We had the opportunity to sit down with dancehall recording artist Zoo Rass to discuss his background, influences, music, and more.
Hey! Introduce yourself. Where are you from?
My name is Zoo Rass. I am a 25 year old dancehall artist from Brooklyn, NY with a Guyanese and Jamaica background.
When did you start making music?
Started making music in 2011 when I was just 17.
Who inspired you to start making music?
Before I was an artist I was a dancer. In dancehall culture the dancers will create the dances and the artist will create the songs to go hand and hand with the dances. When it came to my dance crew I enjoyed making the songs that go with the dances. It started off as me making simple dance songs but then I made the full transition from a dancer to an artist.
How would you describe your music style?
I think my style is one of a kind. It’s a traditional dancehall style with a twist. I always tend to engage the listener with catchy lyrics and melodies while keeping the authentic dancehall style but at the same time making it my own.
Who are you listening to now?
Sean Paul, Konshens, Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel, Tory Lanez, Drake, A Boogie, Steff London, Jay-Z, Jacquees, Davido … I can go on and on.
What’s your best project or single so far?
To me my best project is “Attraction EP” but the most successful project was my debut project “The Rasta Prince.” The project peaked at #54 on the iTunes top 100 chart in 2011 as well as the lead single “Come Outta Mi Way” being featured on MTV & VH1. The most successful single is “Pressure.” The songs have a total of 30K streams combined across all platforms.
Any upcoming releases from you to look out for?
Next up I have a brand new single set for release which will be the lead single off my brand new EP releasing in May.
Stay tuned for more from Zoo Rass! In the meantime, follow him on Spotify!