How did I manage to miss the fact that Roger Troutman died last April? I’m saddened by it. Most readers probably know him from “California Love” or another hip hop collaboration but his contribution to funk and hip hop was much bigger than just that. He and his groups have been seriously heavily sampled. “More Bounce To The Ounce”, for instance, has been sampled about 50 times by various hip hop artists. “Keep Ya Head Up”, one of my favourite Tupac songs, is based around Zapp’s “Be Alright”.
I don’t know why it’s saddened me so much to read about this. I couldn’t claim to be a huge fan, but I think he’s underrated. Certainly the impression that I get from friends is that he’s perceived as “that bloke with the funny voice in that 2Pac song.” Try and have a listen to some of his stuff. I think it’s worth it.