When Zion I and The Grouch take the stage at the Majestic Friday night, it'll be safe to say the building will not be lacking energy.
Having just released their latest collaboration, Heroes in the Healing of the Nation, The Grouch and Zion I—the Oakland, Calif.- based duo made up of rapper Zumbi and DJ/producer AmpLive—are starting the eastern portion of their current tour. As they do so, they will look to continue growing their profile outside of their comfort zone out west and expose audiences to the sound that has become legendary in the San Francisco Bay Area.
A big reason for their status on the West Coast, and their growing popularity in places like Madison, is the energy-packed shows they have become famous for. That's something Zumbi said has always been the focal point of what they do.
""Ever since we started making music, the main way that we've garnered fans and spread the word about what we do is the live show. That's always been paramount for us,"" he said. ""And we're basically still doing the same thing we were doing when we started—going hard at the show and making quality music.""
Along with their prolific touring schedule, Zumbi and AmpLive have been equally active in the studio, putting out a slew of albums and solo projects in the past year. Their latest album as just Zion I was November's Atomic Clock, an eclectic, soulful follow up to their 2009 record The Take Over. Most recently, the duo paired with The Grouch to release Heroes in the Healing of the Nation just over a month ago.
All of those releases came with a wide range of influences and samples, and resulted in a sound far different from the more stripped-down ""hyphy"" music the Bay Area became famous for a few years ago. Zumbi admitted Zion I's music is a counterexample to the hyphy sound, but said that's a result of the different sources of inspiration available to them.
""We represent that countercultural thing, which is very consistent with the Bay Area anyway,"" he said. ""We represent that real organic hip-hop, soul music—that's what we make—but I think it represents the bay at the same time.""
As for their live show, fans can expect to see a hyped-up Zumbi interacting with the crowd and pouring passion into freestyles and performances. And while some DJs are content to sit in the background spinning records at a show, AmpLive will play a big part in Friday's concert as well.
Look for him to break out what can only be described as a beat box guitar—an innovative, Frankenstein piece of hip-hop mad science consisting of an MPC mixer turned into a guitar. Even AmpLive himself cannot fully describe what goes into what The Grouch once referred to as a ""crazy-ass guitar thing.""
""I don't know what it is, actually,"" AmpLive said. ""On the neck I have different effects and stuff I can use to manipulate the sound, so I'm just doing it all at the same time. It's basically like a guitar neck on an MPC.""
Complementing AmpLive and Zumbi on stage will be the duo's frequent collaborator, The Grouch, who joins Zion I for their first full tour together since their 2006 album Heroes in the City of Dope. Zumbi said fans can expect the show to be changed from those with just Zion I.
""He brings a real different twist of an artist,"" Zumbi said. ""Amp and I have been working so long so it's cool to have a new energy, somebody who thinks about stuff a little different, who has different perspectives on everything.""
Zion I and The Grouch will headline Friday's show at the Majestic, with artists One Be Lo and The Shotgun Wedding opening at 9 p.m.
