People Under the Stairs
Encyclopedia
People Under the Stairs is a hip hop
group from Los Angeles
, California
formed in 1997 by Thes One
and Double K. The group has released eight critically acclaimed full-length albums and performed on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that the group has performed well over 1,000 sold out shows at more than 400 venues worldwide. Some of their more recognizable songs include "San Francisco Knights," "Montego Slay," "Los Angeles Daze," and "Acid Raindrops." Much of the group's lyrics relate to life in their hometown of Los Angeles.
and Double K met and quickly started working on music together, laying the foundation for what would become People Under The Stairs. Soon after, while Thes One
was attending USC
, the duo began recording and performed their first live in-store appearance as a group at the now defunct Beat Non Stop record store on Melrose
. A few months later, the group made a roadtrip north to the San Francisco Bay Area
, which inspired them to write and record San Francisco Knights, one of their most popular songs to date.
's student loan funds to release their first 12-inch
, entitled "The Next Step pt. 2". 250 copies were pressed, until the stamper at the pressing plant broke, and then 200 more copies were made from a different master without the secret bonus track Live At The Fishbucket which on the first-run appears on the b-side. In the late summer of 1998 the group independently released their first album, entitled The Next Step, which Thes One produced and engineered in its entirety.
That same year, just weeks after the 12-inch
was released, the shopkeeper of the now-defunct Mr. Bongo record shop purchased a large number of copies of it for his shop. When he played it on an ordinary day in the store, customers rushed the counter and it sold out within 7 minutes. Seeing the demand, the shopkeeper called Chris Smith, owner of Om Records
in San Francisco, and urged him to get in contact with People Under The Stairs
. Initially, Smith contacted the group regarding a one-song deal for the Om's compilation albums Deep Concentration and Mushroom Jazz
, but upon hearing more material offered the group a 4-album deal.
People Under The Stairs
signed with Om Records
in 1999 and headed off on their first world tour in late summer of the same year, initially as support for the Deep Concentration project but later that year in Europe as a Solo Act with local openers.
Question in the Form of an Answer
Question In The Form Of An Answer was released in June 2000. The lead 12” single, Youth Explosion, sold the full run of 15,000 copies pressed in its first month, and was not repressed in order to promote the second and third singles The Cat and We’ll Be There – each of which went on to sell 15,000 copies. The album was critically acclaimed for its eclectic and diverse range of beats rooted in Jazz
and Psychedelic Rock
and P.U.T.S. continued with another set of world tours to support the record, this time adding Japan and Australia to their routing.
Following the release of the second album, Thes One began to coordinate strings of successful world tours for PUTS culminating in performances at the UK’s famous Glastonbury Festival
in 2001 alongside Kelis
and successful shows at the Reading
, Leeds
and infamous Essentials festival in London where the group was joined with Biz Markie
, Ice T
, Jeru
, Masta Ace
and De La Soul
on the final Sunday of the festival.
"O.S.T."
In between managing tours and performing, Thes One began producing and engineering the third People Under The Stairs
album, which would be released in June 2002 as O.S.T. (Original Soundtrack). Critically acclaimed for its broad musical influences and dead on hip hop
sound, songs such as Montego Slay and Acid Raindrops quickly became favorites and helped solidify the group's dedicated worldwide fan base, and it remains a fan favorite to this day.
...Or Stay Tuned
Released in August of 2003, ...Or Stay Tuned
was the group's final release on Om Records
. The album was labeled an EP due to contractual issues but was considered by many, including the group, to be a full-length contribution. The group continued to tour the globe, spending 7–8 months of the year on the road at times.
Stepfather
Thes One continued to tour with PUTS through 2005 and began production on the next PUTS album, Stepfather
. He inked a deal for the group with local Los Angeles label Basement Records and coordinated the elaborate deluxe packaging with long time friend Joshua Dunn of design team Secret Pizza Party. Stepfather (2006), PUTS fifth full-length release, was met with critical acclaim and presented a more modern and personal direction for the group. Consisting of Thes One’s turn towards left of center rhythm’s and modern soul and disco, it was his most ambitious production yet, though songs like Tuxedo Rap seemed, at first listen, a simple return to hip-hop’s disco rap roots. The group toured the album in the US throughout that year, taking then unknown rock-rap group Gym Class Heroes
as opening act with them.
