Zapp

Formed in Dayton, Ohio, in 1977, the American synthetic funk band Zapp comprises the four brothers Roger Troutman (guitar, vocals), Terry Troutman (bass), Lester Troutman (drums) and Larry Troutman (percussion). Known for his use of the talk-box, a device that alters the sound of the instrument to approximate the human voice, Zapp enjoyed success at the turn of the 1980s with tracks from his first three numbered albums, including "More Bounce to the Ounce" (#2 R&B in 1980), "Dance Floor" (#1 R&B in 1982) and "I Can Make You Dance". In 1986, the album The New Zapp IV U unveiled the hit "Computer Love", later sampled by 2Pac in "California Love" and other rappers. While Roger Troutman concentrates on his solo career, the group records the album Zapp Vibe (1989). In 1993, Zapp went platinum for the first time with the compilation All the Greatest Hits. On April 25, 1999, a dispute between Roger Troutman and Larry Troutman led to the shooting death of the former, before the latter turned the gun on himself. This inevitably led to the break-up of the band, which was reborn in 2003 with the creation of its own label and the release of new albums.