Big ZO ( Big Zo 'Let This Go' (premiere) The Hype Magazine: Unveiling the Pulse of Urban Culture - From Hip Hop to Hollywood! Explore a Diverse Tapestry of Stories, Interviews, and Impactful Editorials Spanning Fashion, Gaming, Movies, MMA, EDM, Rock, and Beyond! www.thehypemagazine.com - The Hype Magazine The Hype Magazine - News From Hip Hop To Hollywood!

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Published on June 6th, 2017 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

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Big Zo ‘Let This Go’ (premiere)

Big ZO (@MrFyreEnt) enters the music scene at very unique time in his life. Recently being involved in a high profile discrimination case in Lexington, KY Big ZO was left on the outside of loop of the management ranks at his former job. Being the owner of Fyre Entertainment LLC, Big ZO decided he would take his frustrations and pain out on his microphone. You will easily tell that this artist is not a local artist. His sound is far from underground. Releasing his first video and single on iTunes on his 36th birthday you can see the proof that he was the University of Louisville‘s first minority graduate of their Music Industry program. Years being behind the scenes has lead this artist into having a unique perspective on the way he approaches music.

As part of the album roll out, Big Zo will lay out the project’s story with a series of theatrical visuals interspersed real life situations as well as song performance. Unusual is the acting segments and the story line for the debut visual “Let This Go” is all about “Murphy’s Law” and how compounding trials and tribulations can make one lose one’s mind!

“Let This Go” is a veritable laundry list of “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another” Zo has a GREAT future as a cinematic short story creator and this video segment is an awesome introduction…tune in on TheHypeMagazine.com

From the outside looking in, who is Big Zo? 

There is so much talk about race in todays society. Depictions of the modern black male are either typically of a star athlete, entertainer or some type of gangster. Big ZO is the voice of the African American men who are just your blue collar type of individuals. Born in Farmville, VA but residing in Lexington, KY, I am no stranger to hard work. College educated and once had a long career in corporate America as a Human Resources Specialist. Big ZO is the story of hard work and dedication and the will never to quit despite adversity not from the ghettos but just from the fact of growing up black and humble. Every story of the black man you hear in the media seems to be one of someone rising out of the ghetto or the roughest end of town. How about your black male who came out of a hard working two parent household? We do exist. We aren’t all silver spoon children just because we are black with two parents in the household. Some of us are just regular BLUE COLLAR, hard working individuals too. Hell, I’ve dug up septic tank by myself in middle school as a summer job. Also, remembers the manual hole post diggers? Yeah, I’ve done that too as a kid. I went to college on an academic and music scholarship. I even maintained employment while in college.

What brought you to the entertainment industry, music specifically?

I’ve been rapping since elementary school. In Radford, VA they did not have any hip hop stations in the 80s. However, once I heard hip hop (the Fat Boys to be exact) for the first time I was in love. However, my first music studio experience was a pivotal moment. I couldn’t believe people got paid well to record other people. It blew my mind! From that point on I knew what I wanted to do. I earned my degree in Music Industry from the University of Louisville and now own Lexington, KYs hottest hip hop studio Fyre Entertainment LLC. I’ve hosted guest like Freeway, Young Buck, Bambi, Young Bleed, Bando Jones, Diamond from Crime Mob, Verse Simmons, Cassidy, Nappy Roots, Project Pat and many more at my studio. Yes, you heard me…I run a successful primarily hip hop studio in Lexington, KY. I’m going on 8 years strong. Started the business when I was 28…only a $5000 bank loan and a whole bunch of good credit put to use in one day. LOL. Yup, I put myself in $60,000 worth of credit card debt in one day because I believed in myself. My fiancé at the time left me 3 months later. Guess she thought I was crazy. Oh well, I’ve been self made. I’ve had to fight for everything I’ve got.

What do you want people get from your music?