Stepfather
debuted on the Billboard charts
May 6, 2006 at #32 on the Heatseaker Chart and #35 on the Independent Albums chart.
Fun DMC
Fun DMC is the sixth studio album
by People Under the Stairs
, released on Gold Dust Media, a division of Studio !K7
. Recorded throughout the summer of 2008, the theme of the album is summertime fun in Los Angeles
, and the background and intros/outros of most songs on the album have audio recorded across LA that summer. The name of the album is a homage to Run DMC, and in anticipation of the album the group released the mixtape "Funner than Leather", a play on the Run DMC inspired, Rick Rubin directed film Tougher Than Leather
.
After touring extensively throughout Australia from 2004-2007, Thes One
and Double K wrote the song "The Wiz" about their travels down under. In summer of 2008 the group worked with director Matt Bird
to film the video for The Wiz on location in Sydney
. The filming of the video involved underwater cameras, cranes, and a helicopter shot that almost killed both members, and is the group's most elaborate music video to date.
On October 18, 2009 the Fun DMC debut on the Billboard charts
as #6 on the Heatseekers List Following a nationwide tour in support of the album, People Under The Stairs celebrated their 10-year anniversary in December 2008 with a sold out show at Los Angeles’ historical El Rey theatre.
In spring of 2011, the group released an dub version of the album that Thes One
had made while mixing the album in 2008, available exclusively on their recently launched website.
In February 2009, People Under The Stairs
became one of the only independent American music groups to tour China, selling out shows in both Beijing
and Shanghai
(in excess of 800 people). PUTS, amongst other shows, was confirmed to play the Coachella Music Festival and Bonaroo Music Festival in 2009. Immediately following their performance at Bonaroo, Spin Magazine declared the group's performance] "The Best...Period"
in their AV club review "Carried Away proves that Thes One and Double K will be pumping out sunny, laid-back party anthems long after the Internet memes grow stale". Carried Away debuted at #5 on the iTunes hip hop charts and was featured by iTunes, who noted: "As usual with PUTS, Carried Away is a self-contained effort with no guest producers or MC cameos, just entertaining rhymes and straightforward beatwork dotted with well-placed samples meant to delight hip-hop purists everywhere." Carried Away debuted on the Billboard charts
at #23 on the Heatseeker Charts. Fans who had followed the group for years noted in many submitted reviews that the album was a return to classic PUTS material. Though demand to tour the US following the release of Carried Away was strong, PUTS were determined to break new parts of the world and proceeded to tour Brazil
and then the southern cape of Africa
following the release of the album.
Released on September 29th, 2011, PUTS album #8 also is the first album to be commercially released in the HD-AAC format, and is sold directly to fans via their website PL70.net
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group from Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
formed in 1997 by Thes One
Thes One
Thes One, born Christopher Cesar Portugal in Torrance, California, on October 18, 1977, to an American mother and immigrant Peruvian father, is one half of hip hop duo People Under the Stairs, serving as a vocalist/MC, producer, engineer and business manager...
and Double K. The group has released eight critically acclaimed full-length albums and performed on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that the group has performed well over 1,000 sold out shows at more than 400 venues worldwide. Some of their more recognizable songs include "San Francisco Knights," "Montego Slay," "Los Angeles Daze," and "Acid Raindrops." Much of the group's lyrics relate to life in their hometown of Los Angeles.
Formation
While both still attending high school in Mid-City Los Angeles, Thes OneThes One
Thes One, born Christopher Cesar Portugal in Torrance, California, on October 18, 1977, to an American mother and immigrant Peruvian father, is one half of hip hop duo People Under the Stairs, serving as a vocalist/MC, producer, engineer and business manager...
and Double K met and quickly started working on music together, laying the foundation for what would become People Under The Stairs. Soon after, while Thes One
Thes One
Thes One, born Christopher Cesar Portugal in Torrance, California, on October 18, 1977, to an American mother and immigrant Peruvian father, is one half of hip hop duo People Under the Stairs, serving as a vocalist/MC, producer, engineer and business manager...
was attending USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, the duo began recording and performed their first live in-store appearance as a group at the now defunct Beat Non Stop record store on Melrose
Melrose Avenue
Melrose Avenue is an internationally renowned shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Los Angeles that starts from Santa Monica Boulevard at the border between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood and ends at Lucille Avenue in Silver Lake...
