Samuel L. Jackson showed off his formidable poetry slam skills during The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he took on the government shutdown news and President Trumps border wall. The Roots set the mood with a jazzy soundtrack as host Jimmy Fallon and Jackson took turns at the mic.
Fallon led off the slam, launching with a joke on the Oscars not having a host. Might seem wrong without an opening song, but the show must go on he quipped. Besides its still gonna be nine hours long. Yawn, Fallon added, snapping to the rhythm. The pair took turns, with Fallon also addressing winter storms and New Years resolutions.
Jackson joined in for the snaps before taking center stage to lament the government shutdown. Longest shut down in history, he began, drawling out the first word for emphasis. The record is beat, what a feat/People hitting the street while the elite compete/Resources deplete, he rhymed. If only they could shut down the Presidents tweets.
The actor also lambasted Trumps drive for a Mexican border wall. Wall, wall, wall, Jackson repeated. Wall, wall, wall, is that all, all, all you can say?/I dont care if its concrete, steel or papier mch/Guess what, Donald, Mexico aint gonna pay/No way, Jose.
Before he could finish his couplets, Fallon cut him off from delivering the swear word he is famous for using. So cut it out, cause we aint no suckers, Jackson said. Come up with the money yourself, you cheap motherf.
However, Jackson continued and got the bleep treatment. The TSA is M.I.A./Theyre calling in sick, cause the governments shut down and work is a bitch/So keep your laptop in the bag/And keep those shoes on, the workers are gone/So just blame it on Don. Things are sliding past security/Man, its getting insane, he asserted as his voice rose for the ultimate punchline. Ive had it with these mother(bleep) snakes on these mother(bleep) plane.