“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.
The film features notable guests such as Andre 3000, D’Angelo, Chaka Khan, Q-Tip, Nile Rogers, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, George Clinton, Ruth Copeland, and Clive Davis. Additional guests include those closet to Sly, including his band members Jerry Martini, Greg Errico, Larry Graham and Cynthia Robinson and family Sylvette Phunne Robinson, Novena Carmel, and Sylvester Stewart Jr., who offer the best insights into Sly’s life by sharing anecdotes from their time together.