. A few months later, the group made a roadtrip north to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, which inspired them to write and record San Francisco Knights, one of their most popular songs to date.
The Next Step
The duo continued performing and recording, and in 1998 used Thes OneThes One
Thes One, born Christopher Cesar Portugal in Torrance, California, on October 18, 1977, to an American mother and immigrant Peruvian father, is one half of hip hop duo People Under the Stairs, serving as a vocalist/MC, producer, engineer and business manager...
's student loan funds to release their first 12-inch
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
, entitled "The Next Step pt. 2". 250 copies were pressed, until the stamper at the pressing plant broke, and then 200 more copies were made from a different master without the secret bonus track Live At The Fishbucket which on the first-run appears on the b-side. In the late summer of 1998 the group independently released their first album, entitled The Next Step, which Thes One produced and engineered in its entirety.
That same year, just weeks after the 12-inch
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
was released, the shopkeeper of the now-defunct Mr. Bongo record shop purchased a large number of copies of it for his shop. When he played it on an ordinary day in the store, customers rushed the counter and it sold out within 7 minutes. Seeing the demand, the shopkeeper called Chris Smith, owner of Om Records
Om Records
Om Records is a US-based record label, established in 1995, which releases electronic music, dance music, and hip hop. The label was founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Chris Smith. Om Records releases both artist albums and various compilations. Some of the most notable compilations include Om...
in San Francisco, and urged him to get in contact with People Under The Stairs
People Under the Stairs
People Under the Stairs is a hip hop group from Los Angeles, California formed in 1997 by Thes One and Double K. The group has released eight critically acclaimed full-length albums and performed on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that the group has performed well over 1,000 sold...
. Initially, Smith contacted the group regarding a one-song deal for the Om's compilation albums Deep Concentration and Mushroom Jazz
Mushroom Jazz
Mushroom Jazz is a series of musical compilations by DJ Mark Farina. Originating in 1992 these were released on cassette tape, then since 1997 have been commercial CD and vinyl releases. Farina combines elements of downtempo, hip hop, jazz and R&B, French, Latin, beatmatching and mixing songs...
, but upon hearing more material offered the group a 4-album deal.
People Under The Stairs
People Under the Stairs
People Under the Stairs is a hip hop group from Los Angeles, California formed in 1997 by Thes One and Double K. The group has released eight critically acclaimed full-length albums and performed on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that the group has performed well over 1,000 sold...
signed with Om Records
Om Records
Om Records is a US-based record label, established in 1995, which releases electronic music, dance music, and hip hop. The label was founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Chris Smith. Om Records releases both artist albums and various compilations. Some of the most notable compilations include Om...
in 1999 and headed off on their first world tour in late summer of the same year, initially as support for the Deep Concentration project but later that year in Europe as a Solo Act with local openers.
Question in the Form of an AnswerQuestion in the Form of an AnswerQuestion In The Form Of An Answer, released in June 2000, is the second album by People Under The Stairs. The lead 12” single, Youth Explosion, sold the full run of 15,000 copies pressed in its first month, and was not repressed in order to promote the second and third singles The Cat and We’ll Be...
Question In The Form Of An Answer was released in June 2000. The lead 12” single, Youth Explosion, sold the full run of 15,000 copies pressed in its first month, and was not repressed in order to promote the second and third singles The Cat and We’ll Be There – each of which went on to sell 15,000 copies. The album was critically acclaimed for its eclectic and diverse range of beats rooted in JazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
and P.U.T.S. continued with another set of world tours to support the record, this time adding Japan and Australia to their routing.
Following the release of the second album, Thes One began to coordinate strings of successful world tours for PUTS culminating in performances at the UK’s famous Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
in 2001 alongside Kelis
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
and successful shows at the Reading
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and infamous Essentials festival in London where the group was joined with Biz Markie
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall better known by his stage name, Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, comedian, singer, reality television personality, and commercial spokesperson. He is best known for his single "Just a Friend", an American Top 10 hit in 1989...
, Ice T
Ice T
Tracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American musician and actor.He was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school he served in the United States Army for four years...
, Jeru
Jeru
Jeru may refer to:American musicians:* Jeru , Gerry Mulligan* Jeru the Damaja Other:* Great Andamanese people* Aka-Jeru language, of Great Andamanese...
, Masta Ace
Masta Ace
Duval Clear , known better by his stage name Masta Ace, is a rapper from Brownsville, Brooklyn. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut "The Symphony"...
and De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
on the final Sunday of the festival.
"O.S.T."O.S.T. (album)O.S.T. is the third album by the People Under the Stairs. In between managing tours and performing, Thes One began producing and engineering the third People Under The Stairs album, which would be released in June 2002 as O.S.T....
In between managing tours and performing, Thes One began producing and engineering the third People Under The StairsPeople Under the Stairs
People Under the Stairs is a hip hop group from Los Angeles, California formed in 1997 by Thes One and Double K. The group has released eight critically acclaimed full-length albums and performed on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that the group has performed well over 1,000 sold...
album, which would be released in June 2002 as O.S.T. (Original Soundtrack). Critically acclaimed for its broad musical influences and dead on hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
sound, songs such as Montego Slay and Acid Raindrops quickly became favorites and helped solidify the group's dedicated worldwide fan base, and it remains a fan favorite to this day.
...Or Stay Tuned...Or Stay TunedReleased in 2003, ...Or Stay Tuned was the People Under the Stairs' final release on Om Records. The album was labeled an EP due to contractual issues but was considered by many, including the group, to be a full-length contribution...
Released in August of 2003, ...Or Stay Tuned...Or Stay Tuned
Released in 2003, ...Or Stay Tuned was the People Under the Stairs' final release on Om Records. The album was labeled an EP due to contractual issues but was considered by many, including the group, to be a full-length contribution...
was the group's final release on Om Records
Om Records
Om Records is a US-based record label, established in 1995, which releases electronic music, dance music, and hip hop. The label was founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Chris Smith. Om Records releases both artist albums and various compilations. Some of the most notable compilations include Om...
. The album was labeled an EP due to contractual issues but was considered by many, including the group, to be a full-length contribution. The group continued to tour the globe, spending 7–8 months of the year on the road at times.
StepfatherStepfather (album)-Fake leak:A false leak of the album was released on the internet on February 21, 2006. The leak was orchestrated by Thes One himself by recruiting members on the PUTS Online messageboard to spread the bad copy. The leak is in fact a recital of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner with an introduction...
Thes One continued to tour with PUTS through 2005 and began production on the next PUTS album, StepfatherStepfather (album)
-Fake leak:A false leak of the album was released on the internet on February 21, 2006. The leak was orchestrated by Thes One himself by recruiting members on the PUTS Online messageboard to spread the bad copy. The leak is in fact a recital of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner with an introduction...
. He inked a deal for the group with local Los Angeles label Basement Records and coordinated the elaborate deluxe packaging with long time friend Joshua Dunn of design team Secret Pizza Party. Stepfather (2006), PUTS fifth full-length release, was met with critical acclaim and presented a more modern and personal direction for the group. Consisting of Thes One’s turn towards left of center rhythm’s and modern soul and disco, it was his most ambitious production yet, though songs like Tuxedo Rap seemed, at first listen, a simple return to hip-hop’s disco rap roots. The group toured the album in the US throughout that year, taking then unknown rock-rap group Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes is an American hip hop rock band from Geneva, New York. They have collaborated with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump on numerous occasions, notably for providing backing vocals on the song "Cupid's Chokehold." Stump also produced the majority of their album The Quilt.The group formed...
as opening act with them.
Stepfather
Stepfather (album)
-Fake leak:A false leak of the album was released on the internet on February 21, 2006. The leak was orchestrated by Thes One himself by recruiting members on the PUTS Online messageboard to spread the bad copy. The leak is in fact a recital of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner with an introduction...
debuted on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
May 6, 2006 at #32 on the Heatseaker Chart and #35 on the Independent Albums chart.
Fun DMCFUN DMCFun DMC is the sixth studio album by People Under the Stairs, released on Gold Dust Media, a division of Studio !K7. Recorded throughout the summer of 2008, the theme of the album is summertime fun in Los Angeles, and the background and intros/outros of most songs on the album have audio recorded...
Fun DMC is the sixth studio albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by People Under the Stairs
People Under the Stairs
People Under the Stairs is a hip hop group from Los Angeles, California formed in 1997 by Thes One and Double K. The group has released eight critically acclaimed full-length albums and performed on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that the group has performed well over 1,000 sold...
, released on Gold Dust Media, a division of Studio !K7
Studio !K7
Studio !K7 is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany that focuses mostly on electronic music. The name is an abbreviation of the company's original Berlin address, Kaiserdamm 7 . !K7 has since opened branch offices in New York City, Hamburg, London, and Tokyo.It has four independent...
. Recorded throughout the summer of 2008, the theme of the album is summertime fun in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and the background and intros/outros of most songs on the album have audio recorded across LA that summer. The name of the album is a homage to Run DMC, and in anticipation of the album the group released the mixtape "Funner than Leather", a play on the Run DMC inspired, Rick Rubin directed film Tougher Than Leather
Tougher Than Leather
Tougher Than Leather is a 1988 studio album for American rap group Run–D.M.C. and a follow-up to their hit Raising Hell. While the new record did not maintain the same popularity as its predecessor, it obtained platinum status and spawned the favorites "Run's House" and "Mary, Mary" .Tougher Than...
.
After touring extensively throughout Australia from 2004-2007, Thes One
Thes One
Thes One, born Christopher Cesar Portugal in Torrance, California, on October 18, 1977, to an American mother and immigrant Peruvian father, is one half of hip hop duo People Under the Stairs, serving as a vocalist/MC, producer, engineer and business manager...
and Double K wrote the song "The Wiz" about their travels down under. In summer of 2008 the group worked with director Matt Bird
Matt Bird
- Biography :Matt Bird wrote, directed and produced the indie feature 'Blue Neon' in 2000, during his final year of film studies at the University of Technology, Sydney...
to film the video for The Wiz on location in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. The filming of the video involved underwater cameras, cranes, and a helicopter shot that almost killed both members, and is the group's most elaborate music video to date.
On October 18, 2009 the Fun DMC debut on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
as #6 on the Heatseekers List Following a nationwide tour in support of the album, People Under The Stairs celebrated their 10-year anniversary in December 2008 with a sold out show at Los Angeles’ historical El Rey theatre.
In spring of 2011, the group released an dub version of the album that Thes One
Thes One
Thes One, born Christopher Cesar Portugal in Torrance, California, on October 18, 1977, to an American mother and immigrant Peruvian father, is one half of hip hop duo People Under the Stairs, serving as a vocalist/MC, producer, engineer and business manager...
had made while mixing the album in 2008, available exclusively on their recently launched website.
In February 2009, People Under The Stairs
People Under the Stairs
People Under the Stairs is a hip hop group from Los Angeles, California formed in 1997 by Thes One and Double K. The group has released eight critically acclaimed full-length albums and performed on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that the group has performed well over 1,000 sold...
became one of the only independent American music groups to tour China, selling out shows in both Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
(in excess of 800 people). PUTS, amongst other shows, was confirmed to play the Coachella Music Festival and Bonaroo Music Festival in 2009. Immediately following their performance at Bonaroo, Spin Magazine declared the group's performance] "The Best...Period"
Carried Away
Released on October 13, 2009, Carried Away was the group's seventh album, a testament to the group's unparalleled longevity and relevance in a quickly changing music industry. As explained by The OnionThe Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
in their AV club review "Carried Away proves that Thes One and Double K will be pumping out sunny, laid-back party anthems long after the Internet memes grow stale". Carried Away debuted at #5 on the iTunes hip hop charts and was featured by iTunes, who noted: "As usual with PUTS, Carried Away is a self-contained effort with no guest producers or MC cameos, just entertaining rhymes and straightforward beatwork dotted with well-placed samples meant to delight hip-hop purists everywhere." Carried Away debuted on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
at #23 on the Heatseeker Charts. Fans who had followed the group for years noted in many submitted reviews that the album was a return to classic PUTS material. Though demand to tour the US following the release of Carried Away was strong, PUTS were determined to break new parts of the world and proceeded to tour Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and then the southern cape of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
following the release of the album.
Highlighter
PUTS announced the name of their upcoming eighth album, "Highlighter", live onstage at the Governor's Ball Music Festival in NYC on June 17, 2011.Released on September 29th, 2011, PUTS album #8 also is the first album to be commercially released in the HD-AAC format, and is sold directly to fans via their website PL70.net
Features
Both members features on the track 'Shoot Your Shot' from the 2006 album 'Bang For The Buck' by Ugly DucklingUgly Duckling (hip hop group)
Ugly Duckling is an American hip hop group that formed around 1993 in Long Beach, California. Ugly Duckling's members include Dizzy Dustin , Young Einstein and Andy Cat . They took the name Ugly Duckling because they felt like outcasts on the Southern California hip hop scene of the mid-1990s...
Albums
- The Next Step (1998)
- Question in the Form of an AnswerQuestion in the Form of an AnswerQuestion In The Form Of An Answer, released in June 2000, is the second album by People Under The Stairs. The lead 12” single, Youth Explosion, sold the full run of 15,000 copies pressed in its first month, and was not repressed in order to promote the second and third singles The Cat and We’ll Be...
(2000) - O.S.T.O.S.T. (album)O.S.T. is the third album by the People Under the Stairs. In between managing tours and performing, Thes One began producing and engineering the third People Under The Stairs album, which would be released in June 2002 as O.S.T....
(2002) - ...Or Stay Tuned...Or Stay TunedReleased in 2003, ...Or Stay Tuned was the People Under the Stairs' final release on Om Records. The album was labeled an EP due to contractual issues but was considered by many, including the group, to be a full-length contribution...
(2003) - StepfatherStepfather (album)-Fake leak:A false leak of the album was released on the internet on February 21, 2006. The leak was orchestrated by Thes One himself by recruiting members on the PUTS Online messageboard to spread the bad copy. The leak is in fact a recital of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner with an introduction...
(2006) - Fun DMCFUN DMCFun DMC is the sixth studio album by People Under the Stairs, released on Gold Dust Media, a division of Studio !K7. Recorded throughout the summer of 2008, the theme of the album is summertime fun in Los Angeles, and the background and intros/outros of most songs on the album have audio recorded...
(2008) - Carried AwayCarried Away (2009 album)Released on October 13, 2009, Carried Away was the group's seventh album, a testament to the group's unparalleled longevity and relevance in a quickly changing music industry. As explained by The Onion in their AV club review "Carried Away proves that Thes One and Double K will be pumping out...
(2009) - Highlighter (2011)
EPs
- Question in the Form of an Answer Instrumentals (2000)
- American Men Vol. 1 (2001)
- Stepfather Instrumentals Part 1 (2007)
- Stepfather Instrumentals Part 2 (2008)
- Other Such Tracks (2003)
Singles
- "The Next Step II" (1998)
- "Youth Explosion" (2000)
- "The Cat" (2000)
- "We'll Be There" (2000) (Hot Rap Singles #36)
- "Jappy Jap" (2002)
- "O.S.T. (Original soundtrack)" (2002)
- "Acid Raindrops" (2002)
- "Yield / Out da Club" (2003)
- "Tuxedo Rap" (2006)
- "Pass The 40" (2006)
- "Step Bacc / The Wiz" (2007)
- "Party Enemy #1 / Critical Condition" (2008)
- "Trippin' at the Disco" (2009)