To say that I am late, when it comes to Mike Zombie, is a complete understatement at this point. A friend mentioned his name to me a while back when the Started From the Bottom track by Drake first dropped.
"You know that song started from the bottom? I know who made that beat, he's from Willingboro." I brushed it off. Who comes to Jersey to find music, especially Willingboro? This was a friend of mine who knew everybody. "What do you need? Oh yeah my uncle can get that for the discount." When you hear that many connects in a lifetime none of them mean much after a certain point. Not too long ago I hear his name pop up again, and again, and again. Then somebody tells me he's signed to
OVO. I thought to myself "Wow that was quick!" It's not like I thought that my friend had lied but like I said after hearing so many connects it all kind of blends together. So finally I decide to give my man a listen.
Now I'm not gonna lie, the first thing I heard had my face twisted. I had no idea how I was supposed to write about music I didn't like. But, upon further analysis, I realized the song I was listening to wasn't even his. It was a song he happened to re-post on his Soundcloud. I took a deep breath and wiped my forehead. As of today, the only piece I have had a chance to listen to really give a thorough listen to is
Rebel Without a Cause. This is what my opinion will be based off of today.
Right off the bat listening to Rebel without a Cause had my mind turning. Even now I'm having trouble trying to word the questions I was forming. So, anyone who listens to Drake will be able to pick up on a certain sound Mike Zombie has. But the thing that had me intrigued was whether or not that sound came from Mike Zombie or whether it came from Drake. My first thought was to say "Well, damn I hear Drake all throughout this mixtape." But it's more than a possibility that it's really a sound Drake adopted from Mike Zombie. It would be crazy flattering to me but who knows? It's probably not something I would be able to really get a grasp of until I listened to Mike's earlier music.
That being said, there really is something about the sound of this project that I like. It's still rough in the way that artists are rough before they become mainstream and everything is so polished. I don't know if it has to do with the actually sound quality, but it still has that little bit of street that I like. That was same reason I used to listen to Meek. The raw tone gives the album the texture of a mixtape.
Another thing I really love is the fact that he has New Jersey pride, something I feel as though I don't hear very often. Some of that has to do with my personal ignorance about artists from NJ but the other part I believe has to do with NJ lacking popularity. There is this perception that NJ is the armpit of the nation only offering up dirt and foul air. Now, there is something funky going down around exit 52 that I take no parts in. But, anyone from here knows that we're a powerhouse. So, I love the fact that Zombie loudly wears our badge on his arm. In one particular song called
Southside Anthem Zombie reps South Jersey to the fullest, touching on divides that most New Jerseyans know all too well.
One of the first tracks that caught my ear was titled
They Need to See This. Zombie talks about his experience with becoming someone people need to know as well as his frustrations with the journey. It's a story that's added to every rapper's repertoire but Zombie's version reads more like an anthem. The catchy chorus and lyrical content make it one of those tracks anyone would want to be heard rapping over. Clearly Mike Zombie is someone to keep an eye on. When I have a broader feel for his music I'll be back to write an update, this was just a teaser. Enjoy.
@Natural_Nation's First Impression: Keep an eye out
