Jason Rosanoff Cropper (born June 27, 1971) is an American musician. He was a founding member and guitarist of the American alternative rock bandWeezer, prior to his firing before the release of theirself-titled debut album.

Cropper was the original rhythm guitarist for Weezer, and as such was present at the band's first official band practice on February 14, 1992. He recorded on the band's first three official demo tapes prior to their signing toGeffen Records.

During the recording of their debut album,Weezer (akaThe Blue Album) in 1993, Cropper learned that Amy Wellner, his girlfriend in Los Angeles, was pregnant. The ramifications of this news started affecting Cropper's personality and disrupting the band's working environment. When Wellner showed up unannounced in New York with no place to stay,Rivers Cuomo considered it the final straw and informed Cropper that he had to leave the band.^[1] Weezer collaborator Karl Koch said: "He wasn't handling it well ... he always said he was fine, and then 20 minutes later he'd be up on the roof ofElectric Lady screaming or something."^[2] According to Cropper, lead singer Rivers Cuomo told him he could not allow him to jeopardize the band's work and asked him to leave.^[2] He was replaced by guitaristBrian Bell.^[3]

In 2014, Cropper said Cuomo had made the right decision,^[2] later remarking that he felt "weird to be this generation'sSyd Barrett orPete Best. But it's pretty cool too."^[4] In 2019, he said he believed Cuomo fired him mainly because of his relationship with his girlfriend, who visited the band while they recorded in New York, defying Cuomo's "no-girlfriends-while-we’re-recording" rule.^[3] BassistMatt Sharp said the decision was not triggered by a single event, but instead a series of "tiny infractions" that threatened the band's chemistry. Cuomo felt that if they were going to change the band, they had to do it before they released their first album and shot the album cover.^[3] Cropper received a credit on "My Name Is Jonas" for writing the intro.^[3]

The song "Jamie", featured on the 1994DGC Rarities, Vol. 1 compilation, was recorded in 1993 and features Cropper on guitar and backing vocals. Prior to the expanded deluxe edition ofThe Blue Album in 2004, this was the only Weezer track released to feature Cropper on guitar and backing vocals.

Despite being fired from the band, Cropper has remained friends with the other members of Weezer and attended Rivers Cuomo's wedding in 2006.^[4]

After Cropper left Weezer, he and his then wife, Amy Wellner Cropper, formed the bandChopper One.^[5] The pair (along with drummer Tyrone Rio) released the single "Free Lunch" in 1995, followed by the albumNow Playing in 1997.

In January 1994, their first child daughter Kiefer Rain Cropper, was born. Their son Jake Hudson Cropper, was born in 1999, and another daughter Devon Jade Cropper, was born in 2001. The couple divorced in 2004–2005.

In 1996, Cropper played guitar onUncle Bob, an alt-rock album from22 Jacks, which featured members ofWax,The Ramones,Adolescents andAgent Orange.^[6]

After Chopper One ended, Cropper started the pop punk supergroup Fliptop self-releasing a 5-track EP.^[7] The band consisted of Cropper on vocals, guitars and piano, Dallan Baumgarten on guitars & vocals,Scott Shiflett on bass andJosh Freese on drums. The band played live shows around LA,^[8][9] and some local Warped Tour Shows.

Cropper sang thetheme song for the 2002–2003 American sitcomAndy Richter Controls the Universe and in early 2006 began showing signs of returning to the music business. In addition to posting songs on his MySpace page, he started recording and producing bands, including the Atlanta-based rock band Buffalo Alice, producing their second albumMitchell (2007) and credited for writing at least one song and playing guitar and singing on several songs. He continued to contribute to Buffalo Alice, co-writing and producing their third albumAlexander Rosenhoff Testament: A Work Of Fiction (2008), and was listed for a time as bass player on the band's website.

In 2018, Cropper performed with Cuomo at two separate shows in San Francisco, in their first collaboration since Cropper's departure from Weezer.^[4]

In April 2020, Cropper appeared on Cuomo's "Island in the Zoom" shows. Also in April 2020, Cropper appeared on two episodes of the "We'z Talkin' Weez' 2 Thee" podcast; one playing and discussing new music and the other breaking downWeezer's "The Blue Album" track by track. Throughout 2020, Cropper performed livestreams onFacebook called "The Golden Hour." In July 2020, Cropper released his solo debut single "Goodness Knows".

In 2021, Weezer released their fifteenth album,Van Weezer, and the vinyl edition included the bonus track "I've Thrown It All Away" which was a re-recorded version of a song the band had demoed when Cropper was still in the band. He also has a writing credit on the track.^{[10][better source needed]}

• Jason Cropper onMyspace

• 1971 births
• American rock guitarists
• American male guitarists
• Living people
• Musicians from Oakland, California
• Weezer members
• Guitarists from California
• 22 Jacks members

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• Articles lacking reliable references from April 2023