Trump Deflects from Epstein Story by Bringing Back Fitness Test | Spike Lee, Zane Lowe, Olivia Carter | Thursday, July 31

Summary

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Episode Summary

Episode Title: Trump Deflects from Epstein Story by Bringing Back Fitness Test | Spike Lee, Zane Lowe, Olivia Carter
Release Date: August 1, 2025

---

Opening Monologue: Political Satire and Current Events

The episode begins with Jimmy Fallon delivering a sharp and humorous monologue that tackles recent political developments. Fallon addresses President Trump's attempt to divert attention from the Epstein scandal by reinstating the presidential fitness test in public schools. Highlighting Trump's focus on fitness, Fallon quips:

[01:16] Jimmy Fallon: "Trump was like, 'It's time to bring back my favorite sport, public humiliation.'"

Fallon continues to mock Trump's negotiation tactics, particularly focusing on the extension of tariff deadlines with Mexico and Brazil. He humorously portrays Trump in various scenarios, such as donning a minion costume to negotiate tariffs:

[02:26] Jimmy Fallon: "The deadline is now Halloween, which means Trump's gonna be making a deal with Mexico in his minion costume."

Transitioning to economic policies, Fallon discusses the Federal Reserve's decision to maintain interest rates despite Trump's pressure, deepening the feud between Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. To provide insight, Fallon introduces Tariq Trotter from The Roots:

[04:20] Jimmy Fallon: "So, initially, Donald Trump and Jerome Powell started off on really strong footing... but now, the pressure is mounting."

Interactive Segment: "One Answer Only" with Zane Lowe

In an engaging interactive game, Fallon invites Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s Global Creative Director, to host "One Answer Only." The game involves asking a trivia question where a correct answer results in the entire audience winning a prize. Fallon presents an intentionally convoluted and humorous list of options, ultimately leading the contestant to correctly choose "Taylor Swift":

[12:09] Contestant: "I think it's Taylor Swift."

[13:25] Jimmy Fallon: "That is correct. Congratulations. That means everyone is going home with a pint of Ben and Jerry's tonight."

Interview with Spike Lee: Film, Sports, and Personal Anecdotes

Spike Lee, an Oscar-winning director, joins Fallon to discuss his latest film, Highest to Lowest, set to release on August 15th in theaters and stream on Apple TV on September 5th. Their conversation delves into Lee's passion for basketball and his unique induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Lee shares personal stories about his family's involvement in music and sports:

[14:43] Spike Lee: "When Bob Dylan went electric, he didn't do it. Couldn't play electric bass. So Molo had to get a job."

[16:01] Jimmy Fallon: "What does it feel like?"

[16:08] Spike Lee: "Is that I didn't even know it existed. I got this call, and Billy Crystal and I went in together."

Lee reminisces about attending historic Knicks games and his enduring support for the team, highlighting memorable moments such as witnessing Willis Reed's iconic Game Seven performance:

[18:24] Spike Lee: "May 8, 1970. Game seven. I was there."

The interview also touches on Lee's collaborations with Denzel Washington, their mutual respect, and the creative synergy that defines their professional relationship:

[24:16] Jimmy Fallon: "You just did that one. You could take a photo."

[24:22] Spike Lee: "And that's how that film got made."

Conversation with Zane Lowe: Apple Music’s Decade of Innovation

Zane Lowe discusses Apple Music’s 10th anniversary, reflecting on the platform's growth and its commitment to artists and fans. Lowe emphasizes the importance of fostering genuine connections between musicians and their audiences:

[29:05] Zane Lowe: "Because we all work really hard and we're really lucky to get to do what we love and we stay true to the vision."

Fallon and Lowe engage in a dynamic dialogue about the evolution of the music industry, artist discovery, and the magic of music as a unifying force:

[30:06] Jimmy Fallon: "Isn't that wild?"

[32:00] Jimmy Fallon: "Yes, that's exactly right. Let artists, let's go. Keep making, keep creating."

Stand-Up Comedy: Olivia Carter’s Hilarious Insights

Comedian Olivia Carter delivers a standout performance, weaving personal anecdotes with sharp observational humor. She touches on topics such as dating mishaps, societal expectations, and her experiences working at an STD center:

[37:00] Olivia Carter: "Men will ask me what I like in bed. And I just say, I don't know when Japan surrendered."

Carter’s relatable and witty jokes about relationships and mental health resonate with the audience, providing a refreshing and humorous perspective on everyday challenges:

[37:40] Olivia Carter: "I know more about World War II than my own anatomy."

Closing Remarks: Promoting Future Performances and Show Wrap-Up

The episode concludes with Fallon promoting Olivia Carter's upcoming performances at The Comedy Attic in Bloomington, Indiana, on August 15th and 16th. He wraps up the show by thanking guests Spike Lee, Zane Lowe, Olivia Carter, and the Roots, ensuring listeners are reminded of the show's availability across various platforms:

[40:25] Jimmy Fallon: "Thanks for listening to the Tonight Show. Starring Jimmy Fallon. Don't forget to subscribe to get the latest episodes weekday mornings."

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Donald Trump:

  [01:53] "Back my favorite sport, public humiliation."

• Spike Lee:

  [22:13] "No, it really wasn't finance. Warner Brothers did not want Malcolm X to be over three hours."

• Zane Lowe:

  [29:20] "Because we all work really hard and we're really lucky to get to do what we love."

• Olivia Carter:

  [37:40] "I know more about World War II than my own anatomy."

---

This episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon masterfully blends political satire, in-depth interviews with prominent figures like Spike Lee and Zane Lowe, interactive audience segments, and standout comedic performances from Olivia Carter. Fallon’s ability to navigate diverse topics with humor and insight ensures an engaging experience for both regular listeners and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

From Studio 6P in Rockefeller center in the heart of New York City, it's.

The Tonight show, starring Jimmy Fallon. Tonight, join Jimmy and his guests, Spike Lee, Zane Lowe, comedian Olivia Carter.

And featuring the legendary Ruth's crew, 2167.

And now, here's your host, Janice Valley. Thank you very much, everybody. Enjoy yourself.

Welcome, everybody. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Tonight Show.

Oh, yeah, that's right. Thank you for being here.

Thank you for watching. Well, guys, today at the White House, President Trump signed an executive order to bring back the presidential fitness test in public schools. Yeah, Trump's very into fitness. In fact, right now, he's trying to run from the Epstein story as fast as he can. Yeah, the presidential fitness test is back. Trump was like, it's time to bring.

[Donald Trump]

Back my favorite sport, public humiliation.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Now, Trump says he wants to ensure America's future generations are strong, healthy and successful. At least I think that's what he said. He was gnawing on a KFC12 piece at the time. Meanwhile, tomorrow is Trump's major tariff deadline. And after saying the deadline would not be extended for any countries today, he gave Mexico 90 more days. TRUMP was like, great news.

[Donald Trump]

I made a deal with myself to extend the deadline.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yep, the deadline. The deadline is now Halloween, which means Trump's going to be making a deal with Mexico in his minion costume. Tariffs on banana. Banana. But Trump is actually starting to like Mexico now. When someone asks about the Epstein files, he's like, no hablo ingles. But Trump told Mexico it's the last time he's extending the deadline. And TikTok was like, yeah, sure it is. Yep, tomorrow is Trump's tariff deadline in one of the countries he has been negotiating with is Brazil. He just raised tariffs on them to 50%. Check out what he's been saying about the Brazilians.

[Donald Trump]

This is President Trump. I've debated doing this for a while, but I've finally decided it's time for me to get a full Brazilian trade deal. For too long, things have been very fuzzy, but I want it to be completely smooth down there. Some of you might say I'm ripping them all off. I mean, sure, it might sting a little bit, and if they resist, I'll send in the military. I'm talking privates out in the open. Sure, it might expose my staff to ridicule. It might even seem rash. But give some time and the trust will grow back thicker than ever. It's all a part of my plan to have a beautiful Brazilian legacy. A bbl. Wait, did that sound bad?

[Jimmy Fallon]

There you go. Well, some more big news out of Washington. The Federal Reserve announced that they are not lowering interest rates, even though President Trump pushed hard for them to do so. This deepens the feud between Trump and the Fed chair, Jerome Powell. It's a complex issue. So here to help us. Give us background. Is our own Tariq Trotter from the Roots. Tarek. Thanks, Jimmy.

So, initially, Donald Trump and Jerome Powell started off on really strong footing. Like to use an example, they were like Margo and Sophie from the Hunting Wives on Netflix. Much like Sophie, Jerome wasn't looking for drama.

Hang on, Trick. I. I gotta stop you right there. Well, are you confused, Jimmy?

I can go even further back into the Fed's history if that helps.

No, not necessary. I just think that you're. You're being a bit too kind to Sophie. I mean, she showed up to Maplebrook, Texas, determined to uproot her life.

Oh, give me a break. Well, she only moved there because her husband got a job with Jet Banks. Her life was out of her own control. She was yearning for connection.

The only thing she was yearning for was infidelity.

Oh, don't give me that. Margot played her.

Sophie opened up her heart, and it got stomped on.

Oh, sure, Tariq. Sure, sure, sure. Blame Margot. Blame Margot. Do you. Do you even understand how difficult her upbringing was? And now she's got this pressure to maintain her lifestyle as the future Texas first lady. And friendships with Callie Taylor and that robotic Stepford wife, Jill.

Don't you dare talk about Jill like that. But she was stuck in a stale marriage and supporting her son's future basketball career, all the while trying to keep a smile plastered. She was too obsessed with her son, and she used a church to get what she wanted. You know it's true. Admit it. Brad was an entitled high schooler doing the bare minimum in all aspects of his life. His girlfriend, Abby deserved better.

Yeah.

His best friend, Jamie deserved better.

Yeah.

And Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell deserves better.

That was really informative. Thanks, Tariq.

My pleasure. My pleasure.

Tariq Trotter, everyone. Well, switching gears, I saw that today. Chipotle gave away free guac for National Avocado Day. Not only that, Trump just extended it another 90 days. Yep. Free guac. Of course, the deal looked great at first, but after an hour, it was disgusting. Listen to this. Skechers just released a new line of kids shoes that have a hidden airtag compartment under the insole. They're also offering them to grandparents who wander off at the mall. Grandpa's over by the Panda Express. So it'll be. Well, this is while the radioactive wasp nest was just found at a site where the US Used to make nuclear bombs. Sounds scary, but don't worry. They're sending a dad with a wiffle ball bat to take care of it. All right, shut the door.

Hurry up. Shut the screen door.

Shut the. Everyone in. Where's the baby? Where's the baby? And finally, you guys, today is the last day of July. So I thought it'd be nice to give a little recap of the entire month. July is over. Moving on. Half the year has come and gone. I hope that it went well for you. Not like, oh, look at these two. Trump wanted to turn the page on the nation's Epstein Rage. What a scandal he's entangled.

[Spike Lee]

It's bigger than his swollen ankles.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Congress fighting on a hill passed a big beautiful bill. Trump said he might pardon Diddy. More drama.

[Olivia Carter]

Then this summer I turned pretty.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Love island was full of memes, drama, romance, STDs. Fortunately, no tsunami. I'm still thinking about I'm a mommy. Superman, Fantastic Four, Jurassic World, Happy Gilmore. So many movies you can view while.

[Spike Lee]

Spooning with your one of a kind human sized labubu.

[Jimmy Fallon]

By July, you run your course. Goodbye, heat waves and the fourth. Now it's August. Oh so nice. Almost time for Pumpkin spice.

We have a great show. Give it up for the roost everybody. Oh, what a show. What a show we have for you tonight.

He is an Oscar winning writer and director whose new film Highest to Lowest opens in theaters Aug. 15 and streams on Apple TV Sept. 5.

Spike Lee is here tonight.

He is a multi talented music producer, songwriter, DJ and radio host. He's also the global creative director and lead Host of Apple Music 1.

Zane Lowe is joining us this evening.

And she recently performed on the New Faces of Comedy showcase at the Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival. We got great stand up from Olivia Carter. Hey everyone. It's time to play the world's simplest game. I ask one audience member one trivia question and if they get it right, the entire audience goes home with a prize. How's that sound?

It's time to play one answer only.

Here we go.

One answer only. One answer only. One answer only. Get bored.

How you doing? What is your name and where are you from? I'm Ivan.

[Zane Lowe]

I'm from Mexico.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hey, welcome.

Thank you, thank you.

Thanks for being here. Okay, you heard the rules. I'm gonna ask you a single trivia question and possible answers. If you guessed correctly, everyone in our audience wins a prize. It's that easy. Are you ready? Got it. Okay, here's the question. This singer traveled the world selling out stadiums with their very popular eras tour. Is it A, Post Malone B, Bruno Mars C. Morgan Wallen? Or was it D, Miley Cyrus or E, Kendrick Lamar? F, Cocomelon G. Secretary of Defense Pete Hexel H. The Duolingo owl. I. Daniel Tiger. Not the famous kids character. A different Daniel Tiger. J. Stanley Tucci K. Stanley Tucci's brother Nathaniel. L. The cast of Ginny and Georgia. M. The concept of time. N. The smell of summer. Not the beach necessarily, but that unique smell that the warm air brings. The distant sound of children's laughter. The long summer nights where the neighborhood is bustling with an energy that signifies that this will be a summer we'll never forget. Oh, that feeling when you get hungry but can't decide what you want to eat so you end up eating a bowl of cereal again. P. The starting lineup for the 1993 New York Yankees. I'm sorry. We'll be right back after this brief mess. Too often, people are lifting bags of concrete incorrectly. Bend your knees, keep your back straight and use your leg muscles to lift. It's just that easy. That's so important to remember. Now back to the game. Zitq. A bag of loose pocket changes, but no pennies or dimes. R. Just chilling with the girls. Or S. Taylor Swift. You have four minutes on the clock. But if you need more, we can add more time. And if you know your answer, you can answer immediately. But remember, this is for everybody, so could you repeat them again? You want me to repeat this? Yes. A. I think it's Taylor Swift. I'll go with that. Judges. We have 25 judges listening to your answer.

That is correct. Congratulations. That means everyone is going home with a pint of Ben and Jerry's tonight. Dough ice cream. We'll be right back with more of the Tonight Show. Everybody. Hey, we did it. That was great. Our first guest is one of our all time favorites.

He's an Oscar winning writer and director. His latest movie, highest to lowest, opens in theaters nationwide August 15th and will be on Apple TV September 5th. Everyone, please welcome Spike Lee, New York's own. Come on. The crowd loves you. We love you so much. Spike Lee.

[Spike Lee]

Welcome. Glad to be back.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come on.

[Spike Lee]

Glad to be back. And my brother's over there.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, come on. You can't beat the real musicians. Yes, they are musicians. Yeah, we were just talking about your dad. How great a musician your dad was. I. I didn't realize He. He Played bass with everybody.

[Spike Lee]

I mean, he's on the. Bob Dylan.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Spike Lee]

Judy Collins on the first Simon Gar album, the first Gordon Lut album. And he. When Bob Dylan went electric, he didn't do it. Couldn't play electric bass. So Molo had to get a job. We were the star, but he was not gonna play electric bass. But later on, he did the scores for She's Gonna have It. School days. Come on, do the right thing, Mo Better blues so the best.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Shout out to your dad and mom.

[Spike Lee]

Yes, we were the star. She had to work.

[Jimmy Fallon]

She had to work.

[Spike Lee]

But he was not gonna play electric bass.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's wild. He was a real purist, pure folk artist. Of course, I love your movies. I love what you direct.

[Spike Lee]

We got love together anyway, man. I mean, the band, yourself, you've been.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Supportive of our show since back in the late night days, but I.

[Spike Lee]

Way, way back in the. Way back.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, but I also get to see you watching all the Knick games. And every time you watch a Knick game, they'll cut to Spike Lee rooting for the Knicks. And what's cool is. Yeah, right. I know. We got. I know. Yeah. But what's cool is right now, your hall of Fame level. And this is real. I'm not kidding. Last year, you were. As a fan, you were inducted into the Basketball hall of Fame.

Come on. Yeah, come on.

What. What does it feel like?

[Spike Lee]

Is that I didn't even know it existed. I got this call, and Billy Crystal and I went in together. But here's the thing, though. When I was growing up, Jack Nicholson and we had the form, and later on. And I love his films, too, but I said one day, Lord, if I ever make any money, I'm getting tickets to the Knicks.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. You want some courtside seats?

[Spike Lee]

No, I wasn't. I didn't start courtside, Just.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Any tickets.

[Zane Lowe]

No.

[Spike Lee]

The old guard in different sections had color. So when the Knicks got Patrick Ewan, I ran to the Garden, slept over the night so I could be first in line. So I got my season tickets of first year Patrick Ewan. Patrick Ewan's rookie year.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, I love Patrick Ewan. Love Patrick Ewing.

[Spike Lee]

And so every year, I move down.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow. You got closer and closer to the team, and now you're in the hall of Fame forever. The Basketball hall of Fame.

[Spike Lee]

That's cool.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And I know. I didn't even know it even existed. No, but it does. And you got a ring and everything. I saw the whole thing. I saw it. I. I watched the whole. The Ceremony and It was actually beautiful. I dug it. I go, no one better. And it's so you. I just saw you recently at this event. We both went to this event. We're all dressed up and everything.

[Spike Lee]

I go, SP was the Met Gala.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The Met Gal.

[Spike Lee]

The Black gala.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes, it was. Yeah.

[Spike Lee]

It was black.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, it was. I don't know. I don't know why I was there, but I. I was there. Somehow.

I snuck in.

I. I snuck in. I snuck in. I snuck in. Yeah. Yeah.

50.

[Spike Lee]

50.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But you go, what's happening? You go, dude, the Knicks one. The Knicks one. Because you were watching on your.

[Spike Lee]

Yeah, that was. That was a home game, too.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That was a great one. Yeah. Oh, no.

[Spike Lee]

Was that in Boston?

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, it was away game.

[Spike Lee]

Yeah, it was in Boston.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It was in Boston. But everyone's wondering, like, why is Spike not there? You go. It's in Boston.

[Spike Lee]

It's cool. But there was a lot of people who had their phones out.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Of course, they had to watch the game. Yeah. It was the best.

[Spike Lee]

You couldn't watch just the score. The score.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And they're gonna. And they're gonna win. They're gonna win this year, right?

[Spike Lee]

Quick story.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Spike Lee]

May 8, 1970. Game seven. I was there.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You were not there.

[Spike Lee]

The Willis Reed game. My father's lawyer had season tickets, and he promised me there was a game seven. I can go. So you saw him when he. May 8, 1970. I was 13 years old.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He's limping out.

[Spike Lee]

Limped?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Limping out of the thing. Coming back to the court.

[Spike Lee]

Not the right leg. He was limping.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, yeah. Sorry. I rewrote the script.

[Spike Lee]

I've been the World Cup, World Series, Super Bowls. I never heard a noise as loud at the Garden when he limped out because he had to get the shot before. So both the Lakers and the Knicks were doing the layup line. And when Willis walked out, the entire Los Angeles Lakers froze. We're talking about Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor. But he froze. Wilt dragged his leg, the free. I mean, Willis hit the first two in practice. The layup line, the first two in the game. Don't say it's the. Willis regained. The Walt Frazier.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No.

[Spike Lee]

Cause he had 36 points.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I mean, he had a crazy DeWalt Frazier game.

[Spike Lee]

I mean, DeWalt Frazier.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Spike Lee]

You asked. That's what Walt thinks.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I get goosebumps even just seeing. I see a clip on it, I go, just. You were there for that.

[Spike Lee]

So we. This next championship was 72, 73. So do the math.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's been A while.

[Spike Lee]

Been a minute.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This is our year.

This is gonna be the year. I know.

Can I ask you, Lord, I know. We got the. The Philly people over there. Yeah, we got Philly over there.

[Spike Lee]

Talk about. You better talk your center.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, yeah. They get serious when they talk Philly sports over there. I want to ask you some stories about you. About. And just see if they're true. If you can tell me the stories about you. Okay, cool. This is a photo I have of you at the Garden sitting next to Prince. Okay.

[Spike Lee]

Right. That was the court sign. It would be All Star at the Garden.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And is it true that you asked him for a guitar at this game?

[Spike Lee]

It wasn't at that game, but he looked at me like I had five heads.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You asked him for a guitar?

[Spike Lee]

Yes. And a year later this big ass guitar case shows up.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It was you. He gave you. That's un.

Did you have that.

A year later? That's cool, man. He's cool.

[Spike Lee]

I miss him. I miss him. I miss him. I miss him. We all do.

[Jimmy Fallon]

We all do. Our brother. Is it true that you celebrated a New York Yankees championship with the team in the locker room?

[Spike Lee]

It was the World Series against the Mets. And somehow I ended up in the Yankees locker room.

[Jimmy Fallon]

They let me in. Of course they let you in.

[Spike Lee]

And it was straight to Derek Jean's locker.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. I saw his glove.

[Spike Lee]

I put it on. I said, get this. He said, no.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You already got Prince's guitar. I can't give you everything, man. Wait till Jeter did not get his glove. No, Jeter. You should give Spike a glove. Come on.

[Spike Lee]

Hall of Famer.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He's the best. I got a pair of sneakers from Jeter. Kind. Yes.

[Spike Lee]

All right. Game.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Game. I wore it when I threw out the first pitch at Yank Stadium.

[Spike Lee]

Snickers would have spikes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Sneakers.

[Spike Lee]

All right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Spike Lee]

Police. Right. All right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No sneakers.

[Spike Lee]

All right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Try to get me. Try to get me.

[Spike Lee]

They were Jordans though, right?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Spike Lee]

All right. Jordans.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, they were. Yeah. You probably got me in trouble, man. Is it true that Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan helped finance your movie, Malcolm X?

[Spike Lee]

No, it really wasn't finance. Warner Brothers did not want Malcolm X to be over three hours. And I was not going to do that. And so they stopped production of the film, gave the film over to the bond company. They sent wretched letters to all the people post production. We were fired. I put half my style into movie from the get go.

[Jimmy Fallon]

What would you have done?

[Spike Lee]

Well, I had to become a student of Malcolm to do the film. And Malcolm always Talked about often self determination, self reliance. And so I know some. I know some rich black folks.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And.

[Spike Lee]

I had that number.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Spike Lee]

So I made a list. But here's the thing, though. This cannot be a tax exemption. Cannot? It just. It's a gift.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It has. You have to just give.

[Spike Lee]

So I made a list, and every time, no one said no, and every time I asked, I asked for a person got more money, and it was Prince and Janet Jackson and Tracy Chapman, you know, wow. So the final two people were on my list. Magic Johnson and my brother. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Fort Greene. Michael Jordan. There's a hospital. Hospital. My neighbor Jordan was born there. Mike Tyson and Bernard and Albert King, all born in Cumberland Hospital, Fort Green, Brooklyn. Anyway.

[Jimmy Fallon]

What? I didn't know that.

[Spike Lee]

Yeah. So every time I ask the gift, I'm begging hat in hand.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Spike Lee]

Ask for more money. Again, I said the last two people, Magic and Money. That's Mike. His nickname is Money, too. So I just let it slip to Michael how much Magic gave.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hey, I know that. I know already what you're doing. It was the yucky joke.

I know anything.

Yo, yo, yo. The sand.

Jordan said what? Michael Gay What?

[Spike Lee]

Okay.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Spike, boom, boom.

That's how you do it.

[Spike Lee]

And that's how that film got made.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you for telling me that story. I'd love to hear that.

[Spike Lee]

I did not know that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Let's tell you about your new film.

[Spike Lee]

Right? Denzel Washington.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The one and only Denzel Washington. Getting un. Oh, yeah, absolutely. I agree.

[Spike Lee]

D from Money Earned Mount Vernon.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This movie's getting unbelievable reviews, by the way. Asap. Rocket.

[Spike Lee]

Yeah. Don't sleep on asap.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I did. I didn't know he could act. He can really act.

[Spike Lee]

Denzel and ASAP go toe to toe. And what's interesting is that even before I. I, you know, got involved with this film, I always thought that ASAP looked like he could be Denzel's son. They had a big resemblance. And so when you see it on a screen, it has a element of father and son, you know, and they.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You saw that at work.

[Spike Lee]

Don't sleep in asap. I mean, he.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No.

[Spike Lee]

Because a lot. I'm tired. Done five films with Denzel, and a lot of times when he's in a scene with somebody, they just get overwhelmed. This is one of the world's greatest.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Actors, living actors today, going up against the greatest.

[Spike Lee]

But ASAP wasn't having that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Really. He played with them, huh?

[Spike Lee]

Toe to toe.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Spike Lee]

I mean, they were going at it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

How do we describe the film? Highest to Lowest.

[Spike Lee]

Well, it's. We were talking about this before. It's a reinterpretation, not a remake of the great Japanese film High and Low by the great Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. And my fifth film with Denzel, In Order went to 5 mo Better Blues, Malcolm X. He Got Game. Inside man and Denzel and I did not know There was an 18 year gap between Inside man and this film. We didn't even know it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's been 18 years since you worked together.

[Spike Lee]

Yeah, I mean we see.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Did you just say, hey, by the way, we haven't done or did someone we didn't know. You didn't know?

[Spike Lee]

We didn't know. Someone said it separately, but we found.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Out and was like, let's do something.

[Spike Lee]

But here's the thing. It wasn't like we had to reintroduce ourselves, you know, so we were like, let's go.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Fast pause.

[Spike Lee]

Let's go, let's go.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's great. He's like a music mogul, that right?

[Spike Lee]

Yes. His, his record label is stacking hits.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Stacking hits.

[Spike Lee]

And he's the hair parent to the late, great Quincy Jones. And we mentioned. Quincy's mentioned the film and that was. And then he passed after that. So I missed that guy. We. But it's a joy when you, I mean you, you, you guys know what I'm talking about. When you, when you're vibing, you got your, your people and your hit. It's just like nothing better than that. And that's. And Denzel, I have that relationship. And our families are close. Two wives are close and it's one of his sons, John David was the star of blackkklansman, so. And then I saw him on Othello on Broadway. You know, he killed that too. So I'm just, I'm blessed.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm blessed. We're blessed too. We get to see it.

Ooh, come on now. Spike Lee, everybody. Highest to Lowest is in theaters nationwide August 15th and will be on Apple TV. Plus September 5th. More Tonight show after the break. Stick around.

We get to heart the music for the raps and special sound. Robes long enough to be considered a gown Door's brim sharp enough to be considered a crown when the plate come take some and pass it around Legendary boots gone the gate they'll vibe off these snakes up in the street Snake shit out.

Our next guest is a Grammy nominated.

Producer, songwriter, DJ and radio host who is the global creative director and lead host of Apple Music 1. Everyone please welcome Zane Lowe.

Thank you.

Welcome to the Tonight show. Usually you're the one doing the interviewing, so. This is gonna be weird. I'll be happier. You might be happier. No, no, it's gonna be fun. I'm excited. I wanted to ask. I have so many questions. First off, apple music. Congrats. 10th anniversary.

[Zane Lowe]

Yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's a big deal. It's a big deal. Yeah. Thank you. No, I'll accept that applause on behalf of a lot of people. No guarantees. When you first start this new venture. No, no. What are the memories of when you were first starting Apple?

[Zane Lowe]

Oh, hell, no.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm not going back there. Come on, we have therapists waiting. Oh, please.

[Zane Lowe]

It was Fox. It was just really fast and it was exciting, and it was a steep learning curve, and I was working with people out of mind for a long time.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Does it feel like 10 years?

[Zane Lowe]

No, not at all. Because we all work really hard and we're really lucky to get to do what we love and we stay true to the vision. I'm proud of that. I mean, Apple Music really cares about the artists and it cares about the fans, and we do right by that. And the only way I could figure out was 10 years was I took a step back and took a look at our kids and realized that when I started, they were this big, and now they're bigger.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Taller than you?

[Zane Lowe]

Yeah, Taller than me.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Isn't that wild?

[Zane Lowe]

It's crazy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's great.

[Zane Lowe]

How are your kids now?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, they're fantastic. How old are they? They're 12 and 10. Right. Don't try to change this. Don't interview me. I felt it. I'm like, oh, let me just tell you. I guess they're. I'm just getting warmed up.

No, no, no, no.

Let's talk about. You're really good. The Apple Music studio space is opening up. Tell me about this new. And when does it start?

[Zane Lowe]

New tricks, new toys. It's gonna be great. Pretty state of the art. You know, it's probably the last radio studio I'll. If you think about it, because I'm not planning on going anywhere. And it's the best. It's like high tech. Amazing. Really, like, beautifully, you know, thoughtfully done. And we're gonna have a lot of amazing people come through. You gotta come through, then I can talk to you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This is in. This is in Los Angeles. Yeah. Yeah. Doesn't it feel good? I mean, I've known you for a while, but when you break an artist and you see a new artist and no one's ever heard of, and now 10 years later, you go, yeah, I was Adele at the time. And you go, adele? What are you talking about? It's a privilege.

[Zane Lowe]

It's a real privilege. But the most important thing is to recognize your role in all of that and to know that it's just an honor to be in the right place, to be able to play music and share that experience. And music is magic. And so watching an audience and an artist find each other from a distance and being able to even make that connection is such an honor.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yep.

[Zane Lowe]

And then you have to know. To walk her back because, you know, the artists do all the work. All you can do is just help as and where, you know.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, exactly. But do you ever get. Do you ever fanboy out when someone comes on? You're like, oh, yeah, I fanboy out.

[Zane Lowe]

Well, I'm fanboying out right now. I mean, like, this is like, That's a perpetual state for me. I mean, so are they.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So are they. No, no, no, no, no.

[Zane Lowe]

Let's be real.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, they. No, I mean about me. They fanboy about me every single night. Fair enough.

[Zane Lowe]

Fair enough.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You just did that one. You could take a photo. Yeah, of course.

[Zane Lowe]

No, no, of us. Oh, my bad.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, I mean, I'm a.

[Zane Lowe]

That's what I'm known for. For better or for worse is.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Me too.

[Zane Lowe]

Yeah. The most enthusiastic person.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's amazing, isn't it?

Yeah, it's great. Yeah, it's great.

Oh, I really do. But I do fanboy out. I get excited. I love it. Because I am a fan. I mean, and I started. Nothing wrong with that. Like, I mean, you know, I get it.

[Zane Lowe]

You know, having a critical voice is super important.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And I.

[Zane Lowe]

And I have, you know, friends of mine who are really critical about the arts or anything in life, and I love them for that. But I just want art to win. I want music to win.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, me too. I want it to win so much. I want all of it to win. I want art to win. I love that card out there too.

[Zane Lowe]

By the way, for artists right now. I mean, I don't need to get into it, but, you know, I don't know. Like, I don't know if I. I don't know, man. If I'm gonna be that person on the end of the pier fishing, I wanna fish. I don't want someone to catch all.

[Spike Lee]

The fish and put it on the.

