In a time when hip-hop has crossed the lines into pop, a few tend to keep it’s origins alive to stimulate the human mind. An elite few within that group can do it without losing oneself. The Zodiac falls into that category.
Born Brent Whiting in the midwest and raised in New Jersey, The Zodiac has evolved from a horrorcore rapper into a chameleon who adjusts depending on climate, attitude, and simple time-change. His range stretches from story-telling sagas to battle-rapping. “Anybody can be a rapper but a few can hold the title of ‘emcee’” says The Zodiac. “The difference lies between the words, passion, and your personal objective.” The Zodiac’s personal objective is to simply get his point across without following trends. If anything, he creates them.
The Zodiac never lost sight of where he was from. He’s never ignored his education, upbringing, or his desire to inflict them into his rhymes. “I won’t hesitate to use three or four syllable words in my lyrics. I do it in real life and don’t think I should dumb-down my rhymes for the masses. That’s equivalent to saying my audience is uneducated” says The Zodiac. Instead, he uses complicated rhyme schemes, humor, and extreme wordplay to entertain, educate, and sometimes cause controversy. His deliberate non-use of the n-word makes him an unusual exception in the hip-hop world. “I know the power of words an wield them not only as a weapon, but as a shield.”
Influences came in different forms that directly relate to The Zodiac’s lyrics, delivery, and passion. Run-DMC, Scarface, Rakim, Kool G.Rap, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Bill Withers are a few musicians and rappers who stay close to The Zodiac’s origin in composition and desire. He’s been compared to Rakim, G.Rap, and Eminem as well as Andre3000 by various peers. That’s where the “chameleon” reference comes to play.
The Zodiac has performed at Pepper Lounge (NYC), Butterflye Lounge (NYC), Rider University (NJ), Yin-Yang Club (Atlanta), and the Silk Road Cafe (NYC). The Zodiac was also a featured performer at the Dragon Boat Festival 2004 and was one of six performers selected to perform on the Teabag Open Mic Float for 2005’s Chinese New Year to a crowd of around 25,000 people in Chinatown.
The Zodiac has released independent CDs from Black InQ and has been featured on several independent artists songs and compilations. |
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