RIP Zumbi of Zion-I, friend/collaborator of DLabrie reflects on friendship w/ the Oakland Hip Hop Legend #JusticeforZumbi
Click Here to hear Zumbi (Zion-I), DLabrie , Ony Oz, Spook & more – STOP BLINDIN ME Remix
DLabrie ~ Speaks on friend Zumbi of Zion-I ‘s passing on Friday the 13th
“ Im crushed by Zumbi passing. It doesn’t feel real. I’m still not over my bros Gift of Gab(Blackalicious), Shock G(Digital Underground) just to name a few. I’ve been on a lot of huge shows, big songs and countless adventures in so many states and cities with Zumbi , but Stephen was my hip hop brotha, long before i knew a lot about the group Zion-I or how big he had gotten with “Mind over Matter” which is an amazing piece of work
Hit song from Zion-I 1st album Silly Puddy ft. our Mutual friend The Grouch (Living Legends)
We met before i had any official albums out or songs on radio. I might of been on a few cameos and had a few demos or mixtapes. Even when he was blowing up I didn’t realize the name Zion-I was related to him at 1st. We met at a huge audition in the East Bay for Sony Records I think. A Lot of upcoming Bay Area artists were there trying to get a deal. I was a new member of a Hot group at the time (D.E.A.T.H Organization) and I think he had his own group(Maybe that was Zion-I crew) He may have gotten the Zion-I record deal that day for all I know lol. There’s a lot more to this story but I’ll save that and just say, I know the group I was rocking with didn’t get signed that day, but we did well as did his collective. I didn’t take it as seriously back then but I know we all made an impression. We were both hot Bay Rap prospects.
Zion-I Hit song “The Bay” from the Album True & Livin
We reconnected again after I moved to San Jose and started making my own moves. I was just building my local indy buzz and started doing my thing all over the states with Hip Hop Congress and he ended up really popular in the HHC network. I just noticed his name was always coming up & folks loved his music and his vibe in a unique way like a cult following. It Just reminded me of the Oakland hip hop vibe I came from. So he just kept that lane open for us Town Outliers. He was embraced by the Woke fans, Hippies, All backgrounds, The Rastas, and the Hyphy hood fans. That’s my kind of MC lol. I would tell him man you deserve that Bay Area Radio love on “Lose ya head” w/ Too Short & my fave Zion-i song shocks a lot of people “ Roll on Out ft. Mac Dre haha. I love when my lyrical purest fam has those club/radio hits and they get their props and I love to see different styles come together. That’s why we always were tight, he knew “ i got it” and i would always learn a lot from him on the road. He always pushed hard for me and was there to help if I needed it.
Click here to get DLabrie album Mr NETW3RK ft. Zumbi(Zion-I) on Bandcamp > MR NETW3RK 2 Coming 2021
As the hyphy movement grew Zumbi did a verse on my biggest album “Mr NETW3RK” part 1 on a “East Bay Legend” Remix “Turn the Party Out” also feat. Mistah Fab, Kev Choice, Rich Tycoon aka Filthy Rich(Black Bizness), GorillaPits, Big Thump(Side 2 Syde, Ray Ryda(Dirty Mack’n), Peda Man & my RDV rhyme partner who was also cool w Steve, KDoe(RDV/K-Midas) RIP. TTPO was actually a party, club type song. I was tryna switch it up and do something different w/ our collab since he was known for the pure conscious pure Hip Hop. I may have been the 1st to have Zumbi on a Hyphy type record but I’m not sure. We both had that in common being more on that Purest side of Hip Hop but also loving to have fun and kick it too, so we could mix it up
RIP to Bay Legends “Mac Dre & Zion-I” – Roll on Out! DLabrie favorite Zion-I song
Yea we had a solid friendship, he was one of the most supportive artists i knew, not just for me but for so many others. He was just a nice, pleasant Guy. No drama. No hating. No beef. So many stories I’m just reflecting on the loss but with Steve it’s always positive Gaines !
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SXSW w/ Igor(Ineffable), DLabrie & Zumbi of Zion-I photo credit Nina Parks (Austin, Texas)
DLabrie ~ A lot of Backstory to this Picture! Let’s Just say Zumbi brought the Peace to a Heated situation & altercation i was in with another Bay Area rapper. Also this trip it was HOT. on the blovck. We were rolling with Jacka & Husalah during some pretty serious beef the Mobfigaz had ! Thanks to Zumbi cooler heads prevailed. I think i stayed in room with him on this trip and We partied hard with Amp Live too! Ill keep the long story short RIP Zumbi
In more recent years we both had multiple young kids and talked about fatherhood more and how we had to adjust and fall back from Hip Hop more than usual to focus on our children. Lately I noticed he had been touring again and i have also been getting back to Live shows so i was thinking about him a lot. Last week(days before his death) at a cannabis store in Oakland, I was talking to the owner who was schooling me on various strains and i was telling him how a Zumbi song w/ our mutual fam Traxamillion & Deuce Eclipse “Indo or Sativa” kind of educated me on the diff effects of diff kinds of weed. That’s when I realized I’m a sativa guy.
Zumbi(Zion-I) ft. Deuce Eclipse – INDICA SATIVA from “Zumbi 420 EP – Produced by Traxamillion RIP
I was wondering how he was doing. I thought folks kept posting his picture because he dropped a new album or single or just did something epic again. Keyanna Celina of RDV, hit me on snap Friday morning w the RIP Zumbi wow. She met him through me and he became a fan of hers from our song with mutual friend San Quinn. But Zumbi & Keyanna were both on hit Radio songs from Traxamillion “Slapp Addict” album!! So he heard had heard of her. She was mourning & showing love to our comrade.
Zumbi (Zion-I), DLabrie , Ony Oz, Spook & more – STOP BLINDIN ME Remix
We would usually talked on Facebook DM a lot but in January 2021 while on Tour overseas, Facebook shady asses deactivated my account with no reason or warning and so it was harder to contact folks for awhile plus with the Pandemic we hadn’t been at many events together in quite a while. I think I reached out to him about getting in on a New Years event we did with Layzie Bone of Bone thugs in Harmony but I don’t think he was able to rock that or send anything because of timing.
Zion-I Hit Song “COASTIN” from Album “The Take Over”
There’s so many great moments w/ Zumbi that come to mind but I’ll leave it at that for now. RIP my brotha Zumbi of Zion-I and much love to your beautiful family!! You really left a positive impact on all of us.
“Zumbi(Zion-I) Thank you for blessing my biggest album to date. You helped make my dream come true” Thank you”
~ DLabrie
Click here to get DLabrie album Mr NETW3RK ft. Zumbi(Zion-I) on Bandcamp
Zumbi of Zion-I appears on DLabrie’s biggest album “Mr NETW3RK” on a song w// Mistah FAB, Kev Choice, & more!! RIPZumbi! Mr. NETW3RK part 2 Coming 2021
Too Short & Zion-I – DONT LOSE YOUR HEAD
LISTEN: DLabrie & Zion-I Hip Hop collabs on Soundcloud Follow DLabrie
Zumbi (Zion-I), DLabrie , Ony Oz, Spook & more – STOP BLINDIN ME REMIX
DLabrie 