Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

NBC has finally announced what we already knew: Jay Leno is out as host of The Tonight Show come Spring 2014 and Jimmy Fallon is in. Fallon just closed a new deal with NBC this morning, and Leno followed soon after with his statement on the matter. “Congratulations Jimmy,” CNN quotes him. “I hope you’re as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you’re the old guy. If you need me, I’ll be at the garage.” Leno had been the host for 22 years and topped the ratings. Fears about the 62-year-old host losing a young audience to Jimmy Kimmel on ABC played a role in the change.

Just as exciting, we’ll get to see The Roots an hour earlier! We support that. Moreover, for the New Yorkers, the show is coming back East. So we can just mosey on over to 30 Rock and check it out.

Even though there had been speculation about all of this, it seems like things moved kind of quickly in the end. It was only the other day that we were watching the two do their best West Side Story in a skit that got a lot of pick up.

AP Photo/NBC Universal, Lloyd Bishop

It’s looking more and more likely that Jay Leno will be giving up his place as host of The Tonight Show, turning it over to Late Night host (and viral video hit maker) Jimmy Fallon. The details haven’t been worked out, but The New York Times is saying this could happen by fall 2014. And the show would leave Los Angeles and head back to New York, where it started in 1954.

“One senior executive who has been involved in the discussions said on Wednesday that ‘there is no way on earth that this is not going to happen,’” one source told the Times.

One of the reasons the paper says Fallon wants to stay in NYC is to hang on to his stellar house band, The Roots. Many of Fallon’s most popular jokes, skits, and videos involve Questlove and the crew, so this is an important part of the show. Moreover, Fallon is from New York and has deep roots of his own in the city.

Jay Leno remains strangely popular, topping the ratings for the past few years. The question Buzzfeed asks is why everyone — except those viewers who keep Leno on top — dislike him so much. Some of the general perceptions of the host that are used in the story include “moral cowardice,” “sniveling backstabber,” and “modern milquetoast.”

“The combined effect of all these sins was to set in stone an animus towards Leno that nothing can touch. To be a thinking or cool person in America is to hate Jay, and like Dave, or Conan, or Kimmel, or Jon Stewart: anyone in the long line of talk show hosts breaking off a niche of the stratifying media world by being edgier and cooler than Leno,” the article says. Eeek.

Do you still watch late night network TV? Would Jimmy Fallon bring you back?

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Where were you the night First Lady Michelle Obama broke out into the dougie on national television?

On Friday night, Michelle Obama took to the talk show scene when she made her first appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. She was there to promote her “Let’s Move” initiative and before they sat down to talk, Mrs. Obama and Fallon (as a woman) performed a nifty number described as “The Evolution of Mom Dancing.” The dances ranged from “The Hip Bump to the “Just the hands part of the Single Ladies Dance” and finally, “the Dougie,” which “Mama Fallon” sat out because it was a bit too advanced for “her.”

After the dance performance, Mrs. Obama sat down with Fallon to discuss the strides they’ve made with the “Let’s Move” initiative, including Wal-Mart lowering prices on fruits and vegetables as well as the obesity rate of children in Mississippi being lowered by 13 percent since “Let’s Move” kicked off three years ago.

While Jimmy Fallon shared with Mrs. Obama his wishes to see a Clinton/Obama (Michelle, that is) presidential ticket in 2016, the First Lady said she has her own plans: to possibly take over as host of Jay Leno’s show whenever he decided it was time to retire.

For whatever some may think of President Obama, you’ve got to work really hard to dislike the First Lady – she’s just so likeable!

Check out “The Evolution of Mom Dancing” below!

What would the Christmas season be like if somebody, somewhere, wasn’t playing “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey? And if you were still in denial and on Grinch mode, yes, it’s officially Christmas season–the most expensive time of the year. *Sighs* But last night on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” the legendary singer found a way to add some extra holiday spice to the classic track, as she was backed by The Roots, my imaginary best friend Jimmy Fallon, and a small choir of little girls. The kicker was that the performance was brought to us with the help of toy instruments from your preschool days, including a colorful Fisher-Price looking xylophone, recorders, those tiny guitars they let you learn a little something something on back in the day, kazoos, and more. What ensued once they got started was a friggin’ adorable video, and probably the best performance I’ve seen of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in years.  Mariah’s voice still sounds amazing and the kids are too cute and cool for school.

