August 03, 2017

Questlove credits Dave Chappelle for landing gig with Jimmy Fallon

By Michael Tanenbaum
PhillyVoice Staff

Wikipedia/for PhillyVoice

Questlove

Dave Chappelle's return to the pinnacle of comedy after a lengthy hiatus is a testament to his fans' loyalty, which will be on full display throughout August as Chappelle completes a star-studded residency at Radio City Music Hall.

There's no better way to kick off the three-week run than a four-day stretch with The Roots, who are accompanied by Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, Common, Vince Staples and Big Boi through Aug. 4.

Legendary Roots drummer and DJ Questlove recently shared his gratitude for Chappelle in an interview with TimeOut New York, explaining that Chappelle indirectly led the band to its permanent gig on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

“If it weren’t for Dave, [The Roots] wouldn’t even be at 'The Tonight Show,'” Questlove said.

It turns out that when Chappelle walked away from his hit Comedy Central series in 2005, "Chappelle's Show" co-creator Neal Brennan met with Jimmy Fallon during the early stages of developing his "Late Night" show, which aired on NBC from 2009 to 2014.

“Neal jokingly said [to Fallon], ‘Try to get The Roots as your band.’ What he meant was, The Roots know every musician, so ask The Roots who the best musicians are and they’ll tell you who to get,” Questlove recounted. “But Jimmy was just like, ‘Nah, f*** that, I want The Roots as my band.’”

When NBC's plans for Conan O' Brien and Jay Leno collapsed, The Roots followed Fallon into "The Tonight Show" spotlight and the rest has been history. The show has decidedly taken a turn toward emphasizing music, whether it's Fallon playing parodies on guitar or The Roots assisting in sketches.

Chappelle even appeared as a surprise guest on the show last month, participating in Fallon's "Freestylin'" skit as The Roots improvised a jingle about his re-emergence.

“Dave is the Pied Piper," Questlove said, crediting him for his appreciation of music and his decision to start his residency with The Roots.

Here's the full schedule for Chappelle's residency at Radio City Music Hall.

Aug. 1: Dave Chappelle + The Roots featuring Lil Wayne

Aug. 2: Dave Chappelle + The Roots featuring Ice Cube, Common, Vince Staples

Aug. 3: Dave Chappelle + The Roots featuring Big Boi

Aug. 4: Dave Chappelle + The Roots

Aug. 5: Dave Chappelle + Chris Rock featuring Jeff Ross

Aug. 6: Dave Chappelle + Chris Rock featuring Arsenio Hall

Aug. 9: Dave Chappelle + Erykah Badu

Aug. 12: Dave Chappelle live featuring Leslie Jones, Michael Che, Colin Jost and special guests

Aug. 15: Dave Chappelle + Very Special Guest

Aug. 17: Dave Chappelle + Chance the Rapper