The Questlove Show MonoNeon
Mar 2, 2026
MonoNeon, electric-bass visionary from Memphis known for flipped right-handed technique and work with Prince, George Clinton, and Mac Miller. He talks about his neon persona and Dada-inspired art. He explains viral speech-to-music clips, embracing mistakes as creative fuel, his Paisley Park lessons, and how church, family, and improvisation shaped his musical freedom.
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Turning Speech Into Danceable Songs
- MonoNeon transforms spoken-word viral clips into full danceable tracks by finding speech pitch contours and restructuring rhythms.
- Early Cardi B speech conversions were challenging as he evolved from mimicking notes to composing grooves.
Purple Bass And An Orange Starter Bass
- His first instruments were a handed-down guitar then an Ibanez-like bass with transparent orange finish; his dad's purple bass remains significant.
- He started on guitar but always thumped like a bass player.
Berklee Pushed Him Toward Performance Art
- Berklee exposed MonoNeon to many excellent musicians and pushed him to develop a visual persona to stand out beyond technical ability.
- He adopted neon visuals and performance art to be something more than 'just a musician'.