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  • SATURDAY APRIL 28 2007 2:00 PM

Roots' ?uestlove Stopped By DEA At The Airport

Submitted by B_Werner

Edited by erin_broadley



Evidently Bez from the Happy Mondays isn't the only music figure having trouble traveling. According to a posting to his MySpace Blog, Ahmir Thompson, better known as ?uestlove of The Roots, was detained, questioned and humiliated by DEA agents at the Buffalo airport.

Apparently, ?uest was running a little late, purchased his ticket very close to boarding time and as a result had his boarding pass flagged for an "extra security check." Thompson, who was traveling between DJ gigs, was carrying a bit of cash in a few different currencies and, according to police, "fit the description of a drug dealer" because of the knitted hat he was wearing.

Here's an excerpt of ?uest's account from his blog:

"it was just so fucking degrading man. that is all i can describe it as. i'm sitting there like how am i gonna convince these guys that this dude with 30 dollar old navy jeans (white boy shit) and a 3000 dollar louis bag (nigga shit) and 5 figures in cash (white boy shit) and a coach seat (nigga shit) and a story of stadiums sold out across the world (nigga shit) but can't name a hit song of his (white boy shit) (and what the hell is you doing in buffalo of all places (white boy question) followed by my 'shrug' (nigga response). add on top of that my cd collection: the sly and the family stone box set and ladies of the canyon (joni mitchell) what kind of mofo is this? and 6 books all of connundrums and riddles?"


Mr. Love finally made it out of the airport, but not before officers strip searched him and asked him to "sing a song" to prove that he was part of a musical group. In light of ?uest's trouble, one can only imagine how many times a day this kind of thing happens to other innocent people who don't have the advantage of being in a Grammy-winning band that the media pays attention to. Viva la Drug War!

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Comments
MistressMissy

mistressmissy

Grand Rapids, MI
March 2003

APR 28, 2007 02:26 PM

Dude that is just ridiculous! Doesn't the airport have the internet? Can't they just look him up and be like 'Oh you are in a rap group. Sorry yo.'
Stupid.

Vanessa

Vanessa

SUICIDEGIRL

USA

APR 28, 2007 02:29 PM

That's bullshit.

Saraphine

Saraphine

SUICIDEGIRL

Pennsylvania, USA

APR 28, 2007 02:32 PM

His blog was semi confusing to me (white girl shit?)

jcrrd1

jcrrd1

East Fairfield, VT
February 2006

APR 28, 2007 02:39 PM

"The only brother in sight
The flight attendent catch fright
I sit down in my seat, 2C
She approach officially talking about, "Excuse me"
Her lips curl up into a tight space
She don't believe that I'm in the right place
Showed her my boarding pass,
And then she sort of gasped
All embarrassed put an extra lime in my water glass
An hour later here she comes by walking past
"I hate to be a pest but my son would love your autograph...

...Far away places, customs agents flagrant
They think the dark face is smuggle waiting in cases
Bags inspected, now we arrested
Attention directed to contents of our intestines
Urinanalyis followed by X-rays
Interegated and detained to damn near the next day
No evidence, no appology and no regard
Even for the big american rap star
For us especially, us most especially,
A Mr Nigga VIP jail cell just for me
"If I knew you were coming I'd have baked a cake
Just got some shoe-polish, painted my face"
They say they want you successful
But then they make it stressful
You start keeping pace, they start shaking up the tempo" --- Mr. Nigga by Mos Def

it's some messed up shit... but sadly it's hardly surprising, even in this day & age

Flux

Flux

SUICIDEGIRL

Georgia, USA

APR 28, 2007 02:49 PM

I am fucking sick of airport security bullshit.

wenis

wenis

San Francisco, CA
July 2006

APR 28, 2007 03:25 PM

they asked him to sing?he's the drummer. we cant sing [ringo perfect example]we're only good for making beats and being excellent musicians without getting the recognition.

in all seriousness im surprised they didnt check him out online or something. flying sucks nards. eeek

Saraphine

Saraphine

SUICIDEGIRL

Pennsylvania, USA

APR 28, 2007 03:40 PM

wenis said:
they asked him to sing?he's the drummer. we cant sing



That's exactly what I thought. Assholes! Flying has lost what little bit of fun it once had. Now it's just plain misery.

mydcmbr81

mydcmbr81

Wesley Chapel, FL
October 2003

APR 28, 2007 03:52 PM

This is one of those cases, where if it had been me carrying that kind of cash, the same thing would have happend to me. That's why all I carry is $20 in cash.

ChazStrummer

ChazStrummer

Cedartown, GA
OLD SKOOL

APR 28, 2007 04:18 PM

Saraphine said:
His blog was semi confusing to me (white girl shit?)



tongue

mamet

mamet

Charleston, SC
March 2005

APR 28, 2007 04:31 PM

They made him sing?

Squrl4

Squrl4

Montreal, QC
August 2006

APR 28, 2007 04:52 PM

Do you think they made him sing naked........?????


Geez now that would be degrading!!!!

obd

obd

Venice, CA
June 2003

APR 28, 2007 05:31 PM

absolutely ridiculous.

discombobulate

discombobulate

Australia
June 2003

APR 28, 2007 06:26 PM

Squrl4 said:
Do you think they made him sing naked........?????


Geez now that would be degrading!!!!



I heard they did that shit in Gitmo

HunterSMencken

HunterSMencken

Vienna, VA
July 2006

APR 28, 2007 07:36 PM

Orwell got it right, just a few years later than he expected.

dougg_ditches

dougg_ditches

USA
August 2005

APR 28, 2007 08:05 PM

Why does this idiot automatically have to turn this into a white/black thing?? I'm know I've been given the third degree by black screeners before, but I don't remember them as being black, I just remember them as being rude assholes.
way to perpetuate racism, dickhead.

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