Driving Lessons, Philly Style

Philadelphia artists Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of the Roots and King Britt have garnered critical acclaim and gained a reputation for musical innovation over the years, but there’s one thing they both don’t have: drivers licences. This is the premise of Scion’s On The DL, (www.scion.com/onthedl), a short film that documents the duo’s misadventures in attempting to legally get behind the wheel. Slotted to screen at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival, On The DL also shows the duo in their creative environments whether spinning or producing, where they assume almost total control. It’s amusing to see this confidence unravel in the face of singing driving instructors and writing permit tests surrounded by teenagers with photographic memories. The moody score by LA’s DJ Nobody and testimony by friends and collaborators does little to inspire faith in the duo’s efforts either. While producer/vocalist Vikter Duplaix gives ?uestlove a cautionary thumbs up, his assessment of King Britt’s driving aptitude is disturbingly forthright: "He scares me."