There will never be another. A truly singular example of modern artistic excellence and profound humanity. When I'd call him, he would dive right into telling stories and I was all ears. I wish those conversations had been recorded because they were drenched in unlimited insight, wisdom and soul. Whether it was his equal parts awe-inspiring and ridiculously humorous recounting of how he helped shaped cultural history, or our shared love of family, world travels, exploring faith and rising from dark times. Almost everything was discussed and I was always grateful for our relationship. To fully unlock and reflect upon it all right now is just too much to process. His anecdotes about work ethic and his constructive feedback of my work were significant factors in sharpening my craft—for instance as a collaborator and unofficial producer on the We Are and World Music Radio albums that changed my artistic trajectory. But some of the most powerful advice he shared with me was rooted in how to develop your humanity. The power of prayers and mantras, which he said every morning . His insight about how "Your music can never be more or less than you are as a human being, so work on the human part" or how he and Ray Charles developed inner strength during the civil rights era by instilling within that "Not one ounce of my self worth depends on anyone else's acceptance of me" , a few examples of MANY. When I won the Academy Award in my speech I evoked his words about the power of 12 Notes, how we all get the same ones and it's up to us what we do with them. When he wasn't able to travel anymore I would always make a point to visit him in LA to show love, talk life and play for him. The last time we saw each other in person I played for him but this time asked if I could record him listening to me for posterity sake . In the clip I'm playing his "Ai No Corrida" then going into a Chopin waltz, then some blues and then Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight" . Always the best for Q. You will be forever missed but my goodness did you make your mark sir !! It's on us now to carry it forward 🤲🏾✨