🎓 Questlove Delivers a Masterclass in Growth, Artistry, and Ownership at LMU’s 2025 Commencement
LOS ANGELES — May 18, 2025 | Primal Mogul Press
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, legendary drummer, director, and multi-hyphenate creator, delivered the keynote address for LMU’s 2025 undergraduate commencement, offering more than inspiration.
He offered a playbook. And in a move that reflected his impact across music, film, and cultural discourse, LMU awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
On Saturday, May 17th, Loyola Marymount University handed out degrees to nearly 2,900 students.
This wasn’t just another celebrity keynote.
This was one of Hip-Hop’s sharpest thinkers breaking down real game for the next generation.
🥁 The Artist Who Thinks Like a Strategist
Standing on LMU’s Westchester campus, Questlove opened up about something most graduates don’t hear from someone at his level — vulnerability, doubt, and what it means to keep moving forward even when the room gets loud.
“This isn’t just for people with framed credentials,” he said.
“This is for anyone who’s ever felt too small in a big moment — or too big in a world trying to shrink you.”
From the outside, Questlove’s résumé reads like a creative empire:
- Grammy-winning heartbeat of The Roots
- Musical director for The Tonight Show
- Producer for Jay-Z, Common, Erykah Badu, John Legend, and more
- Academy Award winner for Summer of Soul
- Visionary behind Sly Lives! and 50 Years of SNL
But on that stage, he wasn’t running down credits. He was delivering structure.
🧠 Gratitude. Breathing. Movement. Affirmation.
Questlove broke his talk down into four habits that helped him stay grounded through the highs and lows of building a creative career in real time:
- Wake with Gratitude: Not as a catchphrase — but as protection against entitlement.
- Breathe Through Fear: “Your lungs can’t tell the difference between a panic attack and a standing ovation,” he said.
- Move What’s Frozen: He spoke on how unprocessed emotions become physical tension, not just metaphor.
- Speak Kindness to Yourself: “You flip ‘Am I good enough?’ into ‘I am good enough.’ That’s where transformation starts.”
These weren’t empty words. They were principles — the kind that executives, creators, and entrepreneurs can apply every day.
🎬 What Makes Questlove Different? He Doesn’t Just Create. He Owns.
He also used the moment to remind students that being talented isn’t enough — you need to be in control of your ideas, your story, and your systems.
He shared his experience directing Sly Lives! at Sundance — a bold portrait of funk legend Sly Stone — and his co-directed feature Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL. Which celebrates the musical backbone of one of television’s longest-running institutions.
Questlove’s message was direct:
“It’s not about being everywhere. It’s about being in control.”
📡 This Is Why Primal Mogul Exists
What Questlove demonstrated on that stage is exactly what we believe at Primal Mogul:
- Creative power is nothing without structure.
- Art is business. Business is branding. Branding is ownership.
And nobody’s coming to save your ideas.
If you’re a builder — artist, founder, content creator, tech head, or culture-shaper — you need tools that move with you.
🧠 BUILD WITH PRIMAL MOGUL — THE PLATFORM FOR CREATIVE EXECUTION
We built this platform for those who don’t just want to go viral — they want to build something that can scale.
Inside your membership:
✅ 8 elite AI tools to help you write, design, plan, automate, and grow
✅ 270+ exclusive Power Posts that show you how to operate, not just motivate
✅ All strategy guides, e-books, and member discounts included
✅ New tools and content every week to keep you moving forward
Primal Mogul provides real infrastructure for modern creators and entrepreneurs.
👉 Join now at PrimalMogul.com
If you’re serious about building — get in the room where creators think & move like CEOs.
