Zion I

Zion I
Amp Live (left) and Baba Zumbi (right)
Background information
Origin	Oakland, California
Genres	Alternative hip hop[1]
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Ground Control, Raptivism, Live Up Records, Gold Dust Media
Associated acts	The Grouch, Eligh, Bassnectar
Website	www.zionicrew.com
Members	Baba Zumbi Amp Live
Past members	K-Genius

Zion I is an American hip hop duo from Oakland, California.^[2] It consists of Baba Zumbi and Amp Live.^[3]

Career

Zion I released the debut album, Mind Over Matter, in 2000.^[4] It was nominated for "Independent Album of the Year" by The Source magazine.^[5] The second album, Deep Water Slang V2.0, was released in 2003.^[6]

In 2005, Zion I released True & Livin'.^[5] It featured guest appearances from Gift of Gab, Talib Kweli, and Aesop Rock.^[7]

Heroes in the City of Dope, the first collaborative album with The Grouch, was released in 2006.^[8] Zion I released the sixth album, The Take Over, in 2009.^[9]

In 2010, Zion I released the seventh album, Atomic Clock.^[10] Heroes in the Healing of the Nation, the second collaborative album with The Grouch, was released in 2011.^[11]

The duo's ninth album, Shadowboxing, was chosen by SF Weekly as one of their "10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2012".^[12]

Members

Current

• Baba Zumbi (MC Zion) - rapper
• Amp Live - producer

Former

• K-Genius - DJ^[13]

Discography

Studio albums

• Mind Over Matter (2000)
• Deep Water Slang V2.0 (2003)
• True & Livin' (2005)
• Break a Dawn (2006)
• Heroes in the City of Dope (2006) (with The Grouch)
• The Take Over (2009)
• Atomic Clock (2010)
• Heroes in the Healing of the Nation (2011) (with The Grouch)
• Shadowboxing (2012)

Compilation albums

• Curb Servin': The Mixtape Sessions (2003)
• Politicks: Collabs & B-Sides (2004)
• Family Business (2004)
• Street Legends (2007)
• The Search & The Seizure (2008)
• Bringers of the Dawn (2009)
• Zion I Sampler (2010)
• Live at KEXP Vol. 5 (2009)
• Hella Fresh Fest (2013)
• The Rapture: Live from Oaklandia (2015)

EPs

• Enter the Woods (1997)
• New Dimensions (1998)
• Starship (1998)
• Chapter 4 (1999)
• The Vapors (2013)
• The Masters of Ceremony (2014)
• Libations (2014)
• The Sun Moon and Stars (2015)

Singles

• "Inner Light" (1998)
• “Critical" b/w "Venus" (1999)
• "Revolution (B-Boy Anthem)" (2000)
• "Boom Bip" b/w "Le Le Le" (2001)
• "Cheeba Cheeba" b/w "Kharma" (2002)
• "The Drill" b/w "Flow" (2003)
• "Salt in the Game" b/w "Break Rap" (2005)
• "Bird's Eye View" b/w "Luv" (2005)
• “Temperature" b/w "The Bay" (2005)
• "Act Right" b/w "Target Practice" (2006)
• “One" b/w "Trippin" (2006)
• "Hit 'Em" (2006) (with The Grouch)
• "Lift Me Up" (2007) (with The Grouch)
• "Count It Down (Nomak Remix)" (2007)
• "Juicy Juice" (2008)
• "We Don't Wife 'Em" (2016)
• "Saving Souls" (2016)

Guest appearances

• The Planets - "Can't Stop" from The Opening (2002)
• Triple Threat - "Hit 'Em Off" from Many Styles (2003)
• Goapele - "The Daze" from Even Closer (2004)
• Relic - "Trust Yourself" from Note to Self (2004)
• Rico Pabón - "Pa 'Fuera" from Louder Than Fiction (2006)
• Ty - "Oh!" from Closer (2006)
• DJ Deckstream - "Spread Love" from Soundtracks (2007)
• Omina - "Keep Move'n" from Bust (2007)
• Crown City Rockers - "B-Boy (Remix)" (2007)
• Guru - "For Ya Mind" from Guru's Jazzmatazz: Back to the Future (2008)
• Ise Lyfe - "Thigh Bone" from Prince Cometh (2008)
• CLP - “Rockin' Wiz Us" from Supercontinental (2008)
• The Jacka - "Dream" from Tear Gas (2009)
• Jern Eye - "Get Right" from Vision (2009)
• Webcam Hi-Fi - "Promised Land" from Livity Is My Temple (2009)
• Bicasso - "Party Metroid" from Rebel Musiq (2009)
• Pro the Leader & Dopestyle - "Back Wit a Vengence" from Hip Hop Depression (2010)
• Minnesota - "Float" from Altered States LP (2012)
• Latyrx - "It's Time" from The Second Album (2013)
• Bassnectar - "Lost in the Crowd" from Noise vs. Beauty (2014)
• Unified Highway - "Same Thing Coming" from Unified Highway (2016)

References

1. Weiner, Erik (September 3, 2013). "SUPERB Fall 2013 Lineup". The Daily Californian.
2. Birnam, Ian (September 14, 2011). "Zion I of Oakland leads progressive hip-hop gala". The Daily Californian.
3. Covert, Adrian (December 22, 2010). "Watch Zion I's Cosmic New Video for ‘Always'". SF Weekly.
4. Phaneuf, Whitney (October 24, 2012). "Zion I Fully Embraces the EDM Craze". East Bay Express.
5. Braidwood, Stefan (May 11, 2005). "Zion I: True & Livin'". PopMatters.
6. Drumming, Neil (February 21, 2003). "Deep Water Slang v2.0 (2003) - Zion I". Entertainment Weekly.
7. Mudede, Charles (May 18, 2005). "Wonder Twins". The Stranger.
8. Brown, Marisa. "Zion I & the Grouch Are Heroes in the City of Dope". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
9. Berry, David (February 1, 2009). "Zion I: The Take Over". PopMatters.
10. Maine, David (January 12, 2011). "Zion I: Atomic Clock". PopMatters.
11. Faraone, Chris (May 6, 2011). "Zion I & the Grouch - Heroes In the Healing of the Nation". The Phoenix.
12. Palmer, Tamara (December 21, 2012). "The 10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2012". SF Weekly.
13. Caramanica, Jon (July 2000). "Zion’s Hope - Oakland’s Zion I Is Out to Save the World by Dropping Science". CMJ New Music Monthly: 33.

External links

• Official website
• Zion I discography at Discogs