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'''Z-Ro''' (born Joseph Wayne McVey on [[June 6]], [[1976]]) is a [[rapper]] born in [[Missouri City]], [[Texas]] and was raised in the Ridgemont 4 Neighborhood on the Southside of Houston. This area is known for gang violence and drug dealing which Z-Ro was wrapped up in at an early age after his mother death resulting from cancer. He has embraced his inclusion in the [[Screwed Up Click]], a loose collective of Houston rappers associated with the late [[DJ Screw]], as an honor and even proclaimed so brashly on one of his album '''[[Screwed Up Click Representa]]'''. 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]].
'''Z-Ro''' (born Joseph Wayne McVey on [[June 6]], [[1976]]) is a [[rapper]] born in [[Houston Tx]], and was raised in the Ridgemont 4 Neighborhood on the Southside of Houston. This area is known for gang violence and drug dealing which Z-Ro was wrapped up in at an early age after his mother death resulting from cancer. He has embraced his inclusion in the [[Screwed Up Click]], a loose collective of Houston rappers associated with the late [[DJ Screw]], as an honor and even proclaimed so brashly on one of his album '''[[Screwed Up Click Representa]]'''. 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]].


It wasn't until Z-Ro grew older, however, that the trauma of his mother's death hit him. It was through [[hip-hop]] that Z-Ro found a channel for his experiences. By this time he had moved to Missouri City (an area in Houston known to locals as 'Mo City'), 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]]. But 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, considered by fans around the world to be Down South classics.
It wasn't until Z-Ro grew older, however, that the trauma of his mother's death hit him. It was through [[hip-hop]] that Z-Ro found a channel for his experiences. By this time he had moved to Missouri City (an area in Houston known to locals as 'Mo City'), 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]]. But 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, considered by fans around the world to be Down South classics.

Revision as of 20:22, 17 November 2006

Z-Ro

Z-Ro (born Joseph Wayne McVey on June 6, 1976) is a rapper born in Houston Tx, and was raised in the Ridgemont 4 Neighborhood on the Southside of Houston. This area is known for gang violence and drug dealing which Z-Ro was wrapped up in at an early age after his mother death resulting from cancer. He has embraced his inclusion in the Screwed Up Click, a loose collective of Houston rappers associated with the late DJ Screw, as an honor and even proclaimed so brashly on one of his album Screwed Up Click Representa. 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.

It wasn't until Z-Ro grew older, however, that the trauma of his mother's death hit him. It was through hip-hop that Z-Ro found a channel for his experiences. By this time he had moved to Missouri City (an area in Houston known to locals as 'Mo City'), 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. But 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, considered by fans 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". Interestingly, that first album regularly sold for over $100 on online auction site eBay, before its recent re-release. 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 an astonishing 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 Ro was no longer affiliated with, but had the rights to publish what 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 did not meet sales expectations. But 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.

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 rapprs Mike Jones and Paul Wall, and Z-Ro's Let the Truth Be Told was released in early 2005. Once again, sales expectations were nowhere near met, 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' is set to be released on November 21st.

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.

Discography

Albums

with Guerilla Maab

  • 1999: Rise
  • 2002: Resurrected (A.B.N. album)
  • 2006: Guerilla Maab Hitz, Vol. 1 (S.L.A.B.ed)

Mixtapes

Compilations

  • 2002: Z-Ro vs. the World / King of the Ghetto
  • 2003: A.B.N.: Assholes by Nature: The Soundtrack
  • 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: 4 Da Green Reloaded
  • 2005: Z-Ro and Friends
  • 2006: 4/20 the Smokers Anthem

Screwed & Chopped

Like most Houston rap artists, all of Z-Ro's albums have been Screwed and Chopped and released multiple times (sometimes by multiple record labels.)

See also

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