Zumbi’s an emcee who’s always been at his best when he rhymes about social issues, politics and the sort. His depth of knowledge really shows that the man knows what he preaches and his rationale views on situations like the close-to-home Occupy movements make him an ideal representer of the layman’s opinions. Accordingly, on “The Edge,” he enlists his longtime cohort and fellow people’s champ, The Grouch to kick some knowledge with him. Read the rest of this entry »

On the heels Amp Live’s instrumental EP, Zion I lyricist Zumbi releases his own mixtape, sans any production from of his partner in crime. Read the rest of this entry »

The past few weeks have seen an influx of instrumental releasess but Zion I beatsmith Amp Live’s taking things in a slightly different direction with his instrumental compilation You Are Not Human: The Love EP. The EP’s a collection of varying sounds with no one influence no one influence to pinpoint. The Bay Area beatmaker will flip a classic jazz sample on one track and go right around and blast a distorted electric guitar on the next one to create a fusion of sound where country rap tunes meets the psychedelic world of house/techno/electro. Read the rest of this entry »

The real gem of Zion I & The Grouch’s Heroes in the Healing of the World was the Oakland duo’s producer AmpLive. His immaculate MPC work set up the album’s sound to invoke a wide assortment of emotions from somber to celebratory, and yes in one case, maybe a bit of overexcitement. Read the rest of this entry »

Whoever said Hip-Hop lost the ability to cultivate messages within enjoyable music obviously didn’t have Zion I and their honorary third wheel, The Grouch, in their opinionated statements. Their second album together, Heroes In The Healing Of The Nation, is an effective tool of edutainment; combining social commentary with traditional experimentation for a largely fresh thesis. Read the rest of this entry »

Where most listeners have gotten used to Zion I’s eclectic, Tribe and De La-influenced sound, their collaboration with The Grouch, Heroes in the Healing of the Nation finds all parties pushing their musical boundaries into other realms. The makeshift title track is one such example with AmpLive laying down a heavily distorted rock-like backdrop for Z and G to spit over. Read the rest of this entry »

Photos: Arian Stevens | Graphics: Talia

As the stronghold of Bay Area underground Hip-Hop, Zion I has never stepped on the mainstream stage despite creating several critically-acclaimed alternative albums in the last decade. Their desire to stay to true to their music and loyal to their fans is a great responsibility to them. Subsequently, it takes priority over any amount of money they could receive on any higher platform. Read the rest of this entry »

Back like they never left, Zion I and The Grouch are reunited from 2006′s Heroes In The City Of Dope for more affirmative action with Heroes In The Healing Of The Nation, their sophomore collaboration effort as an official unit. Five years is really forty-seven in rap years, Read the rest of this entry »

After applauded efforts to save Oaktown around the end of 2006, Zion I and The Grouch have regrouped and are expanding their efforts beyond the …City Of Dope to do right in a world of wrong with their long-awaited follow-up, Heroes In The Healing Of A Nation. The first sign of redemption comes from their Silk-E-assisted single, “Rockit Man,” an electro-hip-hop hybrid harboring the always advanced sound coming from these three veteran Cali MCs. Just one of many neck-breaking reality rhymes you’ll get when their album drops on March 22.

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Zion I & The Grouch – “Rockit Man”

As promised, EA Sports delivers a round of songs for the mixtape including never before heard tracks from 88-Keys, Afrika Bambaataa, B.o.B, David Banner, De La Soul, dead Prez, Matt & Kim, Murs, Pete Rock, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Zion I and more. Read the rest of this entry »

The genius behind some of your favorite instrumentation from artists like U-N-I, Termanology and Talib Kweli is all about making big splashes behind-the-scenes these days. Lee Bannon’s the name. Check Point’s the game. Read the rest of this entry »

Producer Lee Bannon with today’s mid-afternoon slow burner for your eardrums. “The Return (Part 2)” featuring U-N-I, Talib Kweli, Zion I & Sha Stimuli. A deep, sensual drum provides a majestic backdrop for the emcees to do their thing & nobody slacks. Read the rest of this entry »

Zion I’s “Coastin” includes all the things I currently deem necessary in song. Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Ms. Krish

Oakland-based Hip-Hop group BRWN BFLO is just as much as an anomaly as their namesake: a progressive Chicano Hip-Hop group with bottomless hyphy 808s and an immense stage presence. So while the carnales in SoCal are making you “Lean Like A Cholo”, you can find Somos One, Big Dan, Jacinto and Giant collar-poppin’ in their sets, fully decked in Dios de los Muertes face paint and scaring the beejezus out of the nearest Federal Agent lurking in their audience. You get the feeling that anything is possible when it comes to their dynamic appeal.

What’s fascinating about their style speaks less about their approach, but more of what we, as Hip-Hop fans, might expect from most MCs of Latin descent: that they’re either spitting corny ass Spanglish verses with Lil’ Loca singin’ the hook, stompin’ in their Timbs moonlighting as a poor man’s Big Pun trying to relive 1998 Read the rest of this entry »

Interesting visuals and definitely not what you’d expect from listening to the song. Read the rest of this entry »