Zapp & Roger (Larry and Roger Troutman) was an early 80s funk and r&b band who made known world wide the vocoder--it was their trademark instrument. A vocoder is an electronic device that takes the spectral properties of an instrument and applies another audio source to it, such as a human voice. Through this, a human voice can be made to sound like a synthesizer, with words being sung or spoken remain recognizable.

Anyway, they were a great band with many influences. Some of their songs feature distorted guitar solos, rapping, sax solos, 50s beebop sounds, harmonicas, but all songs want to make you dance. Some of their greatest hits include: Computer Love, California Love (with 2Pac), More Bounce to the Ounce, Doo Wa Ditty (Blow that Thing), and I Wanna Be Your Man. Having so many influences, everyone's bound to like at least one or two Zapp & Roger songs, if not all for their neverending grooves.

Unfortunately, both were killed in April of 1999 in some sort of murder-suicide.

Larry and Roger, may you rest in peace.

~

for more info on their deaths, check < http://www.mtv.com/sendme.tin?page=/news/gallery/s/shakur990426.html >
for more biographical information, check < http://www.pyramid-ent.com/zapp.htm >

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