Courtesy of Funk-U Magazine & P-VIEWS (Continued)
Q : How did Bootsy get involved in producing the first Zapp LP?
ROGER TROUTMAN : Well it's kind of a two-sided story. The first part was we grew up as kids, rivalry in playing the battle of the bands or talent shows. But then the second part, I was playing in a club in Ohio, and Bootsy's brother, Catfish, came to one of my shows. He was so impressed that he went back & told Bootsy «Look, we got to sign this guy up ». So the next day, Bootsy called & asked me if I wanted to come to Detroit & do some recording. Of course I said 'Definitely! ' One thing after another, now you're looking at it. My life is a dream come true. A DREAM COME TRUE. So many blessings from God. To still be in the business after 20 years, & having the whole rap community embracing my sound & recycling it. When I did the stuff with Dr Dré & Tupac, there were a lot of young rappers around, & they were looking mean (He imitates their style of walking!) but they would come up to me 'Hi, Mr Troutman'. That's just a great feeling cos' they've got so much respect for the music, & for what I stand for, & the longevity. It's a rare thing in this business. The artists are like milk in the desert. It's difficult to last long, it's very tricky.
Q : Why was the band called Zapp, since it's your brother Terry's nickname?
ROGER TROUTMAN : One day, I had just finished 'More bounce', I was talking to George Clinton, he said « I've got Parliament, I've got Funkadelic, I've got two groups. Listen, I want to take you & use the name Roger & the Human Body & get you a contract with CBS records. But let's take this record 'More bounce ' & take it to Warner Bros. under another name. » I thought that it was a great idea. I was trying to think of a name. My brother was standing there & his nickname seemed to work with the sound of the music.