Black ThoughtTariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973), better known by his stage name Black Thought, is an American rapper, singer, actor, television host, and the lead MC of the hip hop group The Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove in Philadelphia.
Late Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of the Late Night franchise. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, it aired from March 2, 2009, to February 7, 2014, replacing Late Night with Conan O'Brien and was in turn replaced by Late Night with Seth Meyers. The show aired weeknights at 12:35 a.m. Eastern/11:35 p.m. Central, on NBC.
QuestloveAmerican hip hop musician (born 1971)Musical artistAhmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ?uestlove), is an American drummer, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the hip-hop band the Roots.House bandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which are the regular performers at a nightclub, especially jazz and R&B clubs. The term can also refer to a group that plays sessions for a specific recording studio.
Tuba Gooding Jr.Damon Eugene Bryson (born 1978), better known by his stage name Tuba Gooding Jr., is an American tubist and member of the hip hop band The Roots, joining the band in 2007. He plays the sousaphone in The Roots in the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The sousaphone is a low brass instrument mainly used as a marching bandtuba. Bryson was named "one of the top sousaphone players of all time" by Brass 'n Wind.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonAmerican late-night talk showThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incarnation of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise, with Fallon serving as the sixth host. The show also stars sidekick and announcer Steve Higgins and house band the Roots.
Ian Hendrickson-SmithIan Hendrickson-Smith (born February 10, 1974) is an American jazz saxophonist. He is best known for being a former member of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings from 2004 to 2010 and playing with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Musical careerHendrickson-Smith began his professional music career in 1996. He has worked and recorded with Lady Gaga, Bob Dylan, U2, Amy Winehouse, and Ed Sheeran throughout his career.
PhiladelphiaMost populous city in Pennsylvania, USConsolidated city-county in the United StatesPhiladelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States. Its population was 1.60 million at the 2020 census and estimated at 1.57 million in 2025.
James PoyserJames Jason Poyser is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been a member of the hip-hop band The Roots since 2009, and plays with The Roots in the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and formerly, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Captain Kirk Douglas"Captain" Kirk Douglas (born September 30, 1973) is an American lead guitarist and singer in the hip hop band The Roots. Douglas plays with the Roots in the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.Hip-hopHip-hop (also known as rap music or simply rap) is a genre of popular music that emerged in the early 1970s alongside an associated subculture in New York City. The musical style is a synthesis of a wide range of techniques, but rapping is frequent enough that it has become a defining characteristic. Other key markers of the genre are the disc jockey (DJ), turntablism, scratching, beatboxing, and instrumental tracks.
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television network, serving as the flagship property of NBC Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, which is a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's two flagship namesake properties, alongside Universal Studios. It is the first and oldest major broadcast network in the United States.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.