I don’t think I’ve read a single review of Zero Star that doesn’t note that he is from Columbus, Ohio, or how his talent somehow relates to fellow Columbus hip-hop artists Copywrite, Illogic, Rjd2 & Blueprint. It’s not entirely unwarranted; Columbus hip-hop is a niche market in relation to other midwest cities, Chicago and Detroit… but Zero Star’s location and musical lineage seem to be elements that overshadow his talented lyricism in a way disproportionate to upcoming rappers of other cities.
One of Zero Star’s strengths is his beat selection – from bangers by Ree-Dic, unique PRZM tracks, to melodic and soulful Blueprint beats. Then there is his emotive delivery, which rivals that of Blueprint, but with a cool composure that is incredibly engaging. His name-dropping flow on “PTI (Pardon The Interruption), off of Forever’s Really Never That Long (his debut LP on Blueprint’s Weightless Recordings), should convince just about anyone that he has skill to match the beats.
Ever since Chet Betz’ ridiculously good Columbus scenecast for Cokemachineglow, which featured the undeniable “Help Is On The Way,” I’ve been meaning to post about his LP. This month he followed it up with an appropriately titled, downloadable mixtape, Take’em Or Erase’em, available here. It has some good tracks; “Reality” in particular is one of my favorites. Many of the tracks are dedicated to former collaborator and beatmaker, DJ PRZM, who passed last year from heart complications he had struggled with for much of his life. Other tracks consist of tracks cut from his album and some nice freestyles over RZA, Pete Rock & Kanye beats. Zero Star explains the mixtape as a ‘take it or leave it’ introduction to his craft. I’m definitely going to “take’em,” but for the really great stuff, go pick up his album.
: Zero Star – Help Is On The Way :
: Zero Star – PTI (Pardon The Interruption) :
: Zero Star – Reality :
