How The Tonight Show Rekindled The Roots' Friendships | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

I mean people will say like oh you guys. were the fish of hip-hop The Grateful. Dead of hip-hop but it's it's like we. were dependable and responsible yeah so. our job was to stand by in the waiting. room it was good survival but it really. wasn't conducive for like having a a. steady relationship yeah they kids in. the factor now and you know so we around. like 2009 it was sort of like man we. wish like a a Selene Dion situation. would happen that a residency.

a residency we just got to the mountain. toop of like making good money like we. finally made it and it's like do we just. turn our back on this and try something. unproven and we did it for us. um that was what we needed to actually. Bond and be friends again yeah there. there was a moment I know I'm a little. qucious give me a CO give me a safe for. like pineapple or something if I'm. talking too much.

like I see you're turning maroon right. now I no I'm good that's his normal. color yeah that's just me when you see I. just those are called veins in my head. okay that's how white I am so there. there's a moment that happened around. two 2006 maybe three years before we did. Fallon and we're on tour of the chili. peppers and it's a European tour and. they're playing like soccer St I'm sorry. po post lasso football stadiums right.

and you know it's like 80,000 to 120,000. a. night and every three to four songs. those guys get into sort of a football. magic circle. huddle and by the fourth time they do. this I'm thinking like oh they're going. to call an audible and change up the the. set list and then they go back to their. instruments and then I have the set list. in my hand I'm like wait they didn't. change anything they didn't change the. arrangement so I'm waiting like days. down the line like why do they keep keep.

having these little meetings every like. five songs and nothing changes from what. I know the show to be it's like muscle. memory I see flea in the in the in. catering and I'm like dude what are you. guys talking about when you go into that. huddle and fle is like yo man it's like. I don't know man we're just we're so. full of gratitude like we're just four. guys that you know we met each other. when we were 13 and you know we're we're. in the da d d stadium with.

120,000 people and we're just we're just. showing gratitude to each other like. guys we we really made it so this is 206. I'm not evolved yet as a human being so. I get on the tour bus and I'm like yo. man just like hippie. like oh we're so happy to be amongst you. know like I'm really just like ah being. dismissive of it like oh that's what. they're doing and my manager is like. yeah well makes sense like yeah I can. see that because they they like each.

other that's cool I like yeah you know. so I go back and start playing. Place wait what do you mean they. actually like each other and he's like I. see that they actually I mean it's not. like a good fellow thing like what do. you mean I'm funny but it was sort of. like well what do you mean they actually. like each other like why' you say. actually he's like you see the chemistry. like they actually they with each. other I could see that and I was like as. opposed to what he's like come on man. and I'm like as opposed to what he's.

like come on man don't make me spell it. out it's said what he said man y'all. don't with each other y'all just. show up ask y'all show up maybe y'all. come to soundcheck y'all show up at. Backstage y'all do it off memory you. know you you're the one to name the tour. buus is gyffin DF and slithering like. you it's like you got your own separat. tour buses y'all don't spend the night. each other's houses y'all ain't friends. y'all just business partners he's like. it's cool like keep the peace that's. funny that you didn't know you didn't.

know well I thought look we been by that. point we had known like we met in ' 87. and it's now 2007 like it's 20 years. later like what do you mean we're not. friends and then I realized oh. we're really not friends like we're just. like nine strangers that just play the. same songs every night and that's it and. so what wound up happened at Fallon is.

Jimmy has a way of disarming you mhm and. I'll say at least for the first six. years like we were Perpetual we were 13y. olds we were 13 year olds in adults. bodies doing we we could do silly things. and not feel like you know like oh we're. going to lose our street Craig because. we're. doing silly there there's a moment. where when jimmmy officially pitched us. and we're doing like some spring fing at.

at UCLA or something and I'm I mean I'm. quasi spokesperson for the group and so. I had to do an interview like with the. college paper or something so I went in. trailer did my interview came back 20. minutes later and we're on UCLA's uh. football field and Jimmy all right this. is gonna be my worst reference and I'm. in my head like please don't say this. reference can we just take a guess. around the table what this is going to. be you go first uh wait I I'll give you. a hint no.

I I'll give you a hint will am oh Zapped. or godamn you're good Zapped this is why. I messed them in yeah zaap the movie. where Scott beo can make people's bras. fly off it's either out Charles in. charger Bible man how do well no where. he first started which was 8 8 is okay. so Jimmy somehow has talk The Roots into. doing an uh an eight-man uh human period.

pyramid a. period a human period I don't know as. much. about anyone want to weigh in oh oh God. that we stick with pyramid I have to. okay yeah so you know they're doing a. human pyramid and it it wouldn't have. phased me more but Tariq and I are such. Polar Opposites of each other by this. point Tariq is one of those like you. know.

$5,000 uh Japanese denim wearing fanas. yeah uh of which I was like yo he's. really on the bottom row on his KNE like. he's ruining his his denim he would. never do this he's one of those Jesus. Christ like not spot nor wrinkle. meanwhile I will go to the White House. with like uh mustard stains on on my on. my tucks and I looked at my manager and.

I was just. like we're not we're not getting rid of. this guy anytime soon right. and my manager like we're stuck with him. like literally Jimmy would. not let up until we we committed to him. and he just TI like just did it and so. what I'll say is now the amount. of uh being in the gym on that show has. actually made us friend again yeah and.

so now I I feel like even though this is. our 30th year as a band I really feel. like it's like our seventh. year.