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The Roots Get Ready For 'Late Night' Role

The Roots held a press conference on Tuesday, discussing their new house band gig for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and alluding to a new album and tour despite their two-hour tour bus commute from Philadelphia to New York City every week.

"This isn't the end of a sentence," drummer and bandleader Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, said. "It's just another step; time for another challenge. This will show that there is absolutely no challenge or obstacle we can't master. It's just part of the ongoing, linear voyage of The Roots."

One of the reasons the Roots scored their coveted Late Night spot was their previous role as musical supervisors for Chappelle's Show. (Co-creator Neal Brennan gave a glowing recommendation.) Aside from providing Fallon with bumper music and walk-on jams, the Roots will back each night's musical guests, which include Ludacris during the show's first week. As for whether the band will appear in any skits or random routines, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter said, "There are a few things we're trying to work out now that might be established as recurring bits. None of the Roots members object to taking part in any of that. We're totally open to working our new routines and establishing things on our own."

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
02.25.09