Zion I – Inner Light
Zion I – Elevation

Welcome to another blog for The Album You Should Be Listening To This Week. I have decided this time to go way way back to my very first taste of what I like to consider “Real” hip-hop. I believe it was my junior year of high school, and at the time I listened to pretty much anything that wasn’t hip-hop. I hated the genre because in my naive eyes and ears it was nothing but over produced non sense, but that was only because I didn’t know there was such a thing as underground hip-hop. MIND OVER MATTER by ZION I was my very first introduction to anything outside the mainstream.

Now I know many of you are probably thinking, “Zion I is not underground at all.” Well, when I was a 16 year old kid, Zion I was underground, and very far from the hyphy-esque music they do now. This album, to this day, is still unlike any other album I’ve ever heard. AmpLive’s production on this album, in my opinion, is probably his best. I only say probably because Zion I’s second album, Deep Water Slang 2.0, is almost as good if not just as good. AmpLive on MIND OVER MATTER, however, produced some of my favorite beats of all time, especially the ones that are more drum and bass oriented like ELEVATION and INNER LIGHT. But every track on the entire album is produced with perfection. If you want to hear a great instrumental of AmpLive’s, METROPOLIS on this album is a great showing of his talents.

The second element, and also the most important, is the emcee, MC Zumbi. MC Zumbi was definitely the first emcee to ever truly spark my interest in hip-hop, and the first to open my eyes and ears to the fact that hip-hop is very very different from rap, especially mainstream rap. His heartfelt and really on point lyrics come with an incredibly deep message that transcends the structure of lyrics over beats and cuts into your very soul. Every song on this album is lyrically stunning, and every time I hear this album, it’s almost like its my first time listening to it, simply because I get a new meaning out of every listen, and I always catch something that I didn’t hear the last time.

As I’ve been writing this I’ve been listening to the album, and let me tell you, this is definitely what I’m listening to all week. So until next time, be sure to check this album out, and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments. Also give me some criticism as how to make this blog better if you have any ideas. And on another note, please, if you like these artists and their music, please support them. Go to shows, buy their merch, buy their album if you like it. Even if you download it, if you think it is worth purchasing, make sure you do. These artists need your support.

-Paul B.