Zion I

Zion I
If you are one of the regular attendee at the Hip-Hop shows happening around, then you have known abut the duo that is famous for setting the stage on fire with their power-packed performances. We are talking about Zion I who know their music like no one else.

Based in the Bay Area, this famous hip hop duo of MC Zumbi (Zion) and Amp Live has been entertaining their fans for a while now by delivering one hot album after other. Although the real appeal and charisma of Zion 1 can only be seen in their intoxicating live performances, let us try to give you a taste of their music by throwing light on some of their work.

Since the influence of hip-hop music has remained firmly lodged on the axis between Los Angeles and New York, the Bay Area based Zion I take it forward with their exciting rendition of this genre of music.

The band has emerged in the late 1990s from Oakland, California and reached sky-high limits in no time all thanks to their impeccable music and beautifully crafted image. Zion I is a cool musical duo consisting two extremely gifted musicians Zumbi and Live. The two are highly respected and acclaimed underground artists who wonderfully contribute their respective talents to make beautiful tunes together to from Zion I.

MC Zumbi, who is simply known as Zion, contributes as a singer and song-writer in Zion I. With his little-kid like sweet voice, lyrical ability and skillful flow; he continues to prove his mettle as a seasoned singer. Lyrically, he is a no-nonsense person and explores various themes of forgiveness, karma, spirituality, and a love for hip-hop along with commentary on current events.

While Zion led the mic with utmost ease, Amp Live handles the production quite remarkably. He undoubtedly is a consummate craftsman of hip-hop sound who perfectly uses the layered grooves, unique snares, interesting samples, live instrumentation, and a variety of other styles to make some very interesting tunes.

Together they make incredible music that integrates hip-hop, world rhythms, hyphy, electronica and jazz sensibilities with intelligent lyrics ranging from economic situations to social commentary.

What makes Zion 1 unique among the rest is their humbleness when it comes to creating hype for their work. The band has been around for many years now but has never really broken into the mainstream. They are sold well both on records and in concerts, but they never officially went mainstream till yet.

However, despite keeping a low-profile, the band has developed such great fan base that many mainstream acts must be envious of. Zion I have been giving the underground scene some very interesting hip-hop for years. They debuted in 1997 with the locally cassette-only EP Enter the Woods.

Although it was released only in a cassette but it got decent reviews. With it, the band got the attention of an Indie label Ground Control Records with that they released their first single Inner Light. Following the success of the single, Zion I released their first album in the year 2000. Mind Over Matter was a critically acclaimed album that marked the debut of this exciting duo of Zion and Live.

While Zion I became critics favorite with their first act, their second album got them the right kind of exposure among the musical enthusiasts. The album was Deep Water Slang V2.0 that was released three years after their debut album. Beautiful songs like Sorry, Finger Paint, Flow and Tha Drill became listeners favorite and earned them a Vibe and The Source nomination Best Independent Album of the Year.

Zion I next release was something that is considered one of the favorite all-time hip hop albums of many music buffs. Released on April 19, 2005 by LiveUp Records, the album gained success because of the highly revitalizing and well composed tunes of the band. The collaborations of artists like Talib Kweli, Aesop Rock, Gift Of Gab, Del and Navarre proved icing on the cake.

The singles that became super hits include Bird's Eye View, Luv, Temperature, The Bay and Soo Tall. The latest to come form the powerhouse of talent, Zion I is a collaboration album with The Grouch titled Heroes in the City of Dope, and Break A Dawn that was released in Japan as well.

Although Zion I is always applauded for their albums, they got most of their fan base from their live acts. They may be underground otherwise, but they hob all the spotlights and lime light for their live performances.

For any hip-hop fan, Zion I is not a group to be missed when they are performing live as on stage they are one of the most successful acts in terms of audience enthusiasm and demographics of crowd.

So get ready for an exhilarating experience and enjoy the Hip-Hop in a variety of styles ranging from old-school hip-hop to dancehall to jazz courtesy Zion I.