N2Deep is an American
Chicano rap
Chicano rap is a subgenre of hip hop that embodies aspects of Southwest Mexican American or Chicano culture. It is typically performed by rappers and musicians of Mexican descent.
History Early years
The first widely recognized Chicano rap arti ...
duo formed in
Vallejo, California
Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to the ...
in 1989. Consisting of
James "Jay Tee" Trujillo and Timothy "TL" Lyon, they are best known for the 1992 hit single "Back to the Hotel", the title track of their
debut album. Early third member John "Johnny Z" Zunino officially left the group as a performing member in its first year to focus exclusively on production and related behind-the-scenes responsibilities.
Biography
The group was formed in 1989 in
Vallejo, California
Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to the ...
by Johnny Z (John Zunino), Jay Tee (James Trujillo) and TL (Timothy Lyon). While attending college in
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, Johnny Z began producing
hip hop music and after graduating and moving back to Vallejo, TL referred Johnny to an aspiring rapper, Jay Tee. The three began writing and recording hip hop demos and performing live shows originally as 3DEEP. Before long, Johnny Z decided to work strictly behind the scenes and on the music and production end, while Jay Tee and TL performed the vocals and live shows.
In 1990, the group now known as N2DEEP released an up-tempo single on
vinyl record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
and
cassette
Cassette may refer to:
Technology
* Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback
** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...
titled "Work That Body" on Rated Z Recordz, a label and production company started by Johnny Z. The single saw some club play and opened the doors for more live shows throughout the
Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
. By 1992, the group and Rated Z prepared to release an EP, titled ''Back At The Hotel''. Just before the cassette tape and vinyl record were to be released, N2DEEP, Johnny, and then Rated Z consultant, Steve Bernstein decided to send the tape to
Cory Robbins
Cory Robbins (born September 23, 1957) is an American record executive. Robbins founded two influential record labels.
The first, Profile Records (in business from 1981 to 1996; Robbins left in 1994), grew to become a large independent label that ...
of
Profile Records
Profile Records was one of the earliest hip hop labels. As well as hip-hop they released disco, dance, and electro records.
History
In 1980, Cory Robbins, who was 23 at the time and had worked briefly for MCA, wanted to start a record label. ...
. Cory then contacted Steve and offered a production contract to Rated Z for the group. By May 1992, the first single, now titled "Back to the Hotel," was released on Profile Records and distributed by Landmark Distributors (owned by businessman Jeffrey Collins). "Back to the Hotel" quickly moved up the charts, peaking at #14 on the
Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
. An
eponymous full-length album (N2Deep's debut studio album) was also released, both eventually received RIAA certified gold records for sales of over 500,000.
The group enjoyed much success from the single and album and toured the country performing numerous live shows, including
KMEL
KMEL (106.1 FM) is an urban contemporary radio station that is licensed to San Francisco, California, and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned and operated by iHeartMedia.
KMEL has studios located in the SoMa district, and broadcasts ...
’s Summer Jam on more than one occasion.
In 1993, N2DEEP signed with management company Bust It, and began recording their second album. But before anything from the album could get released, Profile Records was sold and the group was dropped from the label. Bust It quickly released the second album, ''
24-7-365'', but despite some initial radio success expectations quickly became pessimistic, and ''24-7-365'' ultimately failed to approach the sales and notoriety of ''Back to the Hotel''.
After a roughly three-year hiatus, the group would go on to release ''
The Golden State'' in 1997 on independent label Swerve Records. In 1998, N2Deep released ''
The Rumble''; it was in fact predominantly a Jay Tee solo, with TL appearing on only a single song. In 2000, ''
Slightly Pimpish/Mostly Doggish
''Slightly Pimpish/Mostly Doggish'' is the fifth studio album and eighth album overall released by N2Deep. Although this album was released under the name N2Deep it is actually a Jay Tee solo album as TL does not participate on this project. The ...
'' would follow suit as another Jay Tee solo work under the N2Deep moniker, with TL this time entirely absent.
In 2001, Jay Tee dropped the N2Deep moniker and began releasing solo albums under his own name; the duo, however never officially broke up. In 2007, N2Deep released a DVD with music videos, interviews and behind the scenes footage, entitled ''N2Deep: More Than Money''.
In 2008, Jay Tee and TL ''de facto'' reformed N2Deep and started performing with longtime friend and rapper Joe "Lofty" Battle, guitarist and producer Mike "Big Mike" Mekhalian, drummer Andrew Fox, and bassist Gregory Holben (later replaced by Ray B. Williams). The reformed group successfully started performing shows across the
Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
to promote their upcoming new album ''The Movement''. The album was released on November 18, 2008 on Jay Tee's own label, 40 Ounce Records.
For nearly two decades, N2Deep have remained an underground presence in
Northern California
Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
and the Bay Area rap scene, releasing several group and solo albums on their respective independent labels.
On January 22, 2011, while visiting with friends and family, Joe "Lofty" Battle and his wife, Tamera, were killed in a
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
accident in
Vacaville, California
Vacaville is a city located in Solano County in Northern California. Sitting approximately from Sacramento and from San Francisco, it is within the Sacramento Valley. As of the 2020 census, Vacaville had a population of 102,386, making it ...
.
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Back to the Hotel
''Back to the Hotel'' is the debut album by American rap group N2Deep, released June 23, 1992 on Profile Records. The album was produced by N2Deep and Jonny Z. The only guests on the album were fellow Vallejo, California artists B-Legit and E-4 ...
'' (1992)
*''
24-7-365'' (1994)
*''
The Golden State'' (1997)
*''
The Rumble'' (1998)
*''
Slightly Pimpish/Mostly Doggish
''Slightly Pimpish/Mostly Doggish'' is the fifth studio album and eighth album overall released by N2Deep. Although this album was released under the name N2Deep it is actually a Jay Tee solo album as TL does not participate on this project. The ...
'' (2000)
*''The Movement'' (2008)
Compilation albums
*''
The Best of N2Deep
''The Best of N2Deep'' is the first greatest hits compilation and eighth album overall by rap group, N2Deep. The compilation was released in 1999 for Soul Town Records and was produced by N2Deep, Johnny Z and others. In 2002 the project was rem ...
'' (1999)
*''
The Knocks 1992–2000
''The Knocks 1992–2000'' is a greatest hits compilation by American rapper Jay Tee. It was released February 13, 2001 on Jay Tee's own label, 40 Ounce Records. The songs are culled from the N2Deep and Latino Velvet music catalogs. Two of the son ...
''
with Latino Velvet (2001)
*''
Unreleased Game 1993: The Lost Album'' (2002)
DVDs
*''More Than Money'' (2007)
See also
*
Jay Tee's solo discography
References
External links
*
N2Deep
N2Deep is an American Chicano rap duo formed in Vallejo, California in 1989. Consisting of James "Jay Tee" Trujillo and Timothy "TL" Lyon, they are best known for the 1992 hit single "Back to the Hotel", the title track of their debut album. ...
- Allmusic.com
The Real N2DeepMySpace Page
40 Ounce Records- Office Site
Vimeo Page- Vimeo Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:N2deep
Hip hop groups from California
Musical groups from the San Francisco Bay Area
Profile Records artists
Gangsta rap groups
Bloods