| A.T.B.A.N Klann | |
| Alias: | A Tribe Beyond a Nation Tribal Nation The A.T.B.A.N Klann |
| Origin: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genre: | Alternative hip hop, jazz rap, experimental hip hop |
| Years Active: | 1992–1995[1] |
| Label: | Ruthless, Relativity |
| Spinoffs: | Black Eyed Peas |
| Past Members: | Will 1X apl.de.ap Mookie Mook DJ Motiv8 |
A.T.B.A.N Klann (A Tribe Beyond a Nation) was an American hip hop group composed of Will 1X, apl.de.ap, Mooky Mook, and DJ Motiv8. The Atban Klann were signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records. Will 1X (who later changed his stage name to will.i.am) and apl.de.ap were first signed by Eazy-E when they were in high school and would later become members of The Black Eyed Peas.[2]
The group was signed to Ruthless Records in 1992 and debuted on Eazy-E's EP, on the track entitled "Merry Muthaphuckkin' Xmas". Soon after, the group recorded their debut album, Grass Roots, which was to be released on October 6, 1994; however, the album was shelved shortly before its release, and shortly after being jailed for 6 weeks in early 1995 on a domestic assault charge, Mookie Mook would leave after an argument. The duo would stay with Ruthless until they were dropped from the label after Eazy-E died in 1995.[3] Will 1X would change his name to will.i.am and the Atban Klann would add Taboo and later Fergie and become the Grammy award winning band, The Black Eyed Peas.[3]
| Italic Title: | no |
| Grass Roots | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Atban Klann |
| Cover: | Grass Roots (Atban Klann album) cover.jpg |
| Caption: | Cover of the 2020 Back 2 Da Source release |
| Released: | 2020 |
| Recorded: | 1992–1994 |
| Genre: | Hip hop |
| Label: | Ruthless, Relativity, Back 2 Da Source |
| Producer: | DJ Motiv8, Will 1X |
Grass Roots was originally planned for release at the end of 1993[4] for Ruthless Records, distributed by Relativity Records; however, the album was put on hold. In 1994, the group released the first single from the album, "Puddles of H2O", as a CD single and promotional twelve-inch, with the B-side single "Let Me Get Down".[4] However, with the band being dropped from Ruthless in 1995 it was not released at that time. The songs from the album later leaked and a cover was made using a photo of apl.de.ap and will.i.am from the Bridging the Gap photo-shoot in 2000. It was then remastered and released properly for the first time on vinyl in 2020 by Back 2 Da Source Records, which sold out.[5]