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SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)

Play trailer 0:16 Poster for SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) 2025 1h 52m Documentary Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 45 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
"SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)" examines the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone, the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic and enigmatic Sly Stone. The film captures the band's rise, reign and subsequent fadeout while shedding light on the unseen burden that comes with success for Black artists in America.
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SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)

SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)

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Critics Consensus

An affectionate celebration of Sly & the Family Stone that's all the more powerful for recognizing its subject's flaws, SLY LIVES! is a sterling sophomore documentary feature from Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson.

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Critics Reviews

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Jordan Hoffman The Daily Beast Jun 5
An overstuffed treasure chest of musical exploration in addition to being (as the full title suggests) a thoughtful social inquiry. Go to Full Review
Christy Lemire FilmWeek (LAist) May 8
There's never anything pedantic about this film. [Questlove] wants to share his passion about this particular musical genre and this musician. Go to Full Review
Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (LAist) May 8
This is absolutely extraordinary. Go to Full Review
Robert Roten Laramie Movie Scope Jan 1
B+
This is a well-rounded account of the man and his band. It includes some performance footage as well. To me, the music of Sly and the Family Stone is joyful, energetic, exciting music. It is nice to see that music still lives on in many ways. Go to Full Review
Marlon Wallace The M Report (WBOC.com) Jul 12
We literally see the process of how young artists clipped or took beats or bars and interpolated them into new tracks. The process is underlined and emphasized in a way that feels fresh and incredible. Go to Full Review
Alan French Sunshine State Cineplex Jul 5
8/10
Sly Lives! is not a perfect film, but it’s far more intriguing than many other biographical documentaries. The frank conversations that Questlove captures are stunning, and Sly receives the credit he deserved in life. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Larry J D @Larryinla 20h A few months ago, when it was still 2025, I got a call from someone who told me he was producing a documentary of Sly Stone. Turns out he'd read my memoir, Night People, where I'd mentioned the two f-week engagements that we'd performed with Sly and the Family Stone at the Pussycat A Go-Go, in Las Vegas. During the first engagement was when they were recording their first album, flying redeyes back and forth to Hollywood. I have to admit, I didn't know who Questlove was, or whether such a project would get made, but I enjoyed talking about Sly and his band. My band, Stark Naked and the Car Thieves were headlining there when Sly came in the first time, and we were doing well. But Sly's band just blew us all away! It is impossible to compare us to them. We were mostly a cover band, and while they did a couple of covers, they were the most unique and original band I had ever seen. We were in awe. You really had to be there to experience it. The next time we shared headlining. :) Sly Lives See more michael f @RT89039738 Jul 25 music lovers of all colors and genders should enjoy See more Jim S @RT64513799 Jun 22 This is an excellent movie. Well made with absolutely fantastic footage from the 60's and 70's. The movie really conveys the genius of Sly. Highly recommended! See more Claire M @RT01732244 Jun 9 Having seen Sly and the Family Stone live in Berkeley in the early 1970s when I was a teenager, I knew exactly what Suzanne de Passe was describing with regard to how their music made her feel. Sly Stone's musical genius was second only to Jimi Hendrix in importance in my youth. I'm so thankful Questlove gave us a documentary of such depth and also expressed his unabashed appreciation for Sly being one of the survivors of the notorious music industry. One of my favorite parts was the interviews especially D'Angelo and Andre 3000. See more Jonetta A @RT37871610 May 22 I could hear the magic from the first chord when I heard Sly for the first time and have raved about him since. I can still recall sitting on my front porch when the radio played Hot Fun in the Summertime for the first time. And, I continue to play his greatest hits album today. This was the documentary I’ve waited for always. See more Tom F @RT55173143 Apr 4 Summer of Soul is a tough act to follow. The Sly Stone story is fascinating, but a tough documentary subject. See more Read all reviews
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)

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Movie Info

Synopsis "SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)" examines the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone, the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic and enigmatic Sly Stone. The film captures the band's rise, reign and subsequent fadeout while shedding light on the unseen burden that comes with success for Black artists in America.
Director
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson
Producer
Joseph Patel, Derik Murray
Distributor
Hulu
Production Co
Stardust Films, MRC, ID8 Multimedia, Network Entertainment, Onyx Collective, Sony Music Entertainment, RadicalMedia, Two One Five Entertainment
Genre
Documentary, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 13, 2025
Runtime
1h 52m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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