Z-Ro
Z-Ro |
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Joseph Wayne McVey (born January 19, 1977), better known by his stage name Z-RO, is an American rapper, singer and producer from Houston, Texas, known for his "up-from-nothing" rise to fame, flexibility in rhyme and extensive collaboration with other rap artists and musicians.[1] He has been named as one of America's most underrated rappers by the New York Times.[2] Common themes in Z-RO's music are crime and poverty, often relating to his personal experience. For example, the music video for Hate You was recorded while he was incarcerated in Pam Lychner State Jail, in Humble, Texas. Though common, crime and poverty are not the only focuses of his music. Z-RO has been known to uplift crowds with his hope bringing songs such as “Lovely Day” and “T.H.U.G (True Hero Under God)”.
Early Life
Born Joseph Wayne McVey in Houston’s rough and tumble South Park area.[3] He was shuttled from household to household, in search of stability.[3] At age six Z-RO’s mother died, forcing him to once relocate to the east side of the city.[3] When Z-RO reached his late teens he unemployed and resorted to drug dealing and hustling on the streets.[3] It was at this point that he discovered rap music.[3] According to Z-RO listening to the music of 2Pac, The Geto Boys, Street Military, K-Rino and Klondike Kat inspired him to work harder for his goal of leaving the streets.[3] Z-RO discovered his talent of freestyle rapping and after going through a couple of recording studios to make a demo.[3] He was discovered by the CEO of a local rap label and signed.[3]
Career
In 1998, Z-RO Dropped his underground debut entitled Look What You Did to Me.[3] The record created a buzz for Z-RO who quickly followed it up with Z-Ro vs. The World, King of da Ghetto, and a record by his group the Guerilla Maab, which was made up of himself and his cousins Trae and Dougie D.[3] Z-RO is also a member of the original Screwed Up Click, an assortment of rappers from Houston.[3] All of these things helped to escalate Z-RO’s popularity throughout the South and by 2002 his talent and hard work caught the attention of Rap-a-Lot’s founder and CEO James Prince, who offered him a deal. [3]
In 2004, Z-RO released his critically acclaimed Rap-a-Lot debut titled The Life of Joseph W. McVey.[3] The record was a huge success and helped expand Z-Ro’s fan base beyond the South.[3] In 2005, Z-RO released Let the Truth Be Told, which was well received.[3] Z-RO's 2006 album I'm Still Livin' was released while he was imprisoned for drug possession, to positive reviews.[4][5] It was called "a great album... powerful" but "relentlessly bleak" by The Village Voice[4] and "one of the best rap albums to come out of Houston" by the Houston Chronicle.[6]
Discography
| Year | Title | Chart positions[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | ||
| 1998 | Look What You Did to Me | - | - |
| 2000 | Z-Ro vs. The World | - | 90 |
| 2001 | King of da Ghetto | - | - |
| 2002 | Screwed Up Click Representa | - | 58 |
| 2002 | Z-Ro | - | - |
| 2002 | Life | - | 57 |
| 2003 | Z-Ro Tolerance | - | - |
| 2004 | The Life of Joseph W. McVey | 170 | 27 |
| 2005 | Let the Truth Be Told | 69 | 14 |
| 2006 | I'm Still Livin' | - | 14 |
| 2007 | King of tha Ghetto: Power | 197 | 32 |
| 2008 | Crack | 48 | 12 |
| 2009 | Cocaine | 147 | 19 |
| 2010 | Heroin | - | 29 |
References
- ^ http://www.rapartists.com/artists/z_ro/biography
- ^ A Hip-Hop Hurricane and Other Phenomena - New York Times
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/bio/z-ro/664377
- ^ a b Breihan, Tom (2006-12-07). "Project Pat and Z-RO: The Unsung Heroes of Southern Rap". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (2007-05-27). "A Hip-Hop Hurricane and Other Phenomena". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
- ^ Peralita, Eyder (2006-11-06). "Z-RO breaks ground, visits the past on new CD". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-09-07.
- ^ allmusic ((( Z-Ro > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))