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Themes of war, violence and disastrous events permeate the expressions of artists in times of critical conditions. Music artist, Z-PLUS has captured his tumultuous upbringing amidst the civil war in his home country in West Africa. Singer and songwriter, his unique rhymes set to an urban hip-hop beat depict a hopeful outlook in the midst of bleak circumstances. Today’s listeners are accustomed to lyrics highlighting the obsession of sex and material wealth. Z-PLUS has decided to set himself apart from other artists in the rap genre and write songs about his personal experiences of violence on a completely different level than that of the urban thug.
Z-PLUS’s CD entitled Critical Conditions combines a mixture of rap that is soulful, cutting, and conscientiously inspired by personal experiences endured by the artist during tenuous times in West Africa. The song War Child, written by Z-PLUS in 1999 for this album and produced by Came KP Marriott, depicts the experience of war through a child’s eyes. Oh how we all wish that children did not have to go through such devastation in their young lifetime. Unfortunately, too often they do.
Z-PLUS’s music career started in 1993, when he began writing songs about the civil war, which broke out in Liberia in the early 1990’s. The events of the time opened his eyes to blatant governmental corruption and maladjusted, ill-equipped leadership.
Z-PLUS’s first hand experiences of hardship and terror were life-altering: going days without food; graphic witnessing of AIR strikes, someone getting shot in the head and getting caught up in crossfire. A major turning point occurred when he learned of the tragic death of his mother, as her life was taken by the hands of political opportunists in their wayward attempts to demonstrate power. A.B. as she was commonly known was Z-PLUS’s strength and everything. His life would never be the same. Although these events could have held him back, Z-PLUS did not succumb to them. He fled his home land of Liberia and sought cover at a refugee camp in Ghana, West Africa.
In a bid to improving his career, Z-PLUS traveled to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in an attempt to land a recording contract with M.C. Clever. While there he met other rappers and performed at various concerts, including the MASA-Off, an annual African arts festival. It was at the MASA that Z-PLUS met Alpha Blondy who conveyed encouraging words, telling Z-PLUS that he could make it in the music industry if he continued to work hard at it. This was a great inspiration, as Alpha had always been a musical icon of his. Others of his hip-hop icons were Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and the notorious Big, Sade; Jazz artists Anita Baker and George Benson were also strong role models.
From 1996-1999 Z-PLUS collaborated with a group of friends, singing and writing a soundtrack which later played in the movie Chill Factor starring Cuba Gooding Jr. Alex Dworak from Germany had compiled a CD which included one of Z-PLUS’s songs, Al Capon, among other tracks from various artists. This CD was sold to Master-Mix, and then changed hands again for use in the film. It wasn’t until Z-PLUS arrived in the United States of American that he saw the movie and recognized that it was in fact his song being played in the movie without his permission or knowledge.
Z-PLUS moved to the US in 2000 where things slowed down in terms of performance, giving way for adjustment to the American way of life. Four years later, in 2004, he met and started working with producer Kwame KP Marriott of KLAG Productions in Minnesota. When you listen to this compilation of socially inspired tracks, there is a no question that the theme will resonate with you for some time.
This recording is the beginning of the next chapter of a promising and rewarding career for Z-PLUS. Expect bigger things to come. |
