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About People_Under_The_Stairs |
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People Under the Stairs formed when Mike Turner (Double K) and Chris Portugal (Thes One) met on the fringe of L.A.'s late-'90s hip-hop underground. The duo, devoted to jazzy samples, danceable beats, intricate rhyming skills, and laid-back humor, debuted in 1998 with the acclaimed The Next Step and followed it up in 2000 with Question in the Form of an Answer. Gathering heavy praise and touring with De La Soul, the group took their road experiences and brought it to the studio to record their next album. The final results appeared in the summer of 2002 under the name O.S.T. This highly acclaimed release, which sound-scanned over 35,000 to date, brought People Under The Stairs to the forefront of underground hip-hop. Its follow-up album, Or Stay Tuned… complemented this release and allowed the group to headline nation-wide tours.
Known for serving up playful back-and-forth rhymes set to vinyl-centric production, Thes One and Double K are now back with Stepfather. "People are really going to be surprised by this album,” says Thes One, “We’re flipping the script on this one, coming with an extremely progressive approach. We study a lot of music theory and classic material, and this album reflects that. Even when we did the old school tracks on the album, we still tried to push the envelope with vocal settings and drum patterns.” Using obscure vintage drum machines and running mic pre-amps to the point of intentional distortion, PUTS created a sonic kaleidoscope of textured and layered beats which are complimented by their refreshingly cool narratives of the L.A. Hip Hop life. A better description of Stepfather might be that of a Hip Hop history book on tape. From the old school beats with those classic SP 1200 drums and rich Hammond organ keys to new school progressive tracks with live guitar and bass, Stepfather is by far PUTS’s most intricate and musically advanced album.
Production aside, Stepfather also offers a much more personal perspective into the lives of Thes One and Double K. On the track “Days Like This,” Double K reflects on his modest upbringing and the struggles that his mother endured in order to provide for the family, while Thes One offers a personal thanks to his father who labored has a fruit field worker so that his son may live a better life. On “Reflections,” Double K and Thes One lament in vivid detail their recognition of the moral vacuum that plagues today’s society. From these heavy hearted songs to the light and head nodding barbecue anthems such as “Jamboree pt. 1”, Thes One and Double K explore the spectrum of human emotions and offer their most personal music to date.
With an amazing live show and a loyal fan base hungry for their next album, People Under The Stairs’ Stepfather will undoubtedly be one of Hip Hop’s biggest releases of 2006! Stepfather features guest appearances from legendary Funkadelic and Parliament member George Clinton, Monty Stark (Stark Reality), and Kat of Crown City Rockers. The album also includes a bonus documentary-style DVD that includes show footage and a short film.
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