POPULAR house band The Roots have recently been fronted by a different member as Tariq – aka Black Thought – continues his absence.
Fans are now wondering why the rapper and vocalist has been missing for some time.
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Where is Tariq from The Tonight Show?
American rapper Tariq Trotter, better known as Black Thought is the lead singer of Philadelphia-based hip-hop group The Roots,
He co-founded the band with drummer Questlove in 1987.
Tariq and The Roots are the house band of NBC’s The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon since it premiered in February 2014.
But Trotter has not been seen in the latest episodes of the show, prompting fans to wonder where he is and if he’s leaving.
The rapper has remained tight-lipped about his departure from the show, but according to reports, his leave is only temporary and he will be back.
Tariq is set to make his Broadway debut as he stares in the Broadway show Black No more. The show will take place in January.
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When did The Roots join The Tonight Show?
The Roots became the house band of Tonight Show in February 2014 when Jimmy Fallon took up hosting duties.
However, the band first starred as a house band in March 2009 when Fallon hosted the Late Night Show.
Throughout the years, the band had formed a regular part of the show’s format, and they occasionally provide snippets of music for long running jokes such as Funkin’ GoNuts.
They also provide music and drum rolls for popular games and segments like Darts of Insanity, Wheel of Carpet Samples, and Christmas Sweaters.
Who are the other The Roots members?
As of January 7, 2022, the Roots are made up of 12 members that include vocalists, pianists and percussionists.
The full line up is:
- Black Thought – rap and singing vocals (1987–present)
- Questlove – drums, backing rap vocals, beatboxing (1987–present)
- Kamal Gray – keyboards, backing rap vocals (1994–present)
- Captain Kirk Douglas – guitars, singing vocals (2003–present)
- Tuba Gooding, Jr. (Damon Bryson) – sousaphone, tuba (2007–present)
- James Poyser – keyboards (2009–present)
- Ray Angry – keyboards (2010–present)
- Mark Kelley – bass, synthesizer bass, moog (2011–present)
- Ian Hendrickson-Smith – flutes, saxophones (2015–present)
- Dave Guy – trumpet (2015–present)
- Stro Elliot – beatbox, percussion, sampling, tambourine, Ableton, HandSonic, SPD-SX, finger drumming, keyboards (2017–present)
- Jeremy Ellis – beatbox, sampling, Maschine, Arcade machine sampler, midi fighter, finger drumming (2014–present)
