“Buzz’N” iNterview W/ @zone_ez

What’s going on Buzzers? We are back with a new installment in our “Buzz’N” interview series and for this edition we are blessed to be joined with Omaha, Nebraska rapper Zone.

Zone, it’s a pleasure having you join us for this interview. For those unfamiliar to the name, could you provide our viewers with a background story on who you are and you musical style?

I’m Zone but Zone EZ for copyright purposes. I’ve been doing music for 20 plus years, since a young’n, free styling over the cassettes my mom had. One in particular was Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle”. I started beatboxing like Dougie Fresh and then moved on to making beats. I’d record myself over those beats and made my first song during freshman year of high school. I grew up fighting thugs, trying not to get killed in these streets, so I started to get more involved with music. I became a member of the Hallboiz Group aka HB City after I graduated. After that, I went to New York to pursue music. I even ended up in Wyclef’s recording studio with an artist named Hollapoint who was signed to Sony Records. I became even more involved with music once we got back from New York, that was back in 2005. Fast forward to 2010, myself and my guy formed 1Two Punch and made some of the greatest music I had made at that time. My style is southern hood with a touch of commercial. That about sums up the question asked.

You’re from Omaha, Nebraska. What’s the music scene like out that way and other than yourself, what artists are holding down Omaha right now?

I know Young Tek is doing it real big out here, Ms. Sophia Luvie’s doing it big and D-Nice is getting things started. And who else… oh yeah, Taebo Smokeavelli is doing it big too. B the Hustleholic making serious noise, Chiffy doing his thing, my nigga Yung Hogg and DJ Kwickstar just got into the Coast2Coast Mixtapes DJ program so congrats to him for that accomplishment. I ain’t a hater. I just seen Aso do it big out here, Smoke Dizzle and Mouff Piece on them beats are making noise for Nebraska.

You got a really early start in rapping at the age of five. What were some of your musical influences you developed your style around?

Snoop Dogg obviously is one. I find myself doing songs with some of his quotes all the time man, that’s crazy. Pimp C, that’s my stuff and Three Six Mafia, R.I.P. Lord Infamous aka Scarecrow, Lil Flip was cold, Ice Cube was nice back in the day, Method Man and 2pac.

Let’s talk about DJ Fusion and the “Bringing Heat To The Streets” mixtape series. You’ve been featured on a few of his mixtapes and he also hosted your mixtape “The Hustler (Omaha Forever). How did the two of you link up and what else can we expect from Fusion and yourself?

DJ Fusion puts in that work, he’s the truth. That “Bringing Heat to the Streets” mixtape with Ace Hood is that tape. It was so good it did like a quarter million downloads . That “Omaha Forever” mixtape is nice too. He mixed it up nice and its doing well, I think 20,000 downloads on his site and on That Crack it’s doing 15,000 downloads. If you haven’t got it, you need to go get it. As for linking up with Fusion, I was going to do a mixtape and was going thru a list of DJs referred to me that had a nice program & were good people and his name was given to me. I checked out his program and I liked the way he did business . That’s basically how things started between the two of us. We just did a feature with Pimp C, rest his soul and Fusion got it together for me. We also got a mixtape coming soon titled “Best of Both Worlds” featuring Zoned Out Entertainment.

Let’s talk about 1Two Punch, which is a rap duo made up of L-Knox and yourself. Please describe the group’s concept and direction.

Man, now L-Knoz is a commercial man. He likes to make commercial, rock and slow party music. He’s like a Tech N9ne but with a slower rap style. He’s knocked a few cats out, that’s how he came up with the 1Two Punch name for our group. With us two combined, we make hits fast, another definition for 1Two Punch. We’re going to do another mixtape and a full length album soon but right now we’re focusing on myself and getting me thru that door to do it. So he’s behind the scenes more for right now, picking songs & writing songs and helping push & supporting me until we feel it’s been done.

Back in 2013, due to a high response from the original version, you linked up with Texas’ Lil Flip to remix “That’s What She Said”. Please explain how that came about and if the two of you have anything else in the works.

While performing and selling units, people were like, “that right there is a hit”, “it’s cold as a mother” and began singing along to my performances and singing it to me around my house. The crowd would go crazy during the song’s performance and other people were hating on the song. So I knew that this song might be the one. I got a call saying throw Lil Flip on the track, it’s got people going crazy, this has his name all over it, throw him on there. Skatterman was originally going to be on it but Lil Flip was more versatile I’d been told so we went with Flip. I ended up throwing Skatterman on “It Goes Down” with an artist named Beadz, which also became a local hit.

Your most recent single, “Lean Drink”, has been making alot of noise online. It also features Three Six Mafia affiliate and Memphis representative Project Pat. First off, congratulations on the success this far. How did the collab come to light and are there any other collabs coming in the future?

Check this, I had this beat for years. My guy made it for me and I could not think of anything for it. I think it was the best track from the beat cd he had given me and it was that beat that you know had to be right, you know? So one day, I was listening to some slow jams and I had just got done listening to that beat and was like damn. Then it hit me, it had that old Three Six Mafia feel to it and so it was only a natural choice to put Project Pat on it. It also was a good look due to the recent success of his brother, Juicy J. That song reminds me of the old Three Six Mafia days but with a new twist, Zone EZ the god.

Are you currently working on any new projects, singles or mixtapes Zone?

Yeah, working on that 1Two Punch album/mixtape and that new Zone EZ “Who Am I”. We’re also working on that Young Tek “Too Real For TV” project. Got that new single featuring Pimp C and a new one with Spice 1 & Joe Rizz of the group Baddways from Too Short’s label and a new Zone & Smoke project from the Hallboiz aka HB City. What artists and/or producers would you be interested in working with? Dr. Dre, Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne are definites. I also want to work with Miley Cyrus, Jay Z, Rick Ross (Freeway Rick Ross and the MMG label owner), Pharrel Williams, Kanye West, Big Krit and of course, Snoop Dogg. I really want to work with Snoop, he has great taste in music. I love that Snoop and Wiz project. Wiz only sound like that with Snoop and I feel Snoop brings the best out of people.

Zone, where can our viewers find you online?

Facebook: ZONE EZ & 1Two Punch Twitter: @https://twitter.com/Zone_ez Beats Music App: Search for Zone EZ & 1Two Punch Spotify: Search for Zone EZ & 1Two Punch iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/zone-ez/id592775890 Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/zone-ez Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/zoneez4

Lastly, is there anyone you’d like to shout out or give thanks to? Shoutout DJ Fusion & Team Crawford, Last Call Entertainment and my guy absentraps.com, Mr. Get Your Buzz Up, all the supporters out there, Coast2Coast Mixtapes, Lil Fats (he has always showed me love). Shoutout to Coast2Coast DJ Kwickstarr and Skatterman of Biggshot Records, he’s a real dude. Lastly, shoutout to my friends, family and fans for support.

Zone is determined to continuously keep Omaha and Nebraska alive on the music scene. With some key features under his belt already, it looks like Zone ez is moving is to the top. This does it for another of our “Buzz’N” iNterviews, peace and we’re out.

Interview conducted & written by: @blitzb_60505