On a side note though, this isn’t the first time Jimmy and The Roots have done popular songs using kid sized toy instruments in classrooms. They’ve managed to find a way to make me like “Call Me Maybe” after I spent the whole year with the stank face every time it came on. I’m not even a real late night talk show fan like that (I’d rather be asleep), but I would definitely recommend watching “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” if you happen to be up hella late on weeknights. His show is so much fun…and The Roots are there! It’s a must. But yes, check out the adorable video of Mimi with Jimmy, The Roots and the kids and tell us if you’re loving it. Happy holidays!

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The Roots’ Black Thought may be best known for his work with the band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and elsewhere, but he’s also making  a name for himself in the world’s of philanthropy and women’s health.

In 2010, he and a friend, Dr. Janice Johnson Dias, a sociology professor at John Jay College, partnered to raise awareness about health issues affecting women and girls.

“She laid out for me the ways in which women and girls were dying from breast cancer, suicide and other chronic diseases and explained to me that these things were all connected to obesity and physical inactivity. It was her vision that if we merged the power of hip hop with social science, we can change the way things are,” Black Thought tells Black Enterprise in a one-on-one interview.

As a dad, Black Thought says he was drawn to this effort, as much as he is to certain cities around the country where these illnesses are prevalent; places like Newark, NJ, Philadelphia, and Jackson, MS.

For more about the GrassROOTS Community Foundation, upcoming events and how you can launch a nonprofit effort in support of a cause you care about, read more on BlackEnterprise.com.

The Roots took a shot at Michelle Bachmann with an interesting music choice for her appearance on the Jimmy Falon show Monday night. When the GOP presidential hopeful walked on stage, the band played the 1985 Fishbone song “Lyin’ A** B****.”

Questlove, the band’s drummer, apologized saying, “The performance was a tongue-in-cheek and spur of moment decision. The show was not aware of it and I feel bad if her feelings were hurt. That was not my intention.” But before the show aired, he tweeted, “aight late night walkon song devotees: you love it when we snark: this next one takes the cake. ask around cause i aint tweeting title.”

Jimmy Falon also took to Twitter to apologize to the politician who said she accepts the gesture. But NBC’s delayed apology, she said, is a form of bias on the part of the Hollywood elite. “If that had been Michelle Obama who had come out on the stage and if that song had been played for Michelle Obama I have no doubt that NBC would have apologized to her and likely they could have fired the drummer or at least suspended him,” Bachmann told CBS News.

NBC has since apologized to Bachmann for the not-so-subliminal shots that were thrown at her. Not many people have sympathy for the tea party champion, but she does have a point. If this was Michelle Obama, there would be rallys, protests, and boycotts underway by now. But then again, Bachmann isn’t the first lady.

What do you think about The Root’s choice of music? Typical snark or did they take it too far?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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VH1 is going to be doing “diva” right with a lineup of some exceptional talent, including Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, Kelly Clarkson, Jessie J and Jennifer Hudson. To make a good thing even better, The Roots will serve as the house band  and ?uestlove is set to double as the musical director for the night.

Sweet!  (Is anybody else geeked that The Roots are finally getting the mainstream shine they deserve?)

The ladies will be paying tribute to the birthplaces of soul music, including Chicago, Detroit, London, Memphis and Philadelphia. We’re sure Jilly from Philly will tackle that last one. Of course we’d argue that there are a few other places that are missing but we’ll take what we can get.

The annual award show will take place at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom and will air on December 19 at 9 p.m. on VH1.

Do you usually watch this awards show? Will you watch this year?

Photo courtesy of drfunkenberry.com

What’s more exciting than new heat from your favorite artist? A collaboration between two of your faves! While some folks are always taking advantage of someone else’s studio time (hello, Small Wayne), others are a little bit more combination shy. Here are some of our dream musical match-ups. Leave yours in the comments section!

President Barack Obama and Illadelphia’s the Roots both took to the stage in NYC recently for a fundraiser for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Nestled in the bright lights of the city’s theater district, the event was packed with people who paid between $44 and $1,000 to watch the Roots perform and listen to the President speak.

Madame Noire was there! Check out these exclusive pictures!

Before the Grammys kicked off, The Roots hosted their 7th annual jam session at The Music Box in L.A. The band was joined by some of our favorite artists, many of whom performed, as well as Hollywood actors. See who made an appearance in the pictures below: