Stro Elliot

Stro Elliot
Stro Elliot
	Stro Elliot (right) with Black Thought and The Roots at The Blue Note NYC in 2025
Background information
Birth name	Brian Roberson
Also known as	The 89th Key
Genres	Hip hop; Neo soul; Funk; Jazz; Jazz fusion; Rock;
Occupation	Musician
Member of	The Roots, The Tonight Show Band
Formerly of	The Procussions
Website	www.stroelliot.com

Stro Elliot is an American producer, multi-instrumentalist, and member of the hip hop band The Roots, joining the band in 2017. Elliot plays keyboards, percussion, and does sampling with The Roots in the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.^[1] As a multi-instrumentalist, Stro employs elements of beatbox, percussion, sampling, tambourine, finger drumming, and keyboards.^[2]

Quick Facts Background information, Birth name ...

Elliot was living in Los Angeles, CA for fifteen years before joining The Roots in 2017 after being invited by Questlove.^[3] He has cited DJ Jazzy Jeff as one of his mentors, who encouraged him to take the job on The Tonight Show.^[4]

Stro Elliot was an original member of The Procussions, an underground rap group that formed in 1998 in Colorado Springs, along with Mr. J. Medeiros, Resonant (aka Rez), Qq, and Vise Versa.^[5] The Procussions toured with Common, the Pharcyde, Xzibit, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Run-DMC and Ugly Duckling.

Elliot is a classically trained musician, who grew up playing guitar, piano, trumpet, and drums.^[6]

Discography