Rising Stars: Meet Zamon Christian

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zamon Christian.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
Welp! My name is Z-mainey Z-dazzle, better known as Z-man, which is the title for all I do and involve me. I was born in San Francisco California, and I started drawing when I was young. Heavily influenced by cartoons and things of that nature. I drew cartoons when I was 3 and 4 years old and drew Woody Woodpecker, which blew my Mamma’s mind. She said, “Draw that again on this paper”. I did and it didn’t come out the same, but it was Woody. She encouraged me to stick with it and I was drawing every chance I got. I was given crayons, markers, books, paper erasers some paints. I didn’t know anything else. Elementary to Jr. High to High School, I stayed drawing but never went to art school. I taught myself how to get better at this craft, I then started selling my works as well. I drew on people’s clothing and drew pictures and walls to get money. Fast Forward through the wilderness; I am a professional artist, painter, illustrator now, and musician. I also write rap music, and Hip Hop is my chosen genre. I started writing lyrics in high school after fallen in love with this music earlier on. I listened to any and everything I could before actually writing something down. I used to come off the head as a child, and my friends thought that was impressive. They’d ask to hear it again, but it was all made up on the spot! I then started writing, but I would write other raps I heard other MCs perform. I would even incorporate they’re rhymes mixed with my own, smh I was crazy lol. But I never recorded those; they were just for me and practice. I’ve told this story before but Too $hort and Slick Rick made me want to rap, and EPMD as well, I used to rap like them a little bit, all of them. But as I heard more, I got more involved with the movement. Break Dancing tagging graffiti DJin, which I didn’t do, but I love it sooo much and, at times and wish I did. But these two things Art and M.C.ing and I add me being who I am make and made me what I am today. And that era, the 80’s era, was incredible. There was nothing like it, the good and the bad. I wanted to get better at all I was doing when it came to the crafts. Taught myself how to read basically cause all I did was draw and write raps hella misspelled. I looked up what other words meant and added those to the vocab with my everyday slag. My friends were also rapping and DJing and Graf writers and hustlers and dancers and all of it. I wasn’t even serious about rapping until another good friend of mine told me basically he wasn’t writing for his health. He was trying to blow up get paid all that. I said, damn, ok, we can do this then. Started to take it more seriously and book studio time recording reel to reel. Buying those expensive ass reels and really going for it. Was solo a while then formed a crew off of the actual cartoons I was drawing at the time. 99th-Demention. Just some weird urban aliens-type stuff. But my boy suggested we name that our crew and all members of this crew were close friends, my own blood brother included. We made a bunch of songs/demos, and that’s kinda when I started getting better at what I was doing, but once we all collectively put out our first album self-titled, that’s when I got it, ok this is me! We put this Tape out in 1996 and then one more with less members in 1998 due to life situations and differences. Then that was it I became a solo act again just with a little more known props. I put out a couple of very underground 4-track 12-track tapes and got more props. Also, I drew all of my album covers and still do. My style was and is animated, with comedy and real-life situations. I got some attention and started working with other MCs and producers, and then started meeting more and more people, traveling, and rocking more shows. Met this Kid ID, and he was really into my stuff so much he wanted to search for a situation for me. He landed something with Hiero, which I didn’t see coming at all, but it was a blessing. ID teamed up with Daria Kelly, who worked with Hieroglyphics and Tajai of Souls of Mischief. And in 2004, my International yet independent underground album “Dope or Dogfood” hit the scene. Before that there was “Anti Nerd” to get the party started a prelude if you will. But that was indeed a great time. I wasn’t done I then team up with two talented cats down in LA around this time of going on tour and quitting all of my day jobs. Marty James and MDA were based out of LA, and Marty knew a mutual friend who had given Marty some of my earlier music. Marty was on Grand Royle at the time with another bang but wanted to do something completely different. He got my info, reached out, and we hit it off well, so I got flown down to LA to meet up, talk music, hear beats, and all that. Flew back and then started to create. I went down another time and then met MDA, his DJ and bandmate/label mate. We got together kicked it made music in North Hollywood and then came up with One Block Radius as the name of our crew, this was 04 05-ish. This was a different type thing far as the style of music. Alternative but with rappin, singing, DJing, and more melodic. We dropped an album, “Long Story Short,” very independent. Ups and downs, highs and lows. Great times, crazy times, different times. I still toured solo as well with this new band. Then we got hit with the attention of labels lots of them. We finally settled with Mercury Records/Island Def Jam Records. That was an amazing time, a surreal time, and a wild and almost movie-like moment. This was in 08, and that was a one-record deal. Anyhow, after a lot of that and a lot of nothing, we as a group carried on making new music until one day it stopped, and the reasons for it don’t make all that much sense to me. But I carried on, and I continued to tour, do shows, and put out music as I always did. Things like life happen, and you gotta figure it out, and if you love it enough, you stick with it and make it work. I’m still doing art at this time as well, so I didn’t completely fall off and not do anything. But things slowed down until I did put out new music and search for my own independence. I was my own machine and label, sort of speak. I was selling paintings, having art shows and recording much as possible, it’s all I know. In all of that time, I was also in a collective called Gurp City and that’s just a bunch of artists friends’ drinkers and dope doeir’s musicians, and such. I put a lot of music out via that camp. 

