Gorilla Zoe - Outta The Cage Interview

The dark side of hip-hop can be likened to a zoo; full of sneaky snakes, ferocious tigers, and laughable monkeys. Rapper Gorilla Zoe has seen ‘em all and he’s still standing strong. He made his national debut as part of the foursome, Boyz N Da Hood, but he quickly struck out on his own with the hit single, “Hood N*****” from his debut album, Welcome to the Zoo.

Now he’s back and ready to defeat the sophomore slump with the forthcoming, Don’t Feed the Animals.

Sixshot got Zoe outta the cage to let loose on the depiction of the ghetto lifestyle, the real reason why he left conscious music off his first album, why he dumbed down his lyrics to “Hood N*****,” his new album, clearing the air on the Rocko beef, hustling ramen noodles, and more.

I read the title of the new album is a reflection that the ghetto has been turned into a zoo and put on display for the public to consume.

Yeah, they put gates around certain neighborhoods and zone them off, but not to keep people out of it; the gates are there to keep people in a comfortable situation where they won’t want to leave. They make people feel content with their living situation—for us to eat, pay our bills, and have a roof over our head. It’s made us content to not want to go and get better.

D o you ever feel like you have to perform and exaggerate the ghetto lifestyle in order to be considered authentic?

No, that’s what I don’t do—I don’t exaggerate.

I know you don’t, but do you think people want or expect that from you since the ghetto lifestyle is considered a spectacle at times?

I build my own fan base by keeping it real. I think people that love Gorilla Zoe and follow me from the underground to now, they expect me to do what I do. I've seen so much and run things that it’s amazing for some people—many never seen so much cash money. I can talk about counting cash and shoeboxes. I can talk about drugs ‘cause it’s real and not a movie, it’s what I've experienced in my life on this earth. It sounds like a movie that people buy into but it comes from the hood, and that’s where I'm from.

I read that the more serious songs you did weren’t included on your first album. Were you disappointed by that situation?

I understand it’s a business. You pour your heat into something as an artist, but it’s not about you. As a major artist you must learn how to express yourself in a way that masses can understand what you’re saying and trying to get across at that moment. It was a learning experience. That was my first album and now going into my new album I'm very conscious of that situation. So I know how to get my message across in a more acceptable way.

Will there be more serious songs on the new album?

Everything is like a perfect match. I know how to pick the right music and beats and lyrics and a catchy hook. As long as the hook is good and the beat is good I can slide with talking about things that matter—like having lyrics with substance. A lot of times lyrical songs don’t get picked because they are unmarketable. The majors feel like they can’t sell it. So I had to find a way to make the song marketable, but still make a song with substance.

Where do you think the idea that in order to sell records you can’t have too many serious songs comes from—the label executives or the consumers?

It comes from a climate of the economy. People aren’t buying a whole lot of albums or clothes, houses, and cars. So it’s like the economy is down. It’s still a business and you got to keep it running so they need to sell something. The easiest thing to sell is ringtones and things people can buy quickly without thinking about what they’re spending. When you gotta get up and waste gas that costs money and you know you about to spend $25 on it—basically people don’t want to do that.

The pressure comes from labels like, “Okay, we need to make some money.” I don’t hate on that since it’s a business. As an artist you’re trying to make the best music you can make and sometimes it puts the two at odds.

In an interview you confessed to dumbing down the lyrics to “Hood N*****” to get in the game. Does it frustrate you having to compromise your artistry?

It's crazy, but I was just in the store and a little kid said, “That’s Gorilla Zoe.” The father who might have been 35 was like, “Who? I don’t listen to rap music.” It's crazy that the reason the kid knew who I was is because BET and radio—radio and the video channels their audience is a younger audience now.

So that’s why you felt the need to dumb down your lyrics?

Yeah, it has to be marketable. Adults don’t really sit there and watch or listen to that type of radio and TV at 2’o clock or even five in the daytime. It’s crazy but that’s who watches it—small kids. That’s why I think a lot of substance music isn’t making it in the mainstream anymore.

I'm 26, so I can understand what different crowds want to hear because my mind is there. You got many rappers that are frustrated. They been in the game 20 years and been eating for so long, that they don’t understand what’s going on and they can’t relate. They got grandchildren that age and they can’t relate to what kids want to hear anymore, so they can only market to one crowd which doesn’t really listen to rap anymore. That crowd listens to R&B and gospel because once you get to a certain age your mind changes and you don’t wanna hear it anymore. Most of them don’t even wanna rap anymore. Rap is an evolution and everything changes.

What serious subjects are you hoping to address with this new album?

I wanna reach the streets and let people know what’s real out here. I want to reach them and say it's a way out ‘cause this ain't life. The hood is where we come from but you gotta make a better situation for the next generation.

In an interview you said people with knowledge keep it a secret. So if you could share one piece of valuable knowledge what would it be?

Have hope and invest in yourself whether it’s money, time, or sweat, blood, and tears. Invest it all in yourself and have hope that you can do whatever you want to do. Never give up and go hard.

I read in an interview that you find it important to speak eloquently to the media. So do you think the media operates on stereotypes when it comes to rappers and don’t respect their intelligence?

Yeah and they should—people only know or only see and believe what they see or what people portray, or the picture you show them. If everything you talk about is ignorant, people assume you’re ignorant. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing, it means you just don’t know. The real thing about it is that as far—if you’re in the game and made it to a certain level in this music business you got some intelligence about yourself, no matter how stupid you act.

A couple of months ago Rocko stated that you weren’t authorized to appear on the remix to his hit single, “Umma Do Me,” and he seemed pretty upset by it. Yet, I didn’t come across any responses from you concerning that issue.

That’s nothing to me. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

In an interview with thatshiphop.com Rocko stated that, “He tells me that Coach K told him that he wanted him on the record.” However Rocko then goes on to say that he doesn’t believe that’s went down.

That’s what it was. I was on the road and came back to town for two days. I walked in the studio and they told me you got two songs you need to get on. I had seen Coach K earlier and he said something about it, but I hadn’t even heard the record when I went in the studio to drop the verse for this and Shawty Lo’s record “Dey Know.”

His manager wanted me to get on that record so that’s what I did. How the records got out I don’t know. I did my verse and got back on the road. I hollered at Rocko about it and that’s his single. I been knowing him for ten years and that was his single. I wouldn’t do anything to sabotage anybody’s way of getting money. I can understand his frustration. I approached him at Tallahassee and let him know how it went ‘cause people take stuff out of context and say what they want to say.

So all is cool?

Yeah, there wasn’t no problem. This is rap—this ain't street.

I read that you used to hustle ramen noodles. What’s that about?!

[Laughs] Basically, I went to job corps at sixteen and it’s a controlled environment. So coming from the hood and the element I'm from, I'm gonna find a way to bank money. So though you get three meals a day you still wanna snack at other times of the day. So I would invest money in snacks, noodles, cigarettes—whatever I could sell to a customer. That’s how I made my extra little money.

You’ve been through a lot in your life. Is there one challenge in particular that stands out?

My whole life has been a challenge. I been up and down and in every situation that life can throw at you. That’s why I don’t worry about situations. I been to hell and back.

I read that you really want to grow as a person and that you remind yourself of that everyday. What do you want to improve upon?

I just want to be better everyday. I'm not content. I’m happy with who I am, but as far as accomplishments I want to grown more and more everyday.

What does that dream look like for you?

Spiritual, physical, financial, and mental stability. I just want to have it all. I’m still young and still out here hustling. I want to get well-rounded. Nobody’s perfect but I want to be a better person with decision-making and investments.

sixshot.com