Roger Troutman
Encyclopedia
Roger Troutman was the lead singer of the band Zapp
who helped spearhead the Funk
movement and heavily influenced West Coast hip hop
due to the scene's heavy sampling of his music over the years. Troutman was well known for his use of the talk box
, a device that is connected to an instrument (frequently a keyboard) to create different vocal effects. Roger used a custom-made talkbox—the Electro Harmonix "Golden Throat," as well as a Yamaha
DX100 FM synthesizer. As both lead singer of Zapp and in his subsequent solo releases, he scored a bevy of funk and R&B hits throughout the 1980s. In his later years, he was mostly known for singing the chorus to the hip-hop classic, "California Love
".
, Roger was the fourth of ten children. He was a late-arriving member of Parliament-Funkadelic
and played on the band's final Warner Brothers' album The Electric Spanking of War Babies
. Beforehand, Troutman had formed various bands with his four brothers, including Little Roger and the Vels and Roger and the Human Body. In 1977, he and the Human Body issued their first single "Freedom". Within two years, Roger and his brothers were discovered by George Clinton
, who signed the newly-christened Zapp to his Uncle Jam Records label in 1979. Zapp made their professional television debut on the first and only Funk Music Awards show. A year later, as Uncle Jam Records was forced to close, Zapp signed to Warner Bros. Records
and released their self-titled debut, which yielded the Bootsy Collins produced & Troutman-composed hit, "More Bounce to the Ounce." The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Soul Singles
chart in the fall of 1980. The debut album reached the top 20 of the Billboard 200
and firmly launched Zapp and Roger into the national spotlight.
Between 1980 and 1985, Zapp released gold-selling albums such as Zapp
, Zapp II, Zapp III and New Zapp IV U and released top ten R&B hit singles such as "Be Alright", "Dance Floor", "I Can Make You Dance", "Heartbreaker", "It Doesn't Really Matter" - which was a tribute to black artists of the past and present, and the Charlie Wilson
and Shirley Murdock
-assisted funk ballad, "Computer Love". Zapp's hit making magic faded shortly after the release of their fifth album, Vibe, in 1989. The album would become the group's final studio album though they continued to release singles into the 1990s releasing the hits "Slow & Easy" and "Mega Medley", which put together a collection of the group's hit singles in a remix. Throughout Zapp's tenure, the original five-member lineup grew to around fifteen. Troutman also made a habit of producing solo efforts for Zapp band members and associated acts. In 1993, the group scored their biggest-selling album when a compilation album, Zapp & Roger: All the Greatest Hits, was released. Featuring remixed cuts of Roger's solo singles and featuring the "Mega Medley", the album sold over two million copies giving the collective their most successful album to date.
. Featuring his frenetic funk cover of Marvin Gaye
's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine
", the song exploded to number one on the R&B singles chart helping the album sell over a million copies. The album also featured the hit, "So Ruff, So Tuff", which was similar to "More Bounce..." as were most Roger/Zapp singles during this time. In 1984, Troutman issued his second solo album, The Saga Continues, which featured the singles "Girl Cut It Out", "It's in the Mix" - which was dedicated to Soul Train
and its host Don Cornelius
in one verse, and a cover of Wilson Pickett
's "In the Midnight Hour
", which featured gospel
group The Mighty Clouds of Joy. In 1987, Troutman scored his most successful solo album with Unlimited!, which featured the massive hit, "I Want to Be Your Man
", which rose to number one R&B and number three on the Billboard Hot 100
. In 1988, Troutman worked with Scritti Politti
providing talk box
vocals on the hit "Boom There She Was". Three years later, Troutman released his final solo album with Bridging the Gap, featuring the hit "Everybody (Get Up)". Alongside his successful careers as Zapp member and solo star, Troutman also became a hands-on producer and writer for other artists including Shirley Murdock
, whose 1985 platinum debut featured the Roger-produced hit, "As We Lay". He also produced for Zapp member Dale DeGroat on his solo efforts. He worked with Elvis Costello
as a guest appearance on 1991's Mighty Like a Rose
on the song "The Other Side of Summer".
In 1989, NBA Entertainment
selected Troutman among a variety of renowned candidates to record a tribute song called "I'm So Happy" for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
, who at the time was in the final year of his record-breaking, 20-year career in the NBA.
