Consisting of James "Jay Tee" Trujillo and Timothy "TL" Lyon, they are best known for the 1992 hit single "Back to the Hotel", the title track of their debut album.
Before long, Johnny Z decided to work strictly behind the scenes and on the music and production end, while Jay Tee and TL performed the vocals and live shows.
In 1990, the group now known as N2DEEP released an up-tempo single on vinyl record and cassette titled "Work That Body" on Rated Z Recordz, a label and production company started by Johnny Z.
The group enjoyed much success from the single and album and toured the country performing numerous live shows, including KMEL’s Summer Jam on more than one occasion.
For nearly two decades, N2Deep have remained an underground presence in Northern California and the Bay Area rap scene, releasing several group and solo albums on their respective independent labels.
On January 22, 2011, while visiting with friends and family, Joe "Lofty" Battle and his wife, Tamera, were killed in a motorcycle accident in Vacaville, California.