MEET THE LEGEND: ZZo
The modern day hip-hop Hendrix infused with a passion for underground trap.
Q: So where are you guys from? or “out-of” I should say?
A: " I was born in Easton, but I mean overall just the Lehigh Valley. It's where most of my fans first come from."
Q: When was it that you decided that music was what you wanted to do?
A: "Umm, that shit was very clear for me..When I fuckin' broke my leg and I couldn't wrestle anymore, I couldn't box either. That was around 2014 or 2015 - oh wait it's 2016 (while laughing). I'm cookin', got my years wrong and shit..but um yeah that was 2011 or 2012. I was wrestling at the time, I was going to go to college for that. Then I got hit by a car and that was how I broke my leg. I literally wrote my first song in the hospital bed, crazy story. Grabbed my laptop and just started writing. My nigga AJ "JKiDBEATS" had called seeing how I was doing and told me that he just got his studio equipment. So then after my surgery and everything I was in the studio ever since. "
Q: Did you play any instruments when you were younger?
A: Yeah, I actually played the guitar, the piano, and a couple different instruments. The guitar was and the piano were themore serious ones. I was a little sunshine boy though; I didnt go through much. Life didn't really hit me yet.
Q: Can you categories your sound? Genre? Like is there a certain image that you see with your sound?
A: "I'd say just real life shit. My music didn't really start to evolve until I started going through real shit. So that's what determined the content overall. Although, I always had a vision on how I wanted to sound like, look like, be like. Genre? I would say Ambient, it would be like Hip-Hop and Ambient sound; kind of like background music but with rap. I think of like a lonely wanderer.
Q: How do you get the ideas or themes for your songs?
A: My mood most definetly. It even determines what i'm wearing that day. That's how I know how the day is just going to be. Naturally it effects me.
Q: What type of music did you grow up listening to? Well 12th grade and back.
A: My main nigga was Jimmy Hendrix and that was cause of my grandmother; She put that shit in me when I was young. I turned into a lil hippy cause of her. Bob Marley, Fugees and Lauryn Hill - that was cause of my dad. There was always music playing when I woke up and even when I went to sleep. I didn't really know what I was listening back then. Although, now it makes me think about music differently.
Q: How did you come up with you name?
A: The whole thing just evolved over time. Se were always up on all of the trends, so when jerking came out , like when jerking started to get really big. We were like a jerkin crew, rockin' skinny jeans knee droppin' and all. We actually used to get looked at differntly too. People saying shit like "Your jeans are too tight" or "Your colors are too crazy"..but my name was K. Wizzo at the time; because my name is Kadel Woody. Then the "K" got corny over time so I just got rid of that which turned into just Wizzo. I don't remember what year it was but I do remember thinking to myself that it was time to get serious. Like im gonna basically reinvent my whole shit, my name as a brand. I took out the "Wi" for some reason and I actually called that a person, the "Wi". In some of my early music I talked about like killing Wi. Like now i'm ZZo but I killed Wi on some weird shit. I was young though and I had a lot of space to experiment so.
Q: When was your first show where you opened up for someone with a pretty following and how did it feel?
A: Had to have been 2012 or 2013. About a year after I started, we were at Croc Rock. It felt mad official, the stage was big as hell and there was mad people. We actually had to sell tickets, like I had no clue that was the beginning. Honestly, I was nervous as fuck. So you know what I did? (while laughing) I pulled my hat down and pulled my hood up, stared at the ground and just started rapping. I performed Ari Gold with A. Styles..shout out to A. Styles.
Q: Who are your most influential artists/producers?
A: I'd definitely have to go with Jimmy Hendrix, Future and Metro Boomin'. The whole vibe from each of them I can just connect and relate to.
Q: What’s your goal in the end of it all?
A: Everything that I do I like obsess over it and really try to become the best at what I can do. So naturally that just flows in. I mean I obviously want to be the best at what I do..maybe not the best in the world but of my sound that I'm creating. Really I just want to be able to live off of it and provide. Music makes me feel like I have a purpose and it's just what I do.
ZZo - Above the Law (Prod. DaanBeats)