's 1993 debut, Doggystyle
. In 1995 he was featured on Eazy-E's post-mortem album Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton
on the last track Eternal E along with DJ Yella. The same year Troutman agreed to enlist vocals on 2Pac and Dr. Dre
's single, "California Love
". The song became Troutman's biggest-selling and most successful single to date as the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over two million copies giving Troutman a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. This success led to Troutman being included in a top ten R&B hit cover of The Persuaders
' "Thin Line Between Love and Hate
", which he produced and enlisted the talk box alongside Shirley Murdock
and R&B group H-Town
. The A Thin Line Between Love and Hate movie soundtrack also included a club hit "Chocolate City". In 1998, he appeared in a remix version of Sounds of Blackness
' "Hold On (A Change Is Coming)," which sampled Zapp's "Doo-Wah Ditty (Blow That Thing)". Throughout the 1990s, Roger was promoted heavily by Timothy Olague
Entertainment in shows at emerging Indian Casinos in Arizona and California. Troutman also had a career with Sounds of Blackness.
was discovered dead in a car a few blocks away with a single gunshot wound to the head. A pistol
was found inside the vehicle, which matched the description of a car leaving the scene of Roger Troutman's shooting according to witnesses. The gun found with Larry Troutman also matched the one which fired the fatal shots into Roger, indicating that Larry had shot Roger and then taken his own life. With both men dead, and with no witnesses to whatever confrontation preceded the shooting, the specific motive for the attack remains unknown. Friends and family were able to offer only a general explanation that there had been rising tension between the brothers over issues such as Larry's financial troubles and Roger's desire to dissolve their business partnership. However, given that the two had always been especially close to one another, and with neither man having a history of violence, no one had suspected that those issues might be significant enough to portend bloodshed between them.
Roger Troutman, who lived 24 years in the Dayton area, left 6 sons: Roger Lynch (January 31, 1970 - January 22, 2003), Larry Gates, Lester Gates, Brent Lynch, Ryan Stevens and Taji J. Troutman; 5 daughters, Daun Shazier, Hope Shazier, Summer Gates, Mia Paris Collins, Gene Nicole Anderson; and 4 grandchildren. In remembrance, Roger's nephew Clet Troutman sang "Amazing Grace" through a talkbox at his funeral.
sampled "More Bounce to the Ounce" for their breakthrough 1988 hit, "You Gots to Chill". Credited with being one of the forefathers of G-funk
and the West Coast hip-hop scene, his frenetic hand-clapped, bass-driven beats inspired the productions of songs released by DJ Quik
, Eazy-E
, Warren G
, Spice 1
, Tupac Shakur
, Snoop Dogg
, Dr. Dre
, E-40
, Ice Cube
, Brotha Lynch Hung
, Sicx and even East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
on his 1997 song, "Going Back to Cali". Troutman, having been influenced by Stevie Wonder
, put the talk box to good use in the '80s and that sound was heard in other funk and urban productions throughout the 1980s bringing in the electro-funk
.
Rapper/Producer DJ Quik
's second track on his 2005 album Trauma titled "Intro for Roger" is dedicated to Roger Troutman, who he credits teaching him the voice box as used extensively on Quik's 1995 album Safe & Sound. He also composed a dedication track on his 2000 album Balance & Options
titled "Roger's Groove".
Rapper Nas
, also referred to Roger and Larry Troutman's death in his 2007 song, "Blunt Ashes", off his Hip Hop Is Dead
album.
The song and associated music video of "Sexual Eruption
" by Snoop Dogg
is understood to be a tribute to Troutman as well.
Kool Keith
, under the alias Dr. Octagon, referenced him in "Technical Difficulties" from his 1996 breakthrough Dr. Octagonecologyst, "Like Roger my funk is more powerful than Troutman".
Tech N9ne shouts out Roger in the single 2010 "O.G" rapping "get her hot and ready listing to Roger Troutman" the voice box is also used through out the song. He also has a song with Troutman called Twisted off of his 2001 album Anghellic
, which interpolates Troutman's I Want to Be Your Man
.
