It began at Martin's Record Store on Pico Blvd…
When LA based People Under The Stairs, Double K (Michael Turner) and Thes One (Christopher Portugal) met in 1994, they had no idea they would become one of the most successful, completely independent hip-hop duos in the history of Hip-Hop.
From their initial release in 1998, People Under The Stairs, or The P as referred to by their fans, performed over a thousand sold out shows, festivals and world tours spanning 6 continents and 40 countries. With a pioneering DIY ethic, they self produced 12 full-length LPs & countless side projects and singles. The musical sensibility punctuating their unique style of hip-hop earned them the title “The Steely Dan of Rap Music” with consistent critical acclaim and numerous appearances on the Billboard Charts.
Mike and Chris’ extraordinary career included an appearance on The Simpson’s 20th Anniversary Special, a John Peele Session at Abbey Road and groundbreaking performances at festivals such as Glastonbury, Coachella and Bonaroo, the last of which SPIN noted as “Simply the best performance of Friday... Period”. As part of their 10 year Anniversary World Tour in 2009, People Under The Stairs travelled to new continents with sold out shows in China, Brazil and Africa alongside main stage plays at the Outside Lands Festival, Governors Ball NYC and many more. In 2013 the P completed groundbreaking tours with a young Mac Miller before returning to the studio to work on their 9th album, 12 Step Program, released in May of 2014 to widespread acclaim.
20 years from the inception of the group in 2019, on the eve of their twelfth and final project, the duo reflected back on the path less traveled and distilled their unique blend of funk - recognized now by fans and critics as a genre unto itself - into their final LP Sincerely, The P. On the final song of that album, in his last recording, Michael “Double K” Turner recites a heartfelt list of all the friends they had lost along the way. In the following series of farewell shows around the world, they often stated that their final chapter had closed on their own terms. Shortly there after, On Jan. 30, 2021, Double K passed away in his sleep at the age of 43, leaving behind his wife, his dog, 3 siblings - and his best friend and music partner Thes One.
It's more than makin a beat
It's more than rappin
It's more than gettin drunk, MC-ing, or party folks clappin’ for real -
What we doin, saved a lot of brothers lives, including my own.
- Michael William “Double K” Turner Carried Away 2009
I am committed to keeping this site up as an ongoing tribute to People Under The Stairs and the life and legacy of my partner Michael “Double K” Turner. I encourage you to have a look around, and if you are so inclined, grab some merch here.