the artist described by journalists as having fused dancehall reggae and hip hop flawlessly.

13 MP3 Songs
REGGAE: Dancehall, WORLD: Caribbean



Details:
Before ever uttering a word behind the microphone, Panamanian-Born ZULU had become a luminary of the Chicago Dance music scene. In the late 90's while employed as a sound engineer, he would go on to co-produce several House music tracks. The seedy side of the business ensured that although he would receive a substantial (out of court settlement) payoff, he would not get due credit for his work.

It was during that time that ZULU honed his lyrical talents as a Dancehall Reggae act. Initially he sang in Spanish as well as English. Patterning himself after the likes of Shabba Ranks, El General, Nando Boom and Buju Banton, he released several independent efforts, which were earnest, but failed to gain traction.

ZULU's 2004 "Whitelabel Menace" mixtape release gained him considerable notoriety because of the unique remixes of popular songs. He had developed a pattern of dancehall singing, known as "Reverse 16th", or "Digital Screw". A mashup of his vocals along with AC/DC's "Back In Black" would bring global attention from DJs seeking dubplates, or "specials". The following year he released "Riddim Killah" selling out of his initial stock. This would be his first internationally distributed album, with the help of noted promoter Sharlene Oshiro, also winning him a 2006 Hawaii Music Award.

Since the release of "Riddim Killah" ZULU has worked with a variety of artists, to include DJ Shakin Melodiz, DJ C, Bionik, Aceyalone, Black Silver, David Last, Kool Keith, and Ghislain Poirier. He is a guest vocalist for Chicago Dub band The Drastics, and features prominently on Indo-Dub prodigy Kush Arora's album "Brooklyn To SF". He has also found a home releasing singles for Portland's Community Library Records, as well as Jamaican label Manatee Records.