Gorilla Zoe 'Don't Feed Da Animals' album

Block Entertainment/Bad Boy South recording artist Gorilla Zoe has announced the release of his sophomore album. “DON’T FEED DA ANIMALS” – which includes the lead single, “Lost” – arrives in stores and at all digital retailers on March 17th.

Produced by Drumma Boy, “Lost” is currently exploding at radio. The track is a top 20 favorite at Urban outlets nationwide and top 25 at Rhythmic after impacting as the #1 Most Added song at both Urban and Rhythmic.

In addition, the single’s companion video clip is currently receiving major play on BET, where it has been a top 10 triumph on the 106 & Park countdown while also scoring “Heavy” rotation on The Deal. Zoe will celebrate the arrival of “DON’T FEED DA ANIMALS” with an exclusive appearance and performance on 106 & Park, slated for Tuesday, March 17th (check local listings). Furthermore, “Lost” is now in “Sizzlin” rotation at MTV Jams as well as having been recently added to MTV2’s Sucker Free.

“DON’T FEED DA ANIMALS” will be heralded by a feature-length film of the same name, the first release from Block Entertainment CEO Russell “Big Block” Spencer’s newly launched Block Films. Don’t Feed Da Animals stars Gorilla Zoe in an action-packed street narrative directly inspired by the album. The film – produced in conjunction with Raw Report Films – features five music videos to accompany such new tracks as “I Am The A,” “Break It Down,” “Talk Back (Feat. Roxy Reynolds),” “100, 50, 20 &10,” and “Dope Boys.” Don’t Feed Da Animals will be distributed in select markets nationwide in the spring – for further details, please see www.block-ent.com.

“DON’T FEED DA ANIMALS” is without question one of 2009’s most hotly awaited new hip-hop releases. The album – which follows last year’s smash debut, “WELCOME TO THE ZOO” – includes a number of instant classics filled with Zoe’s signature flow and banging beats. Among the highlights is the second single, “What It Is (Feat. Rick Ross and Kollosus),” which is available now as an iTunes Store exclusive. A video for “What It Is” was recently shot in Atlanta with Rick Ross and will be serviced to all video outlets this month.

The album is quickly shaping up as a hip-hop blockbuster. “Lost” has proven a breakout hit, with download sales of 200,000 driving the track onto Billboard’s “Hot 100.” Furthermore, “What It Is” has already received over 10,000 downloads in just one week, giving Zoe two “DON’T FEED DA ANIMALS” tracks with sales in excess of 10,000 for the week leading up to the album’s release.

Zoe – who recently joined Lil’ Wayne as a special guest on his hugely successful “I Am Music” arena tour – has already begun receiving major press attention, with high-profile features and reviews appearing in such publications as Hip Hop Weekly, XXL, and The Source.

Named one of XXL’s 2007 “Leaders of the New School,” Zoe firmly established himself as a truly original hip-hop voice via the top 10 rap smash, “Hood Figga,” not to mention his featured role on Block Entertainment/Bad Boy South labelmate Yung Joc’s hits, “Coffee Shop” and “Bottle Poppin’.” As if that weren’t enough, he joined forces with superstar rap combo Boyz N Da Hood for their 2007 release, “BACK UP N DA CHEVY.”

Since then, Zoe has lent his distinctive style to a variety of hip-hop hits, including Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop (Remix),” as well as tracks by Cheri Dennis, Shawty Lo, and Rick Ross.

biography
In 2007, Gorilla Zoe entered the jungle known as the rap game simply hoping to adjust to his new habitat. But, one year after his mega-single, “Hood Figga,” and the world-wide success of his debut album Welcome To the Zoo, Zoe is securing and defending his own territory with his newest effort, Don’t Feed Da Animals.

Acting as both a forewarning and a told-you-so, Don’t Feed Da Animals speaks to what happens when you don’t follow advice. As hungry an artist as you will ever find, the rapper born Alonzo Mathis only needed one shot to prove that he had the talent and voice to become a household name. When Block Entertainment CEO Russell “Block” Spencer gave Zoe that chance as a soloist and member of supergroup Boyz N Da Hood, it opened the gates for this Gorilla to wreak havoc.

“My first album was all real life; I was just talking about where I was at, at that time,” says Zoe about his debut, which peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Top Rap albums chart. “Now, I’ve tasted success and been around the world, but I’m still hood. You see me in the same places you met me. I don’t have money like Bill Gates or Jay-Z, but I’m hood-rich and I’m telling my story from that point of view.”

Songs like the autobiographical “Man I” speak to Zoe’s ascension from a wayward youth strolling the streets of Atlanta looking for a place to stay, to a man who was able to improve his quality of life. So do songs like “Dope Boy,” where Zoe simply enjoys the fruits of his labor without alienating those who haven’t made it to the top yet.

“I’ve watched so many folks get money, leave the hood, and think they’re better than everyone else,” says Zoe. “I ain’t gonna change who I am; I don’t think success means you’ve got to leave or change who you are. But at the same time some change is good. Anything that doesn’t change isn’t alive. People, just like flowers, grow, bloom, and die. If I’m gonna grow, bloom, and die, I’m gonna make sure people love me.”

In addition to traveling the world through touring, in the past year Zoe has made a name for himself via guest spots on both rap and R&B songs by his labelmates Yung Joc and JC. Hoping to display more of his versatility, Don’t Feed Da Animals has plenty of songs showing Zoe’s growth as a recording artist.

“What It Is” has the raspy-voiced rapper demonstrating complete mastery of his distinct vocal tone. “In making this album, I’ve learned what to do with my voice,” says Zoe, citing the lead single, “Lost” as a prime example. “I know what sounds fit me, so I’m in my zone right now. I understand that it’s ok to just be me, instead of jumping in and out of trends.”

Unafraid to do a little of what’s considered the norm, Zoe manages to bring his own appeal to tracks like “Money I Spend,” produced by The Runners.

“I look at everything and everybody accordingly,” says Zoe. “I’ve seen people look at me like I’m nothing but a dope boy, or say I’m not a real hip-hop artist. I don’t make music for those people. That’s why I call mine ‘relative music’ – it’s made for people to relate to. I’m the hood spokesperson and my clientele will grow with me.”

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