Zapp (band)
Zapp is a soul and funk band formed in 1978 by brothers Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman, Terry Troutman, Bobby Glover and Gregory Jackson [Cincinnati Ohio Funk Keyboardist]...
who helped spearhead the Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
movement and heavily influenced West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
due to the scene's heavy sampling of his music over the years. Troutman was well known for his use of the talk box
Talk box
A talk box is an effects unit that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by lip syncing, or by changing the shape of the mouth...
, a device that is connected to an instrument (frequently a keyboard) to create different vocal effects. Roger used a custom-made talkbox—the Electro Harmonix "Golden Throat," as well as a Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
DX100 FM synthesizer. As both lead singer of Zapp and in his subsequent solo releases, he scored a bevy of funk and R&B hits throughout the 1980s. In his later years, he was mostly known for singing the chorus to the hip-hop classic, "California Love
California Love
"California Love" is a hip hop song by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single upon his release from prison in 1995. A popular remix version of the song appeared on his 1996 double album All Eyez on Me...
".
Early life and career
Born in Hamilton, OhioHamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
, Roger was the fourth of ten children. He was a late-arriving member of Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
and played on the band's final Warner Brothers' album The Electric Spanking of War Babies
The Electric Spanking of War Babies
The Electric Spanking of War Babies is the twelfth studio album by American funk band Funkadelic, released in 1981 on Warner Bros. Records. The title is an allusion to the Vietnam War and baby boomers...
. Beforehand, Troutman had formed various bands with his four brothers, including Little Roger and the Vels and Roger and the Human Body. In 1977, he and the Human Body issued their first single "Freedom". Within two years, Roger and his brothers were discovered by George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
, who signed the newly-christened Zapp to his Uncle Jam Records label in 1979. Zapp made their professional television debut on the first and only Funk Music Awards show. A year later, as Uncle Jam Records was forced to close, Zapp signed to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and released their self-titled debut, which yielded the Bootsy Collins produced & Troutman-composed hit, "More Bounce to the Ounce." The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Soul Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart in the fall of 1980. The debut album reached the top 20 of the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and firmly launched Zapp and Roger into the national spotlight.
Between 1980 and 1985, Zapp released gold-selling albums such as Zapp
Zapp (album)
Zapp is the self-titled debut album of Ohio P-Funk band Zapp. Released on July 30, 1980, the album features the popular hit "More Bounce to the Ounce," which was featured in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Soundtrack, and was sampled by EPMD, Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B.I.G, Twiztid, Brotha Lynch...
, Zapp II, Zapp III and New Zapp IV U and released top ten R&B hit singles such as "Be Alright", "Dance Floor", "I Can Make You Dance", "Heartbreaker", "It Doesn't Really Matter" - which was a tribute to black artists of the past and present, and the Charlie Wilson
Charlie Wilson (musician)
Charles Kent "Charlie" Wilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter-producer and the former lead vocalist for the Gap Band. As a solo artist he has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received a 2009 Soul Train Icon Award, and a recipient of a BMI Icon Award in 2005...
and Shirley Murdock
Shirley Murdock
Shirley Murdock is an American R&B singer, who is best known for her 1986 R&B hit single "As We Lay" and for her vocals on Zapp and Roger hit single Computer Love.-Career:...
-assisted funk ballad, "Computer Love". Zapp's hit making magic faded shortly after the release of their fifth album, Vibe, in 1989. The album would become the group's final studio album though they continued to release singles into the 1990s releasing the hits "Slow & Easy" and "Mega Medley", which put together a collection of the group's hit singles in a remix. Throughout Zapp's tenure, the original five-member lineup grew to around fifteen. Troutman also made a habit of producing solo efforts for Zapp band members and associated acts. In 1993, the group scored their biggest-selling album when a compilation album, Zapp & Roger: All the Greatest Hits, was released. Featuring remixed cuts of Roger's solo singles and featuring the "Mega Medley", the album sold over two million copies giving the collective their most successful album to date.
Solo career and production work on other artists
In 1981, upon the fast-paced success of Zapp's first album, Troutman cut his first solo album, The Many Facets of RogerThe Many Facets of Roger
The Many Facets of Roger was the debut solo project by Dayton, Ohio-based funk visionary Roger Troutman, released a year after the singer made his debut as lead frontman of his family-based funk group, Zapp, and the group had made their breakthrough with the funk hit "More Bounce to the Ounce"...
