Artist Zion I

Oakland, California hip-hop duo Zion I has grown increasingly comfortable mixing and matching sounds and attitudes from across the underground rap spectrum over the decade. MC Zumbi and producer AmpLive make that especially clear from track to track on 2009 studio album The TakeOver. AmpLive throws everything into it from tribal-sounding drum samples to distorted basslines to acoustic guitar to New Orleans jazz, and Zumbi’s flow ranges from light and nimble (“Radio”) to an assertive swagger (“TakeOver”). Not to mention how cool it is when a righteous Brother Ali (“Caged Bird Part 1”) and an ass-worshipping Devin The Dude (“Country Baked Yams”) somehow guest-rap on the same disc, and both sound perfectly at home in their respective spots. Zion I released another collaboration with The Grouch, Heroes In The Healing Of A Nation; Zumbi released a mix-tape, Versus; and AmpLive collaborated on Therapy At 3 with MC Eligh, all in 2011.

Updated 04/12/2012