The fact that hip hop still has diverse artist. Also, age shouldn’t matter. Your ability to rock the mic is what should matter most. There is an abundance of trap rap, etc in the market nowadays and I am not one of THEM. However, I aim to be just as entertaining without always talking about sex, drugs, and violence. Although, I may embrace those topics from time to time you will see a very unique angle and twist in everything that I do. Also, you will hear a lot of in depth harmonies. A talent that was perfected in my college days at UofL in the choir. I was unable to practice as much as the other vocal performance majors due to the fact that I played college football and had to practice on the field. This caused me to use my ears a lot and listen to all the other parts around me to find my way. Now, I can hear so many harmonies in my head it’s almost ridiculous. You may hear me refer to myself as the “9th note” (meaning I hear two more notes beyond your regular scale). This self given title is just a self tribute to my unique harmony finding ability. Remember, I am the 9th note. LOL.

Tell us about your current project. 

Currently I have finished a project called “My Life Is A Movie”. It will feature 8 (10 min +) videos that will come together in movie like fashion. I have shot 2 of the 8 videos to date and will be shooting 2 more this month. This project is a huge story line that should provide you with a next level of entertainment while listening to the project. Also, I have a mixtape in the chamber that I will release this year called “My Old Man Loves To Flow”. This project pokes at my age gap coming in the game as a new artist and gives the perspective of the hip hop industry from someone who was born in the 80s that experienced the GOLDEN AGE of hip hop. Next year the “Old Man” in the mixtape will drop his own album. This project is in the making and I am about 4 tracks deep on it. It helps to actually be the owner of the studio. LOL. Plus my producer Demolish Beatz is amazing. He has produced tracks for Tech 9, E-40 and more.

For new listeners, what song of yours would you pick as an introduction to you as an artist?

Simple?” It was my debut that is closing in on 10,000 Youtube views and had nearly 70,000 Facebook views. It actually serves as the intro to the project and is the first installment to the movie. If you haven’t watched it you are sleeping on a very unique piece of art. It has like 330 likes vs 4 dislikes so I think people are appreciating it. LOL. “Let It Go” will make more sense to you if you watch “Simple?” because it picks up right where “Simple?” left off. All you have to do is type in “Big ZO” on YOUTUBE.

Tell us a bit about your work and passions OUTSIDE of music…

I spent 14 years working for a fortune 100 company as a HR SPECIALIST. I am currently in a legal dispute with my former employer. I was called on to testify in the largest civil rights judgement in Fayette Co. history. Being that I chose to tell the truth during the trial it put me at odds with my employer. Before I hit the stand my company tried to find a way to get rid of me. The pressure was so deep that I chose to constructively discharge myself. I’ve fought for civil rights and equality my whole life…CHECK MY RESUME. Right is right and wrong is wrong. I stand in truth and I’m going to stand up for the TRUTH every time.

Last but not least, HYPE wants to know…What’s your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?!” aka WTF?! moment...

Tee Grizzley saying he is the King of Lexington, KY in 1st Day Out. I’m the King of Music in my city, he should of asked Team Eastside and Peezy and them. Team Eastside done been through my studio. Now Team Eastside… those are some solid Detriot guys. But no one heard of Tee Grizzley until he dropped the record. His song was aight but the line of him being the King of Lexington had me like WTF?  LOL. Nah, let me quit before the internet gangsters pop up and want to shoot me when I don’t really do that gangster stuff. Cats be so gangster in the streets and can’t even get out of the streets. Isn’t a shame? Let me see…the craziest…well once upon a time in my studio, Fyre Entertainment LLC, I had an artist put his hands on my because I would not charge him what he wanted to be charged. He must of let my glasses and professional job fool him. I’m not a killer but don’t push me. Needless to say I used my football strength and man handled the perpetrator. The incident was caught on my security film. One day I just might release the footage to show that good guys aren’t chumps or pushovers. Not one tat or dread on my body, not one felony on my record but that doesn’t mean I don’t have hands. Come on HYPE…show BIG ZO some love and get the exclusive footage. LOL. I won’t put the guys face in there. We squashed it…It shows that two men can fight and there not have to be GUN PLAY. So I will end this interview on a POSITIVE NOTE! Come on HYPE…I got talent. I will grace your cover. Just watch!



About the Author

Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.


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