. Featuring his frenetic funk cover of Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine
I Heard It through the Grapevine
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a landmark song in the history of Motown. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, the single was first recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles...
", the song exploded to number one on the R&B singles chart helping the album sell over a million copies. The album also featured the hit, "So Ruff, So Tuff", which was similar to "More Bounce..." as were most Roger/Zapp singles during this time. In 1984, Troutman issued his second solo album, The Saga Continues, which featured the singles "Girl Cut It Out", "It's in the Mix" - which was dedicated to Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
and its host Don Cornelius
Don Cornelius
Donald Cortez "Don" Cornelius is an American television show host and producer who is best known as the creator of the nationally syndicated dance/music franchise Soul Train, which he hosted from 1971-1993...
in one verse, and a cover of Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
's "In the Midnight Hour
In the Midnight Hour
"In the Midnight Hour" is a song originally performed by Wilson Pickett in 1965 and released on the 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett. It was composed by Pickett and Steve Cropper at the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Martin Luther King, Jr. would later be murdered in April 1968...
", which featured gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
group The Mighty Clouds of Joy. In 1987, Troutman scored his most successful solo album with Unlimited!, which featured the massive hit, "I Want to Be Your Man
I Want to Be Your Man
"I Want to Be Your Man" is a 1987 hit single for late funk singer-songwriter Roger Troutman, from his Unlimited! album.Written by his brother, Larry Troutman, and produced by the Roger, who sung in both his natural tenor and his trademark talk box, it became his biggest solo hit to date reaching...
", which rose to number one R&B and number three on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. In 1988, Troutman worked with Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's...
providing talk box
Talk box
A talk box is an effects unit that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by lip syncing, or by changing the shape of the mouth...
vocals on the hit "Boom There She Was". Three years later, Troutman released his final solo album with Bridging the Gap, featuring the hit "Everybody (Get Up)". Alongside his successful careers as Zapp member and solo star, Troutman also became a hands-on producer and writer for other artists including Shirley Murdock
Shirley Murdock
Shirley Murdock is an American R&B singer, who is best known for her 1986 R&B hit single "As We Lay" and for her vocals on Zapp and Roger hit single Computer Love.-Career:...
, whose 1985 platinum debut featured the Roger-produced hit, "As We Lay". He also produced for Zapp member Dale DeGroat on his solo efforts. He worked with Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
as a guest appearance on 1991's Mighty Like a Rose
Mighty Like a Rose
Mighty Like A Rose is the 13th studio album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, released in 1991 on compact disc as Warner Brothers 26575. The title is presumably a reference to the pop standard "Mighty Lak' a Rose", and although that song does not appear on the album, the...
on the song "The Other Side of Summer".
In 1989, NBA Entertainment
NBA Entertainment
NBA Entertainment is the production arm of the National Basketball Association and produces numerous NBA-related films including team championship videos and blooper and entertainment reels. It was previously associated with CBS/Fox Video, but now distributes its films through Warner Bros....
selected Troutman among a variety of renowned candidates to record a tribute song called "I'm So Happy" for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
, who at the time was in the final year of his record-breaking, 20-year career in the NBA.
- Roger Troutman and The Human Body LP
Career re-emergence
After the release of All the Greatest Hits, Roger and Zapp were basically existing as a touring group only recording sporadically. Troutman was starting to be featured on hip-hop songs by this time agreeing to appear on rapper Snoop DoggSnoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
's 1993 debut, Doggystyle
Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
. In 1995 he was featured on Eazy-E's post-mortem album Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton
Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton
Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton is rapper Eazy-E's second and final full-length album. It was released posthumously on November 24, 1995, almost exactly eight months after Eazy-E's death from AIDS...
on the last track Eternal E along with DJ Yella. The same year Troutman agreed to enlist vocals on 2Pac and Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's single, "California Love
California Love
"California Love" is a hip hop song by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single upon his release from prison in 1995. A popular remix version of the song appeared on his 1996 double album All Eyez on Me...
". The song became Troutman's biggest-selling and most successful single to date as the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over two million copies giving Troutman a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. This success led to Troutman being included in a top ten R&B hit cover of The Persuaders
The Persuaders (band)
The Persuaders are a New York based R&B vocal group, with some fame in the 1970s, best known for their hit single, "Thin Line Between Love and Hate"...
