Zion I
- Ground Control
- Raptivism
- Live Up
- Gold Dust
- Baba Zumbi (deceased)
- K-Genius
- Amp Live
Zion I was an American hip hop project founded by MC and producer Baba Zumbi (real name Stephen Gaines) in Oakland, California.[2] K-Genius and Amp Live were also project members.[3]
Career
Originally formed as a group, Zion I released the debut studio album, Mind over Matter, in 2000.[4] It was nominated for "Independent Album of the Year" by The Source.[5] 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] In 2009, Zion I released The Takeover.[9]
In 2010, Zion I released Atomic Clock.[10] Heroes in the Healing of the Nation, the second collaborative studio album with The Grouch, was released in 2011.[11] In 2012, Zion I released Shadowboxing, which was included on SF Weekly's "10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2012" list.[12]
In 2015, Amp Live left the group, and Zion I became Baba Zumbi's one-man project.[2]
In 2016, Zion I released The Labyrinth, their first studio album not to include Amp Live.[13]
Death of Stephen “Baba Zumbi” Gaines
On August 12, 2021, Gaines checked himself into the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center for a mental health examination.[14] He had reportedly also contracted COVID-19 roughly three weeks prior.[14] On August 13, 2021, he died of initially unknown causes at the age of 48.[15][16][17] On August 20, 2021, the Gaines family announced that they hired attorneys to investigate what they believed was a suspicious death.[18]
In May 2022, the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau finalized a report detailing Gaines's death.[14] According to officers and hospital staff, Gaines experienced a panic attack which involved him chasing hospital staff for fifteen minutes and putting a security officer in a "choke hold." The report stated that Gaines died after being held down by three hospital security guards and handcuffed by officers from the Berkeley Police Department while unconscious.[19] Gaines reportedly died from "physiologic stress of altercation and restraint during a psychotic episode" as the cause of death with COVID-19 and cardiomegaly as contributing factors. While the coroner report ruled the death a homicide, the Alameda Country District Attorney’s office declined to pursue criminal charges.
Members
- Baba Zumbi – rapper (1996–2021)
- K-Genius – DJ (2000–2002)
- Amp Live – producer, DJ (1996–2015)
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 Takeover (2009)
- Atomic Clock (2010)
- Heroes in the Healing of the Nation (2011) (with The Grouch)
- Shadowboxing (2012)
- The Labyrinth (2016)
- Stay Woke (2016) (with Mikos Da Gawd)
- The Tonite Show with Zion I (2018) (with DJ Fresh)
- Ritual Mystik (2018)
Compilation albums
- Curb Servin': The Mixtape Sessions (2003)
- Politicks: Collabs & B-Sides (2004)
- Family Business (2004)
- The Alpha:1996–2006 (2006)
- Science of Breath (2006)
- 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)
- Street Legends Volume 2 (2017)
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)
- Wake Up (2017)
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)
- "Peace" (2017) (with Locksmith)
- "End Times" (2020)
- "2 Eyes" (2021)
- "Stay Focused" (2021)
Guest appearances
- Linkin Park – "Plc.4 Mie Haed" from Reanimation (2002)
- 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)
- Rebelution – "Safe and Sound Remix" from Remix EP (2011)
- Minnesota – "Float" from Altered States LP (2012)
- Latyrx – "It's Time" from The Second Album (2013)
- Matisyahu – "Built to Survive" from Akeda (2014)
- Bassnectar – "Lost in the Crowd" from Noise vs. Beauty (2014)
- Unified Highway – "Same Thing Coming" from Unified Highway (2016)
- Bassnectar – "The Antidote" from All Colors (2020)
References
- ^ Weiner, Erik (September 3, 2013). "SUPERB Fall 2013 Lineup". The Daily Californian. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ a b John, Matt St. (February 28, 2018). "The Reawakening of Zion I's Baba Zumbi". East Bay Express. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ Keast, Darren (June 14, 2000). "Changing the True School". SF Weekly. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ Phaneuf, Whitney (October 24, 2012). "Zion I Fully Embraces the EDM Craze". East Bay Express. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Braidwood, Stefan (May 11, 2005). "Zion I: True & Livin'". PopMatters. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ Drumming, Neil (February 21, 2003). "Deep Water Slang v2.0 (2003) – Zion I". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 23, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ Mudede, Charles (May 18, 2005). "Wonder Twins". The Stranger. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ Brown, Marisa. "Zion I & the Grouch Are Heroes in the City of Dope". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- ^ Berry, David (February 1, 2009). "Zion I: The Take Over". PopMatters. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ Maine, David (January 12, 2011). "Zion I: Atomic Clock". PopMatters. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ Faraone, Chris (May 6, 2011). "Zion I & the Grouch – Heroes In the Healing of the Nation". The Phoenix. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ Palmer, Tamara (December 21, 2012). "The 10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2012". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (April 17, 2017). "Zion I's "Wake Up!" Video Is A Call To Action". The Fader. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ a b c Gartrell, Nate (30 September 2022). "Exclusive: Zion I rapper Zumbi's death ruled a homicide, but no criminal charges filed". The Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ^ St. Jawnson, Kershaw (August 14, 2021). "Bay Area Mourns as Reports Say Baba Zumbi of Zion I Dies of COVID-19". All HipHop. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ Moench, Mallory (August 15, 2021). "Bay Area rapper Zumbi dies at a Berkeley hospital. Fans are grieving and police investigating". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Woodrow, Mallory (August 20, 2021). "Family of hip hop artist Stephen 'Baba Zumbi' Gaines hires attorneys to investigate hospital death". ABC7 Bay Area.
- ^ Woodrow, Mallory (August 20, 2021). "Family of hip hop artist Stephen 'Baba Zumbi' Gaines hires attorneys to investigate hospital death". ABC7 Bay Area.
- ^ Voynovskaya, Nastia (5 October 2022). "Criminal Charges in Zumbi Homicide Investigation Still Possible, Family Says". KQED. PBS. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
External links
- Official website
- Zion I discography at Discogs
- v
- t
- e
- Zion
- AmpLive
- Mind over Matter (2000)
- Deep Water Slang V2.0 (2003)
- True & Livin' (2005)
- Break a Dawn (2006)
- The Takeover (2009)
- Atomic Clock (2010)
- Shadowboxing (2012)
- Heroes in the City of Dope (with The Grouch) (2006)
- Heroes in the Healing of the Nation (with The Grouch) (2011)
- Curb Servin': The Mixtape Sessions (2003)
- Politicks: Collabs & B-Sides (2004)
- Family Business (2004)
- Street Legends (2007)
- Enter the Woods (1997)
- New Dimensions (1998)
- Starship (1998)
- Chapter 4 (1999)