwestlove's obsession with Sly being a black genius is grating and he's projecting too much of his own outlooks instead of trying to find out and express just what Sly Stone's outlook was/is.

Most of the musicians interviewed in the doc, do not hold a candle to Sly's talent or achievements, so their opinions don't hold much weight.

The only interviews that were interesting were his band mates. And how could they not a find any of his contemporaries? How could they basically ignored his discography after Fresh? Or the quirky side projects he did.

This documentary had too much of a personal agenda that wasn't about Sly Stone. Still, the man was just that interesting that he shines through despite the negative issues.

Wow! Absolutely phenomenal storytelling of the rise, fall and everlasting impact of the musical genius, Sly Stone! This documentary poses the question, is Black Genius a burden? That is, did society's attempt to pigeonhole Sly Stone to be THE SPOKESPERSON/CELEBRITY for the Black community, who is expected to align to the Black struggle/issues, create inner turmoil that led to Sly Stone's emotional and physical breakdown and musical retreat. Some of those interviewed think that may have been the case. White artists, on the other hand, have freedom to experiment with different musical genres and different personas (think David Bowie/ Ziggy Stardust), and Madonna (and her many reincarnations), without having to walk this line of aligning their celebrity/music to be THE-SPOKESPERSON for their communities. Thus, did this duality become a burden that contributed to Sly's insecurities, drug-fueled lifestyle and ultimate downfall? Questlove does a great job of trying to answer the question and highlighting Sly Stone's musical genius. He documents his rise from a San Francisco DJ to a true trailblazer in forming a multi- racial, male/female band that fuses, rock, R&B, and the Brits sound. Questlove opens the vault and presents a treasure of archival tapes and interviews with Sly Stone and his band. And there are plenty of current interviews with the band members and musical artists who have been heavily influenced by Sly Stone. It's evident Sly will and has had a lasting impression on the world of music and many musical protégés, including Prince and many rappers, who are still sampling his music today. The documentary ends on a bittersweet note, as Sly Stone is shown as he is today. A frail, elderly man, who is pictured alone and with his children and grandkids. However, his music is forever. Sly Lives!

Watched at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

I'm unfamiliar with the Sly and the Family Stone but while this documentary isn't as powerful or impactful as Summer of Soul, Questlove still shines a bright light on the soul and rock vibes with an interesting presentation and exploration of the band and what made them special. Presented with good uses of archival footage and interviews, Questlove really shows how much for his love for 60s and 70s rock and roll and the components help offer a good examination to give context to the period, the music, and the background.

The historical contexts of Black artists rising through the early times have been impactful with todays' culture and Questlove does it well. Compared to Summer of Soul, the impactful doesn't feel as strong as because Sly and the Family Stone isn't a band I know a lot, the connection and emotional bond doesn't feel as strong as I would have liked and found myself feeling a bit disconnected with some of the concepts and themes.

Nevertheless, Questlove offers another solid documentary musical character study.

With the recent passing of Sly Stone this lively and engaging documentary is a celebratory tribute to a unique and outstanding talent whose fantastic and profound musical legacy resonates undiminished with time. Produced by The Roots' drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson this hour and a half long jam is as funky as it is revelatory.

Kickstarting with Sly's roots in Texas and his formative years at the San Francisco Bay Area the film let's it all out with a streaming display of images and music as active and as festive as one of the great man's tracks. Starting out with a musical family Sly became a fixture in the SF music scene as a DJ and producer, honing his craft and gaining advantage as an open-minded color blind auteur in a highly segregated America, immersing himself with both black and white influences and benefitting from both. Forming a band of his own to fully bring out his budding musical gifts already in display, The Family Stone had IT from the get go. The musical collective of men and women and black and white had a simpatico chemistry that gelled perfectly to realize Sly's musical vision in sheer auditory bliss. A breathtaking soundstew of Funk, Soul, Rock, Psychedelia, Pop and R&B, no one had heard anything like it. After initial setbacks the band hit the big time and there was no turning back. One of the few genuine crossover artists to capture both the black and white listening world, Sly brought people of various races, cultures and classes together in a time of social and global turbulence. At the height of his fame when he was the perfect figurehead and symbol of a seemingly new era with hit albums, hit singles, television and print appearances and sold out concerts to signify his status the buoyant realism of his music gave way to the dark, withdrawn and isolated sound which perfectly symbolized his well-known descent into drugs leading to future troubles. Late appearances at concerts eventually leading to no attendances at all, departing band members, isolation and the erosion of his talent and relevance led the once shining star into becoming one of the great tragedies of music.

With priceless images and footage to front a rocking soundtrack this party-vibe doc is enhanced by honest and articulate interviews of Sly's family, bandmates, associates and by musical lights influenced by the man as they honestly convey Sly's impact on them. Musical legends like George Clinton, Nile Rodgers, Chaka Khan, Vernon Reid, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis together with stars of contemporary black music like Andre 3000, D'Angelo and Q-Tip interestingly relate how the music had a deep impact on them inspiring them to create their own lasting legacies.

When I found out Questlove was emceeing this I immediately had my reservations. Judging from his music and his attitude he seems one of those with personal issues that stain his persona and his work. Sure enough here he doesn't disappoint. There's an awkward and cringe-inducing scene where he brings race into the discussion in an interview with D'Angelo and one can see with his reaction he doesn't take too kindly with Q-love's irrelevant and embarrassing take on a subject who embodied the unity of styles, attitudes, cultures and races. The lack of white musical artists who could have been interviewed is telling. "The Burden of Black Genius"? While there's no question that blacks have their own distinct experience with history and how it gave them generally a different perspective from other races, Questlove seems to conveniently bypass the reality and the price of fame to anyone victimized by the onslaught of human adulation and fickleness. Jim Morrison? Janis Joplin? Syd Barrett? Ian Curtis? Kurt Cobain? Perhaps the weight of genius' burden weighs more on whites if we were to bring out the weighing scale to complement Amir's racial hierarchy of woes.

An all-out feast for the senses jamming in direct no frills non-stop action, this in the pocket release is a jubilant and sober memorial to one of the greatest and most innovative musical artists of the 20th Century whose talent and vision magnified and heightened the artistry and power of song. I still remember hearing "Stand!" for the first time and it was a musical revelation the likes of which very rarely comes in one's lifetime. The sheer quality of the music with the various voices both male and female seamlessly outpouring their souls individually or in unison and the different styles blending together in one riveting and awe-inspiring song after song epiphany in sound is one I'll never forget and made me fully realize the heights and peaks music can fully accomplish and achieve. See this.

This is better than nothing of course and I must say that if it wasn't for quest love, this documentary probably wouldn't have been made. At the same time he ruined to some degree what could've been a stellar documentary. Quest love's personal theory about the burden of being a black genius, doesn't make any sense nor was it needed. Especially when you're trying to push the narrative that Sly was one of the first people to undergo it publicly as if Little Richard and James Brown and Chuck Berry didn't exist. There's a case to be made that the directors views completely contradict that of sly stone and you can clearly see that there's a clash there. I pray to God, someone comes along, and does a better documentary where Sly is telling his own story. The idea that black artists deserve to enjoy the fruits of their labor and die with their kids around them while plenty ignoring that those same black artists were irresponsible with their money and chose drugs over being responsible parents, is trick knowledge.

This documentary was really well done and executed and I love how the producers focused on Sly's creative genius. It's always nice to see a doc that really focuses on the legend and gets it right, from what I can see. Sly and the Family Stone had so many wonderful hits! My mom introduced myself and my siblings to their music when we were just kids and it's stuck with me all throughout. It was tough to watch the dismantling of the band but still beautiful to see them all come together all those years later, even if it were only for a split second.

I recommend this to any one who loves music and/or documentaries.

I really loved Summer of Soul and was looking forward to this. The vintage clips and pics were great, but the current interviews felt forced...like Questlove wanted to say something about the difficulties of black genius and manipulated the interviews to get his result. The burdens he tried to highlight were often contradicted by Sly's own interviews in vintage clips.

It was sad (and caused me to wonder) that Sly only appeared in vintage clips and current photos, also that his family members clips were short and few. Made me wonder why. Clips with his contemporaries were good, but those done with newer artists seemed much more contrived.

Still enjoyable for the memories, but not on the level of SOS.

I'm a huge fan of sky and the family stone from the early 70s and this documentary has some great early footage, but I think there was another agenda in focus first off, most of the interviews were done by people that never met him and never worked with him The real core of the people that were involved in the producing and engineering and the life of Sly with very limited. If any at all, I think the doc should have focused more on the positive things that he contributed to the world. Sly's Music, lyrics and the things he said in the interview did not relate at all with with the theme of the documentary. The new material wasn't accepted not because it was any which direction they just weren't great songs. He wrote great songs in his prime. They just comes a point where they're not great anymore and no one's interested. He's not the only artist that's happened to. There's one hit wonders his time lasted quite a while and it's still great songs and it's still relevant. He is truly blessed and I feel a better documentary with showing that would've done better. It seemed like the director was completely out of touch with who he is and what he stood for.