The Rise and Fall of Ohio R&B Legend Roger Troutman

One of the most sampled artists in R&B and Hip Hop history lost his life at the hands of his brother in Dayton, Ohio.

Roger Troutman should be a household name. If you've listened to any Hip Hop or R&B, you've likely heard a song by or featuring Roger. Roger grew up in a large family in Hamilton, Ohio, just North of Cincinnati. He started playing many instruments at a very young age and signed his band Zapp to George Clinton's record label by 1979. Zapp also worked with Cincinnati native and P-Funk legend Bootsy Collins.

Most people today would know Roger Troutman's voice and distinct voice box sound because of the 1996 hit he did with 2Pac and Dr. Dre called "California Love."

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The group Zapp had 14 R&B hits in the 1980s and 90s like #1 hit "Dance Floor," #2 hit "More Bounce to the Ounce" and #4 "I Can Make You Dance." "More Bounce to the Ounce was sampled in over 300 songs and "I Can Make You Dance" was sampled in nearly 40 songs making Roger one of the most sampled artists in the industry.

Zapp's founder and lead singer Roger Troutman also cranked out 12 R&B hits as a solo artist in the 80s and 90s under the name Roger. "I Want to Be Your Man" was #1 on the R&B charts and #3 on the Hot 100.

Tragically, Roger Troutman was allegedly shot to death by his brother Larry on April 25th, 1999 in Dayton, Ohio. His brother was found dead in his car nearby with a self-inflicted gunshot. The incident was labeled a murder-suicide. Get more info on this legend in the video below.