Roger Troutman

The undisputable master of the talkbox/vocoder, Roger Troutman began performing in various bands while in high school and found fame with Zapp as well as a lengthy solo career. Formed with his brothers, Zapp's first album set the tone for their Funk-fuelled, futuristic dance/soul music. The album also featured their signature song, "More Bounce To The Ounce." Roger recorded several solo albums at the same time, and by the 1990s he had performed on and produced at least a dozen records. His solo hits include "Computer Love" and "I Wanna Be Your Man." Frequently sampled by numerous hip-hop artists, he collaborated with many heavyweights in the rap industry, including Dr. Dre and Tupac ("California Love"), Spice-1, DJ Quik, and others. Roger Troutman was killed by his brother in 1999. Several tribute albums have since been released.