UB Remembers: MC Trouble Today on 50th Birthday with Motown Label-mates ‘The Boys’ & ‘The Good Girls’
LaTasha Sheron Rogers, affectedly known as MC Trouble became Motown Record’s first female rapper, who was also a singer at the age of 18.
She passed away at age 20, after being born with epilepsy, she received treatment daily to prevent seizures. Suffering from an Epileptic seizure, Trouble passed away on June 4th, 1991.
At the time of her death, Trouble had been working on her sophomore album, entitled “Trouble in Paradise.”
It all started for her when her single “Highroller’s Girl,” was a local hit in Los Angeles during the fall of 1989. That song and “Can’t Get Enough” appeared on the “What Does It All Mean Motown” compilation; with Greg Mack, of KDAY.
Shortly followed an impressive guest performance on Jazzie Redd’s “Think,” from his album entitled “Spice of Life” in 1990.
That year she was signed to Motown Records, under President, Jheryl Busby. Becoming the first hip hop lady of the label. Founder Berry Gordy originally branded the label; Motown “The Sound of Young America.”
The lead single featured another young group on the label The Good Girls, entitled “(I Wanna) Make You Mine.” Followed by the album release summer of 1990.
The second single, was the album’s title track, “Get A Grip” which reached #15 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles chart.
MC Trouble signed on actor Malcolm Jamal Warner to direct the music video for the clip. The making of the video and an interview with them was shown on NBC‘s Friday Night Videos.
With this success from the first album, a successful tour run on the annual Motown Motor City Revue with label-mates The Boys, The Good Girls and Shanice to name a few. Motown had began discussion and plans for MC Trouble‘s sophomore release. The title, “Trouble In Paradise” Trouble reviled in a television interview.
It was on June 4th, 1991 at a friend‘s house when she suffered an Epileptic seizure. That was brought on from complications from a brain tumor, that resulted in heart failure.
Joyce Tolbert from the 80s/90s group The Good Girls shared with UB Today on what it was like to perform with MC Trouble; “I loved performing on stage with her. I could watch the crowd and have fun, I [really] love, love it and my favorite was performing with her.”
We continued with how was it like working with her on the single and tour? “”We had a lot of fun, it was hard work and we practiced and made it. Doing shows was seamless and fun. We all took what we did very serious, so practice was key.”
Finally we wanted to know what Joyce wanted us, the fans of MC Trouble to know about her;
“She was a beautiful soul and a superstar she would have been an active person, in the community a very strong young woman with a vision in mind. Trouble would have created some positive movement within our youth and our communities and schools through music and her voice. Your light in this world was gone too soon, but we will never let your light in this plane go out! I know you got it light all the way up where you are, love and miss you friend. See you in the next chapter. Happy Heaven Birthday Queen warrior.” – Joyce Tolbert
UB also asked Hakim and Bilal, of the 80s/90s group The Boys to share some stories of MC Trouble with us. Bilal was Trouble‘s best-friend.
The fellas left voicemails all the way from West Africa, that are candid and unedited.
[Bilal of The Boys]
With many fans such as AriesUBG of UB, feeling distraught from the loss of the promising Queen. A posthumous single “Big Ole Jazz” was released in 1992 that appeared on the House Party 2 Soundtrack, which also was a Billboard hit.
MC Trouble‘s little sister Nikky Kixx is also a rapper and professional dancer.
Tributes came from some of Hip-Hops heavy weights, in dedication to Trouble. A Tribe Called Quest‘s “Vibes and Stuff”, Nefertiti‘s “Trouble In Paradise,” and of course label-mates The Boys “You Got Me Crying.”
We feel at UB that her death and what she brought to the industry goes unnoticed! One listen to her album and watching her videos and interviews, you would know this was a star!
She made an imprint and we all should celebrate her more and respect, artist such as MC Trouble who didn’t have the chance to win over everyone’s hearts. However, they did win over the hearts of a lot of us and her talents need to be heard, seen and discussed.
There are those who recognize, like in 2010 when MC Trouble was ranked #21 on the list of #25 rappers, who are “gone too soon” by UGO.com.
LaTasha Sheron Rogers‘s final resting place is at Inglewood Park Cemetery in the Pinecrest section. Her tombstone incorrectly lists 1992 as the year of death.
Take A Look Back @ Some Visuals, Performances, Interviews and Tributes!
