Z-Ro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Z-Ro | ||
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 Z-Ro And Los
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Joseph Wayne McVey | |
| Also known as | Mo City Don, Z-Ro tha Crooked, King of Da Ghetto | |
| Born | June 6, 1976 (age 30) | |
| Origin | Houston, Texas | |
| Genre(s) | Southern Rap, Screwed & Chopped, Gangsta, Hardcore | |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper | |
| Years active | 1998 - Present | |
| Label(s) | Asylum / Rap-A-Lot / King Of The Ghetto Entertainment | |
| Associated acts |
Screwed Up Click Guerilla Maab S.L.A.B. |
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| Website | http://www.rapalotrecords.com | |
Z-Ro (born Joseph Wayne McVey on June 6, 1976) is an American rapper from Houston, Texas, known for his "up-from-nothing" rise to fame, flexibility in rhyme and extensive collaboration with other rap artists and musicians. Z-Ro's popularity has increased rapidly recently, as has been featured on Bun B's single "Get Throwed" with Pimp C Jay-Z, and Young Jeezy.
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[edit] Early life
Z-Ro was born in Missouri City, Texas and was raised in the "Ridgemont 4" neighborhood on the SouthWest side of Houston -- an area notorious for being rife with both gang violence and drug dealing. Z-Ro became involved in such activities at an early age after his mother's death due to complications from cancer.
[edit] Early career
It was through hip-hop that Z-Ro found a channel for his experiences in the hood. In his late teens, he relocated to his birthplace of Missouri City(MoCity to the locals) and befriended a local rap group, Street Military, who were signed to EMI. Now a member of Street Military's Killa Klan collective, Z-Ro found himself inducted into DJ Screw's infamous Screwed Up Click in 1997. However, Screw wasn't the only one to pick up on Z-Ro's talent, and what followed over the next five years were a string of independent albums, which were considered by fans and critics around the world to be Down South classics.
Z-Ro's first solo release, Look What You Did to Me, was described by Murder Dog magazine in 1998 as a "ground-breaking record" and a "masterpiece". 1999 saw the release of the equally lauded Rise by the Guerilla Maab, a group Z-Ro formed with his cousin Trae, and brother Dougie D. In 2000 Z-Ro vs. the World, Ro's first album to crack the Billboard charts, was released, followed by King of da Ghetto in 2001. With the release of three solo albums in 2002 - Screwed Up Click Representa, Z-Ro and Life - and a new Guerilla Maab album, Resurrected, Z-Ro became very well known in Texas as well as around the Southern United States.
In 2004, Z-Ro Tolerance was released by a record company that Z-Ro was no longer affiliated with, but had the rights to publish what material of his they had, and pieced together an album. Less than a month later Z-Ro's first wide release album, The Life of Joseph W. McVey was released on Rap-A-Lot records. Although the album cracked the Top 200 on the Billboard Charts, it failed to meet sales expectations. Unfortunately, that was the least of Z-Ro's problems, as the first of many arrests to follow occurred. He was subsequently released during the summer of 2004.
[edit] Recent events
Asylum Records, an independent subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records, struck up a deal with Houston-based Rap-A-Lot Records after seeing major success from fellow Houston-ite rappers Mike Jones and Paul Wall, and Z-Ro's Let the Truth Be Told was released in early 2005. Once again, the release failed to meet sales expectations, but Z-Ro's national appeal was growing as it debuted at #69. Since, Z-Ro has been arrested multiple times, and his newest album, I'm Still Livin' was released on November 21. He was also featured on Bun B's single "Get Throwed" with Pimp C, Jay-Z, and Young Jeezy, and also made an appearance in the music video.
Z-Ro is currently incarcerated In The Byrd unit in Huntsville, Texas, for possession of a controlled substance, and will be released in Mid-2010.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Solo Albums
- 1998: Look What You Did to Me
- 2000: Z-Ro vs. the World
- 2001: King of da Ghetto
- 2002: Screwed Up Click Representa
- 2002: Z-Ro
- 2002: Life
- 2004: Z-Ro Tolerance
- 2004: The Life of Joseph W. McVey (#170 US )
- 2005: Let the Truth Be Told (#69 US )
- 2006: I'm Still Livin' (#75 US )
- 2007: Power
[edit] With Guerilla Maab
[edit] Mixtapes
- 2003: A Bad Azz Mix Tape
- 2003: Gangstafied
- 2004: Underground Railroad, Vol. 1: Street Life (Hulled & Chopped)
- 2004: Underground Railroad, Vol. 2: Thug Luv
- 2006: Underground Railroad: Paper Stacks 3 (Hulled & Chopped)
- 2006: Z-Ro And The S.U.C.
- 2007: Southern Lean Vol. 3: Boss King
- 2007: S.U.C. Thang
[edit] Compilations
- 2002: Z-Ro vs. the World / King of the Ghetto
- 2003: A.B.N.: Assholes by Nature: The Soundtrack ( with Trae )
- 2004: For My Thugs: Greatest Hits
- 2005: Kings Of The South ( with Lil' Flip )
- 2005: 4 Da Green : Reloaded ( with Al-D )
- 2005: Fuck 'Em All: Z-Ro's Greatest Verses Revisited & Remixed
- 2005: Z-Ro and Friends
- 2006: Z-Ro Greatest Hits Vol. 1
- 2006: 4/20 the Smokers Anthem
- 2006: 1 Deep
- 2007: The Omega
[edit] Screwed & Chopped
Like most Texan rap artists, all of Z-Ro's albums have been Screwed and Chopped and released multiple times (sometimes by multiple record labels.)
[edit] Trivia
- In the "I Hate You" video, Z-Ro is portrayed by his brother Dougie D.
- Z-Ro is a member of the 52 (Five-Deuce) Hoova Crip Gang Set.
