People Under the Stairs are an underground hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. It comprises two self-proclaimed B-boys, Thes One and Double K. The group, also known as PUTS, has released four albums since 1998, and have since put out a record every two years, with the exception of 2004. Although widely unrecognized, PUTS is often considered one of the hip hop underground's most prominent acts, with a musical style similar to that of A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, and fellow Los Angeles group Ugly Duckling. PUTS is also renowned for their live shows, which feature a large amount of crowd interaction and humor.
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009[2]) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).
In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.