[Zane Lowe]

Shore for me, if you know what I mean.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You know what I mean?

[Zane Lowe]

Like, it's like, let's make art, right? Musicians make music because they want to make music. They pick up an Instrument. It's hard. It's supposed to be hard. You want to learn about something, about yourself when you do it. You want to learn to express yourself and tell your truth. I don't need efficiency to do that for me. Go and do something about the stuff I don't want to do so I have more time to make art.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes, that's exactly right. Let artists, let's go.

Keep making, keep creating.

Keep making.

Say hello, everybody. We'll be right back with stand up from Olivia Carson. Our next guest can be seen at.

The Comedy Attic in Bloomington, Indiana, August 15th and 16th, making her tonight show debut. Please welcome the very funny Olivia Carter.

Hello.

[Olivia Carter]

I'm so happy to be here. Thank you so much. This is cool. I have a boyfriend. It's cool. It's nice not to have a one that got away. I do have a few that got out. You know, one time I asked out my personal trainer and he said, sorry, I'm not attracted to you. And I was like, well, whose fault is that? Kind of feel like you should sleep with me or give me my money back. And then the last guy I was seeing, he was really close to his ex because they were still dating. And I know that men have a hard time with it, too. One of my male friends was like, I haven't gotten laid in nine months. And I was like, oh, were you pregnant? You know, and he was like, no, my grandma died. And I was like, oh, you guys sound like you were really close. And then he was like, when's the last time you got laid? And I was like, honestly, last night. My grandma's still alive. So I also don't really understand the rules. Like clap if you feel like on the first date, the man should pay. Okay, all right. Okay. You have jobs. All right. I think in this modern world, it should just be the person who's trying to sleep with the other person, the man. And then if two women go out, the waiter pays. And if two guys go out, my dad loses his mind. I used to work at an STD center. Maybe some of you recognize me. It was fun. Whenever the women would come in, I would ask for their ID insurance card and also a picture of the guy. Cause I can tell you what you have from that. This one girl was like, I don't know. He had a mullet. You don't have much time left. And that was back home. I'm originally from Kansas, and I remember one year in middle school, all the guys got together and they made a master list of who had the best Butts. And it was a good way to learn about Excel. No, what happened actually is a teacher found the list of female students names, and then he figured out what it was, which is weird. He was like, I wasn't sure at first. So then I made my own list, same list. And growing up, I had really bad anxiety. And in the Midwest, they didn't really have the dialogue for mental health problems. They're just kind of like, she's creative. Like, I just started going to therapy. You know, you can lie in there.

[Spike Lee]

Yeah.

[Olivia Carter]

She's like, what do you want to talk about today? And I'm like, my engagement. Ha ha. She's so stupid. But one thing that I do really admire is, like, the mental strength of a Midwestern grandpa. You know how they aren't allowed to be sad? Cause that would have been gay. Like, my grandpa was in the war. So my whole childhood, he was like, my generation bore the burden of war. You know? What trauma does your generation have to deal with? And I'm like, I don't know. Hearing about the war all the time.

[Spike Lee]

Yep, yep, yep.

[Olivia Carter]

I know more about World War II than my own anatomy. Men will ask me what I like in bed. And I just say, I don't know when Japan surrendered. And they're like, no role play. And I'll be like, okay, I'm Mussolini.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You know, I've been bad.

[Olivia Carter]

And my brother still lives at home. He just got engaged. I don't really like his fiance. I talk about it a lot publicly. Yeah. She hasn't worked in two years because she's trying to write a children's book. And that can't take more than an hour. Yeah. And I know she doesn't like me either. Cause she's always like, God, you're so thin. And I'm like, so are children's books. And I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna ruin their wedding. And I've decided I'm gonna lose a concerning amount of weight. Like a conversation's worth amount of weight. And I'm gonna roll up there like I'm on a hunger strike. Into the children of America. Get a new book. I'm Olivia Carter. Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Bud. Thank you, Olivia. See her at the Comedy Attic in Bloomington, Indiana, August 15th and 16th. We'll be right back, everybody. Oh, my God.

Come on.

My bank. See Spike Lee, Zane Lowe, Olivia Carter once again and the Roots. Thank you for watching. Good night, everybody. Thank you.

[Spike Lee]

God.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Working, Mr. Get involved. Gotta get involved. Get into it.

Thanks for listening to the Tonight show. Starring Jimmy Fallon. Don't forget to subscribe to get the latest episodes weekday mornings. Wherever you get your podcasts, Watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon, weeknights on NBC and streaming on Peacock.