| A Lighter Shade of Brown | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Also known as | LSOB |
| Origin | Riverside, California |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1990–1999 |
| Labels | Quality, Mercury, Thump |
| Associated acts | DJ Battlecat, DJ Muggs, Frost, Jay Tee, 2Pac, A.L.T. |
| Website | Lighter Shade of Brown |
| Members | |
| DTTX ODM |
|
A Lighter Shade of Brown (LSOB) was a Mexican American hip hop duo from Riverside, California best known for their 1990 hit single "On a Sunday Afternoon", a success in the U.S., written by songwriters/musicians David Dunson & Micah Carson.
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LSOB was formed in 1990 by One Dope Mexican (Robert Gutierrez) and Don't Try To Xerox (Bobby Ramirez).[1] They recorded demos and landed a record deal soon after with small independent label Pump. Their debut album, 1990's "Brown and Proud," brought the group their lone Top 40 single in the U.S. with "On A Sunday Afternoon," which contained samples of The Young Rascals' 1967 hit "Groovin' " and Tommy James and the Shondells' 1969 hit "Crystal Blue Persuasion" and peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also went to #1 for 2 weeks in New Zealand.
The duo provided songs for Latino-market movies such as Mi Vida Loca and I Like It Like That following the release of their second LP, 1992's '"Hip Hop Locos," which failed to chart. The success of "Sunday Afternoon" nonetheless resulted in Mercury Records signing the group and releasing their third disc, Layin' in the Cut, in 1994. The record did not sell as well as was hoped, peaking at #184 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. LSOB went on a temporary hiatus,[1] returning in 1997 on indie with Danny "Dice" and Eric "Bajo" Thump Records. Their self-titled fourth album featured guest appearances from Rappin' 4-Tay and Dwayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Toné!.
1999 marked the last of their releases, including a greatest hits album and a non-charting single, "Sunny Day." That year, Gutierrez became a DJ at San Bernardino radio station KGGI.[1]
| Year | Title | Label | US R&B Chart[2] | US Top 200[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Brown & Proud | Quality/Mercury | - | 184 |
| 1992 | Hip Hop Locos | Quality/Mercury | 87 | - |
| 1994 | Layin' in the Cut | Mercury | 54 | 169 |
| 1997 | A Lighter Shade of Brown | Thump | - | - |
| 1999 | If You Could See Inside Me | Thump | - | - |
| 1999 | Greatest Hits | Thump | - | - |
| Year | Title | Chart Positions[3] | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | US Hot Hip-Hop & R&B Singles | US Hot Rap Singles | |||
| 1990 | "Latin Active" | 59 | - | - | Brown & Proud |
| "On a Sunday Afternoon" (feat.Shiro and Huggy Boy) |
39 | - | - | ||
| 1992 | "Homies" | 57 | 54 | 13 | Hip Hop Locos |
| 1994 | "Hey DJ" | 43 | 67 | 18 | Layin' in the Cut |
| "If You Wanna Groove" (feat.Novelist) |
- | - | 45 | ||