As a toddler, a number-one love song was playing on the radio with her name sung into the fade-out. A few generations back on the same family tree, an ancestor born into slavery dragged his enslaver's family into an 1830s courtroom to sue for his freedom. Maya Rudolph inherited both legacies.

This episode goes beyond the iconic sketches and voiceovers to understand the human being behind the laughs. It traces how deep personal history, devastating early loss, and immense musical talent synthesized into one of entertainment's most unpigeonholeable careers.

• How her mother Minnie Riperton sang "Maya, Maya, Maya" into the end of "Loving You," a private lullaby broadcast to millions
• Why losing her mother at six may have honed the observational mimicry that fuels her comedy
• The story of ancestor James Grigsby, who sued  ...