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Ten years after the release of
their debut single, Oakland hip-hop duo Zion I return
with The TakeOver, a filler-free new mix of jabs, roundhouses
and uppercuts that continue their streak as one of
hip-hop’s most diverse groups.
For TakeOver, which features guest
spots by Houston legend Devin the Dude, UK emcee Ty
and Rhymesayers’ Brother
Ali, producer AmpLive and emcee Zumbi incorporate the
best parts of their live show—perfected through
nonstop touring—and bring that vibe to the studio.
“Zion I has a reputation of being very spiritual
and serious,” notes Zumbi. “I think The TakeOver
is a lot more fun than our past records. We still touch
on serious subject matter, but this album shows the other
sides of our personality.”
Over the course of five LPs and
numerous EPs and mixtapes, the group has proven to
be a welcome enigma in hip-hop. Lyrically, Zumbi runs
the gamut on a range of issues both serious and frivolous,
discussing problems and pleasures both spiritual and
worldly. Throughout, his fanbase keeps coming back
for his smooth delivery and ability to raise issues
without sounding didactic. Musically, Amp draws from
both the usual (funk, soul) and esoteric (house, drum
n bass) to create soundscapes that work as well on
an electronic music mixtape as it does hip-hop. An
accomplished remixer as well, Amp has remixed everyone
from Linkin Park to MGMT, and most recently released
Rainydayz Remixes based on Radiohead’s In Rainbows.
Every production and remix, though, always brings it
back to his main job in Zion I. “I started using
way more effects on this album,” says Amp. “So
I was able to bring in more elements that I’ve
been using for some of the dance and indie rock stuff.”
Despite living a few miles from
each other, technology facilitated the making of TakeOver,
as the duo would e-mail verses and beats back and forth,
with each member continually making notes and suggestions
on both parts of the song. This fully collaborative
effort ensured that both Amp and Zumbi would have a
say in the final product during the entire production
process. “Our
songs go through many different styles and iterations,” admits
Amp. ““Caged Bird,” for example went
from an Electro R&B joint to a drum n bass track
to its current version [as a soul-inflected, string-laden
beat].”
While the final work is still
Zumbi and Amplive, the two are quick to point out how
their writing process has changed this time out. “We have an inner core
of people who we let listen to the album in different
stages and got feedback on what they liked,” says
Zumbi. “On other albums, it was generally us just
making whatever we wanted and then they’d just
say what songs they like. Our skin is thick enough and
we’re honest enough with ourselves that we can
take criticism.”
This new method of recording was
essential to the finished product, but the group always
has a definite idea in mind, looking at their tracks
as fans as much as musicians. “We
try to make music that falls into a crack and fills a
void for us as fans of music,” says Zumbi. “We
discuss what we want the album to feel like and then
we just let the unconsciousness take over and let things
go. We just allow that process to take on its own life.”
From the electro-rap homage “DJ DJ” to the
spacey futuristic synths of “Antenna,” The
TakeOver encapsulates the diversity and versatility that
have made Zion I Bay Area stalwarts for over a decade.
As with any Zion I album, there’ll never be any
compromise away from deep thought, but as anyone who’s
seen the pair live knows, that means nothing if the crowd
ain’t entertained. One listen to the album, and
you’ll know The TakeOver may be the most appropriate
title of the year.
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