Questlove Explains How The Roots Became ‘Tonight Show’ House Band

Last night on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, house band leader and The Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson stepped out from behind the kit to appear as guest on the episode. There to promote his new book of interviews about food somethingtofoodabout, Questo also shared a story about how host Jimmy Fallon convinced him at the time to be part of Late Night which eventually led to a transition to The Tonight Show.

Fallon first replayed a hilarious clip from Late Night of Questlove doing a spit take/choking on water before discussing the series of events that led The Roots to decide to come off the the road to be on the nightly program. The host started by explaining he asked Chappelle’s Show co-creator Neal Brennan for advice on who to get for the house band.

Without giving away the entire tale, Fallon revealed Brennan suggested The Roots – to ask for further advice, not for the show – but after attending a The Roots gig at UCLA in which Fallon coaxed the other members of the band to pull off a surprise stunt, Questlove became all but certain of the band’s eventual fate. Watch Questlove sitting in the guest seat for the very first time in the clip from Monday night’s episode below: