People Under The Stairs Biography

LA based duo People Under The Stairs, aka Double K (Michael Turner) and Thes One (Christopher Portugal) are the most successful fully independent hip-hop duo in the history of the genre. Since their first release in 1998, People Under The Stairs, or “The P” as they are referred to by their fans, have performed over a thousand sold out shows, festivals and world tours spanning six continents and 40 countries. With a pioneering DIY ethic, they have self produced nine full-length LPs in addition to countless singles and side projects, with the most recent album being 12 Step Program from 2014. The album, made entirely from samples, was well received and smoothly produced, with many moments of subtle brilliance.

The musical sensibility punctuating their unique brand of hip-hop has earned them the title “The Steely Dan of Rap Music” as well as consistent critical acclaim and numerous appearances on the Billboard Charts. Their unique career includes 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 was noted by SPIN magazine as “Simply the best performance of Friday… Period”. People Under The Stairs continue to play sold out shows in China, Brazil and Africa and many more besides, as well as turning out regular mixtape to their legions of social media followers. In short, they are hip hop royalty.