Hip-hop duo doesn’t hide from conflict

With a blend of heavy hip-hop beats and politically conscious,
peace-promoting lyrics, the Oakland duo known as Zion I will
perform today in Westwood Plaza in support of the student walkout
against the war with Iraq.

Consisting of MC Zion and producer AMP Live, the two, who met
during their freshmen years at Morehouse College in Atlanta, have
been gracing the underground hip-hop scene with their presence for
nearly five years. They draw on a wide spectrum of musical
influences ranging from KRS One to Run DMC and A Tribe Called
Quest.

In an age where much of rap lacks the socially conscious
dimension from its heyday, Zion I is attempting to bring relevant
issues to the hip-hop forum.

“A lot of commercial artists are only addressing what our
society wants us to be like. All the bling bling in modern hip-hop
is just capitalism and western society showing their faces. We make
our music because we want to hear about something beyond
that,” AMP Live said.

One of the issues the artists would like to hear more about is
the war with Iraq.

“No matter how you feel about it, it’s a big-time
(issue) for our country,” MC Zion said. “As a
democracy, people need to speak up, voice their opinion, and
express how they truly feel. I believe people don’t want to
go to war and instead want better jobs and a better
education.”

Social protest is definitely a familiar occurrence for the
members of Zion I. Both MC Zion and AMP Live are children of
parents who were active throughout the civil rights movement.

“A lot of my thoughts come from that era,” said MC
Zion.

Besides attempting to spread a message of peace, Zion I also
wants to instill a sense of hope among its listeners.

“We are living in very tense and agitated times. Jobs are
being lost and young cats are going off to war, people are becoming
more emotionally receptive. We want our music to not only be
something a person can reflect on, but also something that will
help a person through their day and make them smile,” MC Zion
said.

For the time being, the hip-hop twosome believes it’s
important for students to get together and discuss their
thoughts.

“One of the biggest problems in America is that the public
is ignorant to what’s going on in the rest of the world.
It’s the job of the students to speak freely and explore
different ways of thinking,” MC Zion said.