Zion I To Release Their Third Album; Gears Up For Worldwide Tour
Published: Friday - March 25, 2005
Words by Jay Casteel
Zion I (Photo: Raptivism Records)
Bay Area rap duo, Zion I -- consisting of MC Zion and Amp Live -- are preparing to unleash their third, and according to the group, "best LP to date."
Known by critics as one of the finest home-grown products out of the Bay, the legendary Zion I prepares the release of True & Livin', which mixes soul, jazz, and blues with our beloved hip-hop sound. And with this new album being released through Zion I's own label, Live Up Records, they did the music in the direction they felt it should go.
"Since the album is coming out on our label," said MC Zion, "it is the exact record we wanted to make. We didn't cater to a particular fan-base or any aspect of the industry."
The sound of their upcoming release is a mix of live instruments, coupled with a stunning array of sample-driven, soul and funk heavy beats, as opposed to their trademark drum-and-bass driven soundscapes.
"This is the type of production that I have always wanted to do," explained Amp Live, Zion I's producer. "For production on True & Livin', I used gritty samples, live music and bangin' ass drums, topped off with a little electro sauce. It really all came together perfectly on this record."
True & Livin' features guest appearances by many underground mainstays including Gift of Gab, Del The Funkee Homosapien, and Aesop Rock, as well as an appearance by Talib Kweli.
In 2003, the group dropped their much anticipated sophomore release, Deep Water Slang, which garnered both Source and VIBE award nominations for Best Independent Album of the Year. Following up the success of Deep Water Slang, the group performed on tours and live appearances with the likes of Kool Keith, Lyrics Born, Del The Funkee Homosapien, De La Soul, Jurassic 5, Mos Def and The Roots.
Zion I has also been a mainstay on the MTV 2/Mountain Dew Circuit Breakout tour the last two years.
In support of their new record, Zion I has scheduled a worldwide tour, which will include stops in Japan, US, Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands and the UK.
True & Livin' is slated for an April 19 release. For more info on Zion I, visit their official site @ ZionIcrew.com.
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