Fallon Show's Questlove: NBC Approving Songs After Bachmann Debacle

The off color song about GOP presidential candidate and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann did not go off so well. Now, NBC is checking songs the Roots play on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, according to a report.

The Roots is the house band for the NBC talk show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon. The band became embroiled in controversy when it introduced Bachmann in November with the 1985 Fishbone song, Lyin' A** B****. Band member and leader Ahmir Questlove Thompson, who made the call on playing the song, issued a statement saying it was a spur-of-moment decision that was tongue-in-cheek.

Yet Thompson, a fan of Democratic President Barack Obama, had told an interviewer with Rolling Stone in November that he was gunning for Bachmann, from Minnesotata.

Now, NBC is reportedly checking the songs The Roots and Questlove will play on the Jimmy Fallon show for pre-approval. Thompson, the drummer, said in an interview that he's gotta clear a lot of the song choices with the network.

It's still a comedy show, so they promise not to step on my toes or that type of thing, but they definitely want to know the title of the song, the subject matter of the song, can it be seen as an insult? Thompson said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. It was kind of wrong for me to throw (NBC) under the bus without telling them what it was, so I understand from a business standpoint.

A day after Bachmann was embarrassed by the song she got a personal letter from NBC's vice president for programming apologizing, as did Fallon, the show's host with a tweet.

I'm honored that @michelebachmann was on our show yesterday and I'm so sorry about the intro mess. I really hope she comes back, Fallon wrote on Twitter.