Zion I
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| Zion I | |
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 Amp Live (left) and Zion
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Oakland, California |
| Genre(s) | Hip Hop |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Label(s) | Live Up Records |
| Website | http://zionicrew.com |
| Members | |
| Zion Amp Live |
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| Former members | |
| DJ Khalid Aalim | |
Zion I (pronounced "Zion Eye") are a hip hop duo from Oakland, California. The duo consists of producer and DJ Amp Live and emcee Zion. The two are highly respected and acclaimed underground artists, famous for Amp's futuristic production techniques, using a mix of live instrumentation and samples, and Zion's poetic, positive and socially conscious lyrics. Zion I debuted in 1997 with the locally distributed cassette-only EP Enter the Woods. Their first single on Indie label Ground Control Records ("Inner Light") paved way for an album deal and in 2000, they released the critically acclaimed Mind Over Matter. In total, they have released five studio albums, 2000's Mind Over Matter, 2003's Deep Water Slang V2.0, 2005's True & Livin', 2006's Break a Dawn (a Japan exclusive), and also in 2006 a collaborative album with The Grouch, Heroes in the City of Dope.
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[edit] Early Years
The duo's musical roots stem back to early childhood. Taking interest in the workings of musical instruments, Amp Live began reassembling his family's radios at a young age and he soon began to play musical instruments like the drums and piano. In his high school years he started crafting beats , finding inspiration in a number of musical genres. Zion became fascinated by Hip Hop in its early stages; songs like "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow and "Rock Box" by Run-D.M.C. got him hooked on the budding culture. He has said that Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest gave him lyrical inspiration, originally feeling that his unique vocal tone and style wouldn't be accepted. Zion wrote his first rhyme around 1990 during one of his Social Studies classes in High School. After continuing his writing, he gained the confidence to start rapping in local ciphers and began learning about critical aspects of rapping, like breath control, cadences and rhyme patterns. In 1991, Zion and Amp joined up with two other MC's, Sup from Connecticut and Richard Raymond from the Cherry Hill projects in Baltimore to form a group called Metufour, and signed a deal with Tommy Boy Records. Their independent musical style wasn't what the label was looking for, causing the two to leave the group and the label.
[edit] Chronicle of Zion I Tour
Zion I talks about life on tour, how they make money and everything else in between on Riding Shotgun a behind the scenes show on Onloq.com
[edit] Recording career
After signing with independent label Ground Control Records, the duo released their debut single "Inner Light" in 1998, along with their debut EP Starship. In 1999, they released their next single "Critical" featuring Planet Asia, and another EP, Chapter IV. Their debut album Mind Over Matter finally surfaced in 2000. The effort was one of the most critically acclaimed underground albums of the year, and was nominated for Independent Album of the Year by The Source Magazine. Amp Live's futuristic production techniques and Zion's strong and substantial lyrical content were a major hit with underground Hip Hop fans. Zion I recorded a second album titled Deep Water Slang, set for release in 2002, but their label went under and the album disappeared. They prepared a second version, Deep Water Slang V2.0, which was released in early 2003, and was another acclaimed effort. Music videos were shot for the songs "The Drill", "Finger Paint", "Boom Bip" and "Le Le Le", giving them the most exposure of their career. Zion I started their own record label, Live Up Records, in 2003, and released a mixtape titled Curb Servin. In 2004, the duo released a compilation titled Politicks, and another mixtape, Family Business, which served as a prelude to their anticipated third album. They were featured along with Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Haiku D'Etat on the CD/DVD Calicomm 2004. True & Livin' was released in early 2005, featuring guest appearances from popular underground artists like Talib Kweli, Aesop Rock, Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Gift of Gab. The album was another praised release for them, featuring their widest range of musical styles. The single "The Bay" became a West Coast/College Radio hit, and featured a music video. Amp Live has furthered his production career, producing for artists like Linkin Park, Goapele and Planet Asia. His work has also been featured in a number of movies and TV shows, most prominently in ESPN's Playmakers, but also Honey, Big Fat Liar, America's Next Top Model, ESPN's SportsCenter. In 2006, the duo released an exclusive album in Japan titled Break a Dawn. The duo's fifth album is a collaboration project with Living Legends member The Grouch, titled Heroes in the City of Dope, and was released on October 10, 2006. This fifth album was again highly critically acclaimed, and gained the talented band more artistic respect. Their song "Spinning" was included in the soundtrack of the hit movie "Grandma's Boy".
Zion I video taped their tour with The Grouch on Riding Shotgun a TV program on ONLOQ.com.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Album information |
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Mind Over Matter
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Deep Water Slang V2.0
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True & Livin'
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Break a Dawn
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Heroes in the City of Dope (with The Grouch)
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[edit] EPs
| Album information |
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Enter the Woods
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New Dimensions
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Starship
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Chapter IV
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[edit] Compilations/Mixtapes
| Album information |
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| Curb Servin': The Mixtape Sessions |
Politicks: Collabs & B-Sides
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| Family Business |
Street Legends
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[edit] External links
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