' "Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Thin Line Between Love and Hate
"Thin Line Between Love and Hate" is the title of a 1971 song by the New York City-based R&B vocal group The Persuaders. The song was written and produced by the Poindexter brothers, Robert and Richard, and was also co-written by Jackie Members....
", which he produced and enlisted the talk box alongside Shirley Murdock
Shirley Murdock
Shirley Murdock is an American R&B singer, who is best known for her 1986 R&B hit single "As We Lay" and for her vocals on Zapp and Roger hit single Computer Love.-Career:...
and R&B group H-Town
H-Town
H-Town most commonly refers to the city of Houston, TX.Other references:* Hamilton, Ontario* Houston, Mississippi* Hell* Heidelberg West, Melbourne* Hampstead, Maryland* Hackney, London* Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire* Hondo, Texas...
. The A Thin Line Between Love and Hate movie soundtrack also included a club hit "Chocolate City". In 1998, he appeared in a remix version of Sounds of Blackness
Sounds of Blackness
Sounds of Blackness is a Grammy Award-winning vocal and instrumental ensemble from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota who perform music from several genres music including gospel, R&B, soul, and jazz. The group scored several hits on the Billboard R&B chart and Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play...
' "Hold On (A Change Is Coming)," which sampled Zapp's "Doo-Wah Ditty (Blow That Thing)". Throughout the 1990s, Roger was promoted heavily by Timothy Olague
Timothy Olague
Timothy Olague is a Music Publisher, actor, film producer, and former Professional Roller Derby skater.-Early Entertainment Career:...
Entertainment in shows at emerging Indian Casinos in Arizona and California. Troutman also had a career with Sounds of Blackness.
Death
On a Sunday morning, April 25, 1999, Roger Troutman was found shot and critically wounded outside his northwest Dayton recording studio around 7 a.m. According to doctors, the 47-year-old had been shot several times in the torso and was in critical condition; he died during surgery at the local hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital and Health Center. Roger's brother LarryLarry Troutman
Larry Troutman was a musician and a founding member of the funk/R&B band Zapp alongside his younger brother, Roger Troutman...
was discovered dead in a car a few blocks away with a single gunshot wound to the head. A pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
was found inside the vehicle, which matched the description of a car leaving the scene of Roger Troutman's shooting according to witnesses. The gun found with Larry Troutman also matched the one which fired the fatal shots into Roger, indicating that Larry had shot Roger and then taken his own life. With both men dead, and with no witnesses to whatever confrontation preceded the shooting, the specific motive for the attack remains unknown. Friends and family were able to offer only a general explanation that there had been rising tension between the brothers over issues such as Larry's financial troubles and Roger's desire to dissolve their business partnership. However, given that the two had always been especially close to one another, and with neither man having a history of violence, no one had suspected that those issues might be significant enough to portend bloodshed between them.
Roger Troutman, who lived 24 years in the Dayton area, left 6 sons: Roger Lynch (January 31, 1970 - January 22, 2003), Larry Gates, Lester Gates, Brent Lynch, Ryan Stevens and Taji J. Troutman; 5 daughters, Daun Shazier, Hope Shazier, Summer Gates, Mia Paris Collins, Gene Nicole Anderson; and 4 grandchildren. In remembrance, Roger's nephew Clet Troutman sang "Amazing Grace" through a talkbox at his funeral.
Legacy
Even before his death, several hip-hop and R&B artists had sampled Troutman in one form or another since EPMDEPMD
EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
sampled "More Bounce to the Ounce" for their breakthrough 1988 hit, "You Gots to Chill". Credited with being one of the forefathers of G-funk
G-funk
G-funk, or Gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. G-funk incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk tunes, and a high-pitched...
and the West Coast hip-hop scene, his frenetic hand-clapped, bass-driven beats inspired the productions of songs released by DJ Quik
DJ Quik
David Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time....
, Eazy-E
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
, Warren G
Warren G
Warren G , is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer. He is also Dr. Dre's half-brother.His biggest hit is the song "Regulate" with Nate Dogg released in 1994...
, Spice 1
Spice 1
Robert L. Green, Jr., better known by his stage name Spice 1, is an American rapper from Hayward, California. He has consistently been releasing solo and group albums since 1992. Spice 1 was ranked number 56 in The Source magazine's Top 115 Hip-Hop Artists from 1988–2003...
, Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
, E-40
E-40
Earl Stevens , better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and investor from Vallejo, California. He is also part of the rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. His solo debut album, Federal, was released in November 1992, after The Click's debut...
, Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
, Brotha Lynch Hung
Brotha Lynch Hung
Kevin Danell Mann , better known by his stage name Brotha Lynch Hung, is an American rapper and record producer from Sacramento, California...
, Sicx and even East Coast rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
on his 1997 song, "Going Back to Cali". Troutman, having been influenced by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, put the talk box to good use in the '80s and that sound was heard in other funk and urban productions throughout the 1980s bringing in the electro-funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
.
Rapper/Producer DJ Quik
DJ Quik
David Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time....
's second track on his 2005 album Trauma titled "Intro for Roger" is dedicated to Roger Troutman, who he credits teaching him the voice box as used extensively on Quik's 1995 album Safe & Sound. He also composed a dedication track on his 2000 album Balance & Options
Balance & Options
Balance & Options is the fifth album by West Coast rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on May 16, 2000 on Arista Records . The album reached 18 on the Billboard 200 music chart and was his first album not to be certified by the RIAA...
titled "Roger's Groove".
Rapper Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, also referred to Roger and Larry Troutman's death in his 2007 song, "Blunt Ashes", off his Hip Hop Is Dead
Hip Hop Is Dead
Hip Hop Is Dead is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 15, 2006 on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def Jam...
album.
The song and associated music video of "Sexual Eruption
Sexual Eruption
"Sexual Eruption" , is a single from Snoop Dogg's ninth solo album Ego Trippin. It is produced by Shawty Redd and Snoop Dogg sings most of the song using Auto-Tune . The video's style visually references the style of Roger Troutman, as part of its retro imagery...
" by Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
is understood to be a tribute to Troutman as well.
Kool Keith
Kool Keith
Keith Matthew Thornton, better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York. A founding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith has recorded prolifically both as a solo artist and in group collaborations. Kool Keith is the self-proclaimed inventor of...
, under the alias Dr. Octagon, referenced him in "Technical Difficulties" from his 1996 breakthrough Dr. Octagonecologyst, "Like Roger my funk is more powerful than Troutman".
Tech N9ne shouts out Roger in the single 2010 "O.G" rapping "get her hot and ready listing to Roger Troutman" the voice box is also used through out the song. He also has a song with Troutman called Twisted off of his 2001 album Anghellic
Anghellic
Anghellic is the third studio album released by Kansas City based rapper Tech N9ne.In 2001, the song "Tormented," appeared in a scene of the Fox TV series Dark Angel, it plays for nearly two minutes in the background of a bar scene contained in the season two episode "Two."The album was re-released...
, which interpolates Troutman's I Want to Be Your Man
I Want to Be Your Man
"I Want to Be Your Man" is a 1987 hit single for late funk singer-songwriter Roger Troutman, from his Unlimited! album.Written by his brother, Larry Troutman, and produced by the Roger, who sung in both his natural tenor and his trademark talk box, it became his biggest solo hit to date reaching...
.
Solo discography
- The Many Facets of RogerThe Many Facets of RogerThe Many Facets of Roger was the debut solo project by Dayton, Ohio-based funk visionary Roger Troutman, released a year after the singer made his debut as lead frontman of his family-based funk group, Zapp, and the group had made their breakthrough with the funk hit "More Bounce to the Ounce"...
(1981) - The Saga ContinuesThe Saga Continues (Roger Troutman album)The Saga Continues is the second solo album recorded by funk musician Roger Troutman, released in 1984 on the Reprise Records label. The album contains Troutman's funky cover of Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour", which reached #34 on the U.S. R&B chart, as well as hits "In the Mix" and "Girl...
(1984) - Unlimited!Unlimited!Unlimited! is a 1987 electro-funk album, the third solo album by Zapp frontman Roger Troutman . It includes a cover of James Brown's 1965 single "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," as well as Roger's biggest R&B and crossover hit , "I Want to Be Your Man."-Track listing:-Musicians:*Roger Troutman: Lead...
(1987) - Bridging the Gap (1991)