{"id":5721,"date":"2013-01-30T09:20:04","date_gmt":"2013-01-30T17:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=5721"},"modified":"2013-01-31T13:41:07","modified_gmt":"2013-01-31T21:41:07","slug":"zion-i-empower-listeners-to-do-their-own-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2013\/01\/30\/zion-i-empower-listeners-to-do-their-own-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Zion I empower listeners to do their own thing"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Zion I are carrying on the traditions of hip-hop originators (photo provided).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unfortunately, \u201cempowerment\u201d isn\u2019t the first word that comes to mind when discussing modern hip-hop. That\u2019s where Oakland, California hip-hop duo Zion I come into the picture. Playing self-described \u201cfeel-good music\u201d with a message of empowerment, this ain\u2019t your ordinary rap group.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not music about how fly am I, or how much weed I just smoked, although those things may come into it,\u201d jokes the duo\u2019s MC Zumbi. \u201cIt\u2019s about individuals empowering themselves and doing what they want. That\u2019s the gift hip-hop gave me, I was able to go and do it; I want other people to be able to experience that empowerment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zumbi is known for his smooth rhyming style and progressive lyrics, but also takes hip-hop into the realm of dubstep, drum and bass, and reggae, thanks to the inventive work of producer DJ AmpLive.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe kind of do whatever we want and we don\u2019t stay in one pocket,\u201d says Zumbi. \u201cWe just go all over the map.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a musical outlook learned from the innovators of hip-hop and passed down through generations of musicians who aren\u2019t afraid to do their own thing, especially in an age where being an individual isn\u2019t such a financial risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a lot of diversity in early hip-hop and you had to be original or unique or you were a biter or a perpetrator, you know?\u201d says Zumbi. \u201cAnd now people aren\u2019t afraid to do off-kilter or wacky things and it\u2019s still dope. You can\u2019t deny creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n

DJ AmpLive moving out of Oakland has made Zumbi look outside the group\u2019s core duo, now with nine full-length albums out, and towards a whole new generation of producers and DJs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he moved I reached out to a lot of producers, a lot of young guys in Oakland, and that\u2019s exciting because all of these years it\u2019s always been Amp and now I\u2019m starting to get more guys involved,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

With a steady diet of touring and recording, Zumbi decided to dig his heels in, despite whatever challenges came his way, and he says he\u2019s a better songwriter for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s life on planet Earth, so there\u2019s going to be ups and downs, and sometimes it\u2019s a struggle,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re indie artists and we\u2019re doing everything ourselves, and in my mind the love of the music is what is pushing us forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zion I<\/strong>
\nWednesday, February 6
\nClub 9ONE9
\nstrathconahotel.com\/club9one9<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unfortunately, \u201cempowerment\u201d isn\u2019t the first word that comes to mind when discussing modern hip-hop. That\u2019s where Oakland, California hip-hop duo Zion I come into the picture. Playing self-described \u201cfeel-good music\u201d with a message of empowerment, this ain\u2019t your ordinary rap group. \u201cIt\u2019s not music about how fly am I, or how much weed I just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5800,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,92],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts","category-january-23-1013"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t