Love them or hate them, musical performances on late-night shows like Fallon, SNL, and Colbert have become a staple for artists to debut their new songs. At worst, these performances force artists into an uncomfortable scenario in which they have to perform censored versions of their hit singles in front of a predominantly white and middle-aged audience. But at best, late night performances are a chance for an artist to reimagine their songs in a new light with live instrumentation. The following are recent examples from the last 10 years of the creativity that can come from reconstructing hip hop songs with a live arrangement on late night television.
