ZZ (Artist Review)

Written by Imani Wj Wright 

We've  been pretty impressed with this dude ZZ.

It's not often that someone sends us 3 songs, and we dig all 3 of them. So, in this piece, we won't be discussing just one of ZZ's cuts. We'll be focusing on ZZ's overall artistry (via what we've observed so far). 

Oh. Yeah. I almost forgot, this is also the first Artist Review at SwanoDown. Congrats ZZ, making history over here. 

Let's start with ZZ's aesthetic. If you spend some time observing his Instagram (@zzwithyamama), you won't see a bunch of extravagant neon lights, or crazy color schemes. Though, you will come across several black & white photos depicting ZZ, and promoting his latest album, Degenerates. The cover shows ZZ with his hands on his face, looking as if he has/had come to the realization of being a degenerate. The image is fun, and sets up a mood for the audio. 

Speaking of Mood, that's one of the strongest tracks in ZZ's catalog. It features: Lil Littlez, Thorii, and Guapdad 4000. The instrumentation is perfect for a long car ride in the summertime, not too mellow, and not too abrasive. Every artists on that joint shows their ability flow- effortlessly. 

On his songs, LMK!, and Calypso, he gives us heavy Afrobeat influences. From, "Mood," you may not expect that sound from ZZ, but his diversity shines bright. Those two cuts can get us grooving on the dancefloor, and even provide us with that motivation to hit that last rep at the gym. 

ZZ is a force and we're anticipating him to keep pushing forward. 

Check him out on Spotify: 

https://open.spotify.com/album/40JMjA4dyrFt3D6AmJCVzx?si=cKYZqm2kSzyRe_K79Q6B4A