Article 5
Ice-T, Snoop Give Up the Funk
Hip-hoppers get together for Roger Troutman tribute album
When J-Ro of Tha Liks heard that Zapp frontman Roger Troutman had been killed in 1999 in a murder/suicide by his brother and band mate Larry Troutman, he planned to write a song in homage. A few phone calls later and J-Ro realized he had the beginnings of what became the tribute album Still More Bounce. Due out April 16th on J-Ro's own Wolf Pac imprint, the LP features high-profile pals like Snoop Dogg, B-Real, Ice-T, Xzibit, Kurupt and Chico DeBarge.
"He put the funk in me," says J-Ro of Troutman's impact. "Him along with James Brown, George Clinton. It's that funk element that I love in my own music. 'More Bounce to the Ounce' has been my favorite song since the first time I heard it. If you ask any kind of producer, it's almost impossible to duplicate the sound that he makes in that song. And he's pretty much an unrecognized artist, and, being from Tha Liks, I appreciate that."
In his role as executive producer, J-Ro picked a West Coast-leaning lineup, appropriate considering Troutman helped define the sound of West Coast hip-hop in the Nineties, even working with Tupac Shakur on "California Love."
Rather than tread the well-worn tribute album path and release an LP of all covers, Still More Bounce features two remakes ("I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Slow and Easy") and instead employs Troutman's trademark techniques such as handclaps and the talk box to write originals under his influence.
"The talk box is kind of difficult to play," says J-Ro. "It's a keyboard and there's a plastic tube that goes from the keyboard into your mouth, and you play the same thing that you're singing. He made it sound effortless."
The decision to go with mostly new songs stemmed in part from the unique style of Troutman's play. "All of his bass lines and grooves are really hard to duplicate," says J-Ro of his choice to let the album's myriad producers write new tracks. "I just said, 'Go ahead and do your own thing.' They were telling me stuff about Roger that I didn't know. I learned a lot about him."
Still More Bounce's partial tracklisting:
"Party Started," J Ro and Dazz
"I Wanna Be Your Man," Chico DeBarge featuring Shae Fiol
"Throw It Up," Snoop, Tray D, 4-Tay, Roger Troutman
"Let Me C' Ya," Lil Bo & Salim
"Still Mo' Bounce," Rass Kass, Kam, Tash, B-Real, Spice1
"Bad Days," Defari, Phil Da Agony, Merciless Stylz
"Slow & Easy," Mirror featuring Tasha Scott
"Sweat," J-Ro
"Crushed Grapes," J Wells, Merciless Stylz, K Boogs
"Just for You," Merciless Stylz and G Blacc
"Get On Down," Ice-T, Xzibit, Kurupt, Mac Mall
"Brokenhearted," Myeasha Meks and Wally Ali
COLIN DEVENISH
(January 3, 2002)