Dayton View Triangle in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Troutman Sound Labs
![Troutman Sound Labs Marker [Front] image. Click for full size.](Photos5/541/Photo541065.jpg?930202033100PM "Troutman Sound Labs Marker [Front]. Click for full size.")
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, September 29, 2020
1. Troutman Sound Labs Marker [Front]
" this was the area that supported us, which made us " --Roger Troutman (1951-1999). Hits by Roger and Zapp, such as "More Bounce to the Ounce" (1980) and the albums Zapp (1980), The Many Facets of Roger (1981), and Zapp II (1982) made Troutman Sound Labs possible. The studio was finished in 1983. The music produced here included the Gold-selling album New Zapp IV U (1985), Shirley Murdock's self-titled Gold album (1987), and Roger's "I Want to Be Your Man," which was #1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart and #3 on the Pop chart in late 1987.
Attesting to his lasting influence, Roger and Zapp's music has been sampled nearly 900 times and shaped the sound of West Coast Hip-Hop. Tupac Shakur's "Keep Ya Head Up" (1993) samples Zapp's "Computer Love" (1985), recorded here, as well as "Be Alright" (1980). Troutman's work on Dr. Dre and Shakur's 1995 "California Love" earned a Grammy nomination for best rap performance by a duo or group in 1997. The music made here lives on, although the building that housed Troutman Sound Labs was razed in 2004.
Erected 2020 by Levin Family Foundation; Ohio History Connection. (Marker
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1980.
Location. 39° 46.938′ N, 84° 13.55′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is in Dayton View Triangle. It is at the intersection of Salem Avenue and Catalpa Drive, on the left when traveling north on Salem Avenue. Marker is in ZAPP Park, or Catalpa Gateway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2006 Salem Ave, Dayton OH 45406, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8
![Troutman Sound Labs Marker [Reverse] image. Click for full size.](Photos5/541/Photo541066.jpg?930202033100PM "Troutman Sound Labs Marker [Reverse]. Click for full size.")
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, September 29, 2020
2. Troutman Sound Labs Marker [Reverse]
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, September 29, 2020
3. Troutman Sound Labs Marker
Full view of marker is shown with "Sound Fountain"
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 30, 2025
4. ZAPP Park
A mural inside Dayton View Triangle, also known as ZAPP Park, honors Roger Troutman and Troutman Sound Labs.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2020, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,302 times since then and 207 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 30, 2020, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. 4. submitted on July 24, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
