Zion I bides their time as hip-hop radio keeps to the streets
by Martin Woodside
In the rap game, somebody’s always talking about getting slept on. But few have as valid a beef as Zion I. The duo of MC Zion and producer Amp Live has been on the grind for more than a decade now, first turning heads with their debut, Mind Over Matter. The release showcased Zion’s distinctive nasal drawl and Amp’s eclectic production that touched on dancehall and drum ’n’ bass, with plenty of old-school boom bap.
The duo now have three albums under their belt, and keep busy on the business side with their own record label, which they operate when they’re not on tour. Despite the small amount of mainstream press, you won’t catch Zion hating—this is a man who cites Kanye West as a “beacon of hope” for the industry. Just don’t call him a backpacker, which is a cute term for hip-hop MCs whose raps suggest they read books about big thoughts.
“For me, ‘conscious’ is a good word, [but] ‘backpacker’ is derogatory,” he explains. “I’d rather be an ‘artist’ any day than a backpacker. Cats out here were using that word when they didn’t want to play our song.”
Zion I won “Best Hip-Hop” at last year’s San Francisco Music Awards and recently finished a solid tour with fellow Bay Area icons Blackalicious. Both were good for exposure, but airplay is the key to the next realm. Despite minor rotation on satellite radio and some love from San Francisco’s main hip-hop station, KMEL (for the song “The Bay Remix”), FM programmers haven’t picked up on Zion I.
“Corporations dominate. There’s a Starbucks on every corner. It’s expensive to make a good video,” Zion explains. “[And] it’s expensive to get your song on the radio. They say they’re not pay-for-play, but they are.”
Zion I has drawn some interest from major industry players over the years. So far, however, the duo has decided the opportunities weren’t worth giving up their independence. There’s comfort in doing things on a smaller scale when you’re able to control every decision.
The pair met in Atlanta 15 years ago and have been working together ever since—just one producer, one MC. That’s a rarity in today’s hit-happy business, where success is counted in cameos. It’s not uncommon for an album to have as many producers as it does tracks.
“We really learned how to make music when we were in Atlanta—that’s always gonna stay with us,” Zion says. “When we first got there, around ’91, we all knew it was gonna blow up. But it took eight years. Crunk kind of brought it to the next level.”
Their own commercial breakthrough is still pending. But, artistically at least, Zion I is reaching new levels. Last year’s True & Livin’ was Amp’s tightest work yet, paring down his arrangements to crisp, clean beats and seamless hooks. The skeletal backing put the focus on Zion’s lyrics, an introspective mixture of fiery rhetoric and spirituality.
As for expectations, Zion expects their fourth album, a collaboration with Grouch from the Living Legends Crew, to drop later this year. As for radio play—not so much.
“It’s not what’s going on right now,” he says. “[The typical rapper on the radio now is] that dude on the corner that used to sell dope, hardened by the streets, and now he’s telling you his hard-knock story. I’m not really trying to go there. We can talk about the streets, but it’s more of a reflective perspective for me.”
Zion I plays with the Big Spiders at The Casbah on March 3. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. $12. 619-232-HELL.
3/1/06
by Martin Woodside
In the rap game, somebody’s always talking about getting slept on. But few have as valid a beef as Zion I. The duo of MC Zion and producer Amp Live has been on the grind for more than a decade now, first turning heads with their debut, Mind Over Matter. The release showcased Zion’s distinctive nasal drawl and Amp’s eclectic production that touched on dancehall and drum ’n’ bass, with plenty of old-school boom bap.
The duo now have three albums under their belt, and keep busy on the business side with their own record label, which they operate when they’re not on tour. Despite the small amount of mainstream press, you won’t catch Zion hating—this is a man who cites Kanye West as a “beacon of hope” for the industry. Just don’t call him a backpacker, which is a cute term for hip-hop MCs whose raps suggest they read books about big thoughts.
“For me, ‘conscious’ is a good word, [but] ‘backpacker’ is derogatory,” he explains. “I’d rather be an ‘artist’ any day than a backpacker. Cats out here were using that word when they didn’t want to play our song.”
Zion I won “Best Hip-Hop” at last year’s San Francisco Music Awards and recently finished a solid tour with fellow Bay Area icons Blackalicious. Both were good for exposure, but airplay is the key to the next realm. Despite minor rotation on satellite radio and some love from San Francisco’s main hip-hop station, KMEL (for the song “The Bay Remix”), FM programmers haven’t picked up on Zion I.
“Corporations dominate. There’s a Starbucks on every corner. It’s expensive to make a good video,” Zion explains. “[And] it’s expensive to get your song on the radio. They say they’re not pay-for-play, but they are.”
Zion I has drawn some interest from major industry players over the years. So far, however, the duo has decided the opportunities weren’t worth giving up their independence. There’s comfort in doing things on a smaller scale when you’re able to control every decision.
The pair met in Atlanta 15 years ago and have been working together ever since—just one producer, one MC. That’s a rarity in today’s hit-happy business, where success is counted in cameos. It’s not uncommon for an album to have as many producers as it does tracks.
“We really learned how to make music when we were in Atlanta—that’s always gonna stay with us,” Zion says. “When we first got there, around ’91, we all knew it was gonna blow up. But it took eight years. Crunk kind of brought it to the next level.”
Their own commercial breakthrough is still pending. But, artistically at least, Zion I is reaching new levels. Last year’s True & Livin’ was Amp’s tightest work yet, paring down his arrangements to crisp, clean beats and seamless hooks. The skeletal backing put the focus on Zion’s lyrics, an introspective mixture of fiery rhetoric and spirituality.
As for expectations, Zion expects their fourth album, a collaboration with Grouch from the Living Legends Crew, to drop later this year. As for radio play—not so much.
“It’s not what’s going on right now,” he says. “[The typical rapper on the radio now is] that dude on the corner that used to sell dope, hardened by the streets, and now he’s telling you his hard-knock story. I’m not really trying to go there. We can talk about the streets, but it’s more of a reflective perspective for me.”
Zion I plays with the Big Spiders at The Casbah on March 3. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. $12. 619-232-HELL.
3/1/06