I remain very active now since then. There definitely was life and its hurdles, and I had to make decisions and figure things out, but I’m still here as an artist and honored to have met the people I have and work with and call good friends. I’ve seen a lot and looking fo mo. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As I have said, yes, life can throw you curves and even gas you up. I have never had it smooth going into this per se. I’ve done art projects back in the days that never saw the day of light because of stupid people not knowing business or ego got in the way. I mean, some things were smooth, but a lot was rough and challenging definitely. I’ve been burnt or lowballed, that sort of thing. I had to figure it out on my own for certain, ya know what I’m sayin? Music was a lot rougher because you got even more people trying to play you or maybe not believe in what you’re trying to do artistically. I’m not for everyone, I get that, but I’m also not this wack-ass fool who has no business trying to make it his business. I think the hard parts have been no management to rely on and or a big homie to guide me. And then, at times, being with people who didn’t take as seriously as you did, which can be a conflict. Mind you, this is all indie business, so we gotta make moves based on what we were offered or whatever. You got shady promoters mostly and greedy artists or ego maniacs you’re dealing with. A hard part can be you not getting the shows you wanted or shows at all. In the beginning, I did a lot of shows, and I felt I was killing it, but not like I am now, which I feel I mastered now. You are not getting shows or the show you wanted until you step it up, show, and prove. And then others holding you up from not moving forward is a thing too, friends, family, girlfriends, whomever. Music that doesn’t come out ever, smh there are a bunch of un-smooth moments. Arguments with your group are you against them mostly. But the struggles have to happen or else you’re just a lucky bastard through it all. I can’t see it any other way. I hope that answers anything lol! 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I paint, draw, write songs in rap, or sing a long form. I’m known for that and my stage performance which most people do appreciate once they experience it. I’m proud of that, proud of where I am, how I got here and the music and artwork I created to get it. What sets me apart is my delivery rhyme rise patterns at times and sometimes storytelling and animated styles. Styles is what it is, and if you listen, you will know it’s gonna be entertaining. My art stands out because of my again styles, subject matter, story, and Hip-Hop signature attached. Urban Surrealism. I specialize in these things. 

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m a ventriloquist and a pirate. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Z-man.xyz
• Instagram: @zmaineyzdazzle
• Facebook: @zmaineyzdazzle
• Twitter: @Zmantheoriginal
• Youtube: https://YouTube.com/Z-mantheoriginal
• SoundCloud: https://gurpcitymusic.bandcamp.com/album/animal-slavery

Image Credits
Sarah Arnold