Zapp

Biography

Zapp (also known as the Zapp Band, or more popularly Zapp & Roger) is an American funk band that emerged from Dayton, Ohio, United States, in 1977. Particularly influential in the electro subgenre of funk, Zapp were known for their trademark use of the talk-box effect. The original line-up consisted of four Troutman brothers—frontman Roger, Larry, Lester and Terry—first cousin, Sherman Fleetwood—and non-Troutman family members Bobby Glover, Gregory Jackson, Jerome Derrickson, Eddie Barber, Jannetta Boyce and Shirley Murdock. Zapp also worked closely with George Clinton and Bootsy Collins of Parliament-Funkadelic during its early stages, their support being a factor in the group gaining a record deal with Warner Bros. Records in 1979.

Zapp released its eponymous debut album in 1980, and achieved mainstream recognition with the single "More Bounce to the Ounce". The group's 1982 follow-up Zapp II sold well and was certified gold. In the 1990s, Zapp would also influence the G-funk sound and the broader cultural scene of West Coast hip-hop itself. The band disbanded in 1999 after Roger and Larry Troutman died in an apparent murder-suicide executed by Larry.

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