Oakland's Zion I, formerly made up of producer Amp Live and rapper Zumbi, have been a staple of the Bay Area independent rap scene for well over a decade and have consistently provided a soundtrack to a changing Oakland in recent years. Now, sans Amp Live, rapper Zumbi has continued to deliver incisive material. His new video for "Wake Up!," taken from 2016's The Labyrinth and premiering on The FADER today, demonstrates a heightened sense of urgency and responsibility.
“It’s a call for people to stay woke as a community and as a nation and reflect on how we got here," Zumbi of Zion I told The FADER over email. “It reflects the feeling I have everyday when I wake up and realize that I make music and perform for a living.”
Watch Zion I's "Wake Up!" video above.