A History of Rap by Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake, & The Roots

Justin Timberlake was a guest on “Late Night” to promote The Social Network last night, and like most people with an ounce of musical taste, he took the time to lavish the Roots with well deserved praise. That served as a segue for Fallon and Timberlake to launch into a three-minute medley of hip-hop classics, starting with the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” before touching on a variety of numbers from acts like the Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg when he was good, plus modern schlock like “Soulja Boy” before closing with Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.”

Video below. Watch it now, because NBC’s online rights to the music will expire in a couple of days.

Given that they’re two white boys — one of them wearing a suit, for God’s sake – it’s a pretty impressive effort. Personally, I think they should’ve done an all-Beasties medley. Not for the sake of racial accuracy, but because Fallon and Timberlake are positively uncanny at replicating the Beasties’ sound.

Also, I have a new rule about “Empire State of Mind”: if you are white, you’re not allowed to rap the lyric “I’ll be hood forever.” It’s just wrong. I suggest “I’ll be good forever.” Much more fitting.