The Troutman brothers built Zapp, a futuristic electro-funk group who formed in the late ’70s and whose breakthrough hit, “More Bounce to the Ounce,” still defines the genre to this day. Their music, specifically their early ’80s singles, have been sampled by myriad producers, becoming one of the foundational sounds for rap, particularly west coast rap.
At the center of Zapp was Roger Troutman, whose use of the talk-box became the band’s signature sound and left a deep mark on funk, R&B and hip-hop. A murder-suicide ended his life in 1999, when one of his brothers shot him outside of a Dayton, Ohio recording studio. Roger’s death left an enormous and permanent void, yet the remaining members of Zapp carry the legacy forward. Zapp will perform at this year’s Summer Fest and will be joined by modern boogie, disco-funk duo, Tuxedo.
“The earliest Zapp song I remember from childhood was ‘Dance Floor’ off the 2nd album,” said Jake One, who alongside Mayer Hawthorne, are known as Tuxedo. “My neighbor across the street used to put his house speakers in the window facing outside and blast whatever were the new songs out in the summer. That was one I remember vividly maybe because the talkbox was so different.”
Mayer Hawthorne, whose breakout debut, “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” an oldie-inspired soul single, made him a critical darling in 2008, propelling his career with many solo albums following thereafter. Jake’s background came from rap production, with an all-star resume that includes Scarface, Snoop Dogg, MF DOOM and countless more.
Jake and Mayer first connected in Seattle around 2010, when Jake showed up to Mayer’s local show and the two traded mixtapes with the same obscure boogie-funk records almost no one else at the time was privy to. “I couldn’t believe that I found another person who liked that type of music,” said Mayer.
That exchange became Tuxedo, a funk, soul group with ’70s disco influences. Jake typically starts with a rough sketch—drums, a bassline, a few chords—and Mayer finishes it, though ideas sometimes arrive less deliberately. On tour, half-delirious, they once tossed off the phrase “Fux with the Tux,” sang it to a melody, and turned the joke into a song.
Working in Tuxedo has also emboldened Jake’s use of music theory, which has seeped back into his other work: He slipped Mayer’s background vocals from a Tuxedo track into Future’s “Looking Exotic,” and the records he’s made with Larry June carry some of the same bass-centric, west-coast sensibility.
The two first met Zapp at a festival in Japan in 2015. Tuxedo opened for Zapp, and, as Jake puts it, “blew us off the stage.” When they learned Zapp was already familiar with their music, contact continued, and the collaboration on “Shy” followed. Zapp began the idea; Mayer and Jake shaped it into something that felt closer to a classic Zapp record. They still perform “Shy” live. “It just felt like our heroes stamped us,” said Jake.
“We spent our whole career trying to make stuff that sounded like Zapp, so when they heard our music and wanted to work with us, we were in shock,” said Mayer. Hearing Zapp Terry talk through how specific records were made has been educational for Tuxedo. “They have a great sense of humor about everything and a really positive attitude,” Mayer noted, “which is why I think they’re still so successful.”
Mayer places the band’s reach more directly: “Zapp is basically responsible for the sound of West Coast Rap. ‘California Love,’ Dre, 2Pac, Kendrick, ‘Uptown Funk’… none of that is possible without Zapp.”
*Zapp featuring Tuxedo play the Jay Paul Company Main Stage at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest on Friday, August 7, at 9:30pm.
