Dave Chappelle supplied the narration, Black Thought rapped, and Tiffany Gouché brought the heavenly vocals when J.Period performed his new song “All in Your Head” on Wednesday’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. As Deadline notes, it was the first late-night set played for a live studio audience since the pandemic shutdowns began last year.
The song appears on J.Period’s April EP J.PERIOD Presents… Story to Tell (Chapter One), which is a fitting title for what we hope is the beginning of a return to normalcy. Not all of the performers made it to the 30 Rock studios, though; Chappelle pre-taped his narration, but this allowed a splash of digital wizardry to enhance the storybook theme. After he said, “And now, ladies and gentleman, it is my pleasure to introduce Story to Tell,” the screen froze, CGI colored pencils scribbled over his face, and viewers were treated to a graphic of a turning page.
As a member of the Tonight Show house band The Roots, Black Thought knew his way around the stage. He traded off front-and-center with Gouché, so that they stayed socially distant even while sharing the same space. For her part, she sang in a restrained, mature voice, keeping her soulful instrument pitched just above a whisper, and only occasionally letting loose on the high notes. J.Period added texture with some furious live scratching, and you can check out the performance below.
Yesterday, Dave Chappelle unveiled his new podcast The Midnight Miracle co-starring Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Earlier this year, Chappelle’s Show finally returned to Netflix with Chappelle’s blessing.
