Questlove may have had a front row seat to the drama—but his mind was understandably elsewhere.
During the March 28 episode of The Tonight Show, the 51-year-old musician—with his trophy in tow!—recalled the moment he won the award for Best Documentary Feature for Summer of Soul at the 2022 Oscars—just moments after Chris Rock (the category’s presenter) and Will Smith took center stage with their own unexpected moment.
Looking back on that “situation,” The Roots frontman explained to host Jimmy Fallon that he was really didn’t grasp what happened in the moment since he was busy soaking in the full experience of his nomination.
“Of course, you know, that happened in the cyclone of a whole [other] situation with two very good friends of mine,” he noted, referencing Will and Chris. “And I really wasn’t aware of that, it’s weird to say, because—they tell you ahead of time, ‘This is your category!’ And so, in that moment, you’re either gonna be full of anxiety—or for me, I’ve been meditating for the last two years.”