Pandora is trying to claw its way out of Spotify’s shadow with a new weekly radio show hosted by Questlove of the Roots.
According to the New York Times, Questlove (a.k.a. Ahmir Thompson) walked into a meeting with Pandora’s co-founder, Tim Westergren, expecting to chat about playlists, and walked out an equity partner.
“The first fruit of the partnership is ‘Questlove Supreme’,”—the article says—“a weekly radio show that will debut on Sept. 7. A three-hour program with wide-ranging playlists and guests including the actress Maya Rudolph and the singer Kimbra, ‘Questlove Supreme’ shows off its host’s eclectic tastes; he describes the show as an extension of the music courses he teaches at New York University and ‘the black nerd version of NPR’.”
Questlove says, “This is a commitment deeper than any girlfriend I’ve ever had, or any diet I’ve tried to stick to.”
Proud to be working with the singular @Questlove. A musician’s musician. Totally gets the vision. Big plans ahead. https://t.co/8sDjpYPZVE
— Tim Westergren (@timwestergren) August 24, 2016
His other role with Pandora will be as an ambassador to other artists–trying to heal past wounds and correct any misconceptions about royalties not being paid–while also ensuring that artists will be treated well in the future.
