Night in, night out, The Roots invade your household performing on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Rap’s greatest band payed dues before they were TV regulars. Hearing them on the mainstream airwaves was like an experimental blend of Coke and cranberry juice. The Roots delivered their late night one-two punch when Black Thought was a guest on WKCR in ye olde ’90s. Black Thought’s live cypher with Common, Pharoahe Monch and Absolute on Bobbito and Stretch Armstrong’s show would later be canonized on Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1. A Grammy nomination later, Tariq Trotter and The Roots crew couldn’t be stopped at being a college radio favorite in NY. Black Thought surprised Stretch at Hot 97 for XL Radio during The Roots’ promo run for Things Fall Apart. Here’s a radio rip of Black Thought’s “head-top lyrics.” Click here to download.