Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)

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.