19. Questlove
Known by his stage name “Questlove,” Ahmir Thompson is a hip hop musician and co-founder (together with Black Thought) of the hip hop group The Roots. It has been since 2014 that The Roots have been the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. As a highly adaptable drummer, Questlove has created a name for himself as someone who can adapt his technique to match the needs of any guest on the show. In the words of Charlie Hunter, a guitarist who has worked with Questlove on occasion, “That’s what’s so wonderful about Ahmir.” “He has the ability to sit in that pocket and drive it while thinking about a larger landscape.”
19. Questlove
18. Ramon ‘Tiki’ Fulwood
In the late 1960s, Ramon “Tiki” Fulwood began his professional musical career as the house drummer at the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His discovery was made by Eddie Hazel, the guitarist for the band The Parliaments, who immediately pleaded with the group’s leader, George Clinton, to include him in their lineup the next day. Clinton then pleaded with Tiki’s mother to allow him to accompany the band on tour, despite the fact that Tiki was only 17 years old at the time. His inclusion in the group was a contributing factor to the group’s transformation from a suit-wearing outfit to its now-iconic psychedelic appearance.
18. Ramon ‘Tiki’ Fulwood