When it was revealed the hip-hop band the Roots would be the house band for Jimmy Fallon’s “Late Night” show, it was a gamble for both camps. Could an unproven host and a band built more for the road than a daily 9-to-5 grind co-exist?
The answer is most definitely yes. As Fallon makes his move to host “The Tonight Show,” premiering Monday, he’s taking Questlove (the group’s drummer/de facto leader) and company with him. It’s because of them Fallon could one day own a wing if a viral video hall of fame was ever built. Their hilarious sketches have made for many must-click moments. From remakes of hit songs to remixes of presidential announcements, here are five of the best from arguably the best host and house band tandem in the history of late night.
‘Slow Jammin’ the News’ with Barack Obama
NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams guest-starred in the first version of this sketch, but eventually President Barack Obama himself wanted a piece. The president slow jammed his stump speech to Congress in an effort to stop a spike on Stafford student loans.
Freestylin’ with the Roots
Long before the Roots came onboard with Fallon, the group’s MC, Black Thought, was known among hip-hop fans as one of the best rappers in the genre. To show just how good he (and the group) is at freestyle rapping, Fallon picks out members of the audience and has the Roots make songs about them using random information. It’s a test for the band — one they pass with flying colors.
The ‘Sesame Street’ theme with characters from the show
Occasionally, Fallon will ask the singer behind whatever is Billboard’s flavor of the month to strip down their chart-topping hit, cram into an office, and remake that song. But Fallon took everyone to school when he invited the “Sesame Street” Muppets to join him and the Roots for a retooled version of the show’s theme song. Let the Count count things off . . .
Miley Cyrus singing ‘We Can’t Stop (A Capella)’
As it turns out, the Roots don’t necessarily need their instruments to make music. In this video, they and Fallon team up with Miley Cyrus for an acapella version of her hit song “We Can’t Stop.” It’s good to know that if they ever lose their tools, the guys can still make music with their mouths.
Justin Timberlake doing ‘The History of Rap’
In what has become a tradition every time Timberlake visits a set, he and Fallon take listeners on an extensive journey through the hip-hop genre, performing brief snippets of various songs. But the success of the recurring sketch is nothing without the Roots. They are, by definition, a hip-hop band, and the main reason why these marathon sing-alongs have become a fan favorite.