Gorilla Zoe - Don’t Feed Da Animals (Reviews)

Via DJ Booth

The landscape of the music industry has shifted seismically in the last five years, and nowhere is this upheaval more prominent than in hip-hop. The rise of the internet and the explosion of the iPod have placed a premium on catchiness, allowing consumers to bypass bulky albums and buy only the songs that move them. This single-centric culture has meant that anyone with a slick hook has a chance at the big time, but while the increased access has made it easier for artists to find themselves on top of the game, it’s also made it harder for them to stay there.

Case in point, Gorilla Zoe. Zoe was catapulted into the spotlight on the strength of his breakthrough single Hood N***a, but he then struggled to launch successive hits and watched sales of his debut album move slower than Fat Joe in a swimming pool of syrup (a fate shared by his peers like Flo-Rida and Mims). It’s the blessing and the curse of the hit single: without one you’d never get heard, but as easily as you came up, that’s how easy it is to be forgotten. It’s a situation Zoe is well aware of, and the reason he’s noticeably upped the musical quality of his sophomore album Don’t Feed The Animals. Don’t worry long-time Gorilla fans, Animals isn’t exactly a conceptual album (it does have a song about talking pussies), but it does show that Zoe’s far more than just a bottle poppin’ machine.

The most obvious example of Zoe’s artistic growth is the shockingly honest Lost, a slowly dripping track that has Zoe admitting that all the money, fame and drugs have left him unhappier than ever (he spends much of the rest of Animals exalting that same material wealth, but we’ll let that contradiction go for now). More importantly, Lost is a display of the lyricist lurking behind Zoe’s gravel-voiced swagger, dropping carefully constructed lines like “I’m losing my mind, I’m losing control…of the wheel swerving on and off the road.” That’s right, Zoe dropped a dope metaphor. Suck on that haters. He’s less successful with the almost pop Echo, Zoe’s attempt at 808s and Heartbreak-esque single complete with auto-tuned singing about a lost relationship. It’s unfamiliar territory for Zoe, as he sounds a little lost on Echo, but it’s worth it to hear the man defy expectations.

Overall Score: 3 Spins - Average

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Also, track-by-track via NappyAfro

Looking to follow up his debut album, Welcome to the Zoo, Gorilla Zoe returns with his sophomore album titled, Don’t Feed Da Animals. Gorilla Zoe is fully aware of the “sophomore jinx” that artists speak about when they are working on their second album. This album was scheduled to drop 3rd quarter of 2008, but for some reason it got pushed back. Now that Zoe is back with some new music, let us see how it stacks up against the competition.

Untamed Gorilla
Featuring JC; Produced by Kane Beatz
First thing, I notice that the beat sounds like one you would hear Gucci Mane on, but after the initial drop Zoe steps in and dishes out some nice rhymes over a commanding beat. Good way to start the album.

What It Is
Featuring Rick Ross & Kollosus; Produced by Zaytoven
When Zaytoven is behind the boards, you know you are getting some good production. Ross and Zoe have good chemistry on the song, but the song is okay. Nothing spectacular to report on this track, it did not seem like the two were competing with each other.

Dope Boy
Produced by Don Vito
Songs like this send the wrong messages to the women out there. I do not know why Zoe opted to use the auto tune on this one, but I guess every artist was itching to use one. You can ride to this beat, and I am sure the all the dopeboys out there will have this as a ringtone.

Lost
Produced by Drumma Boy
The first single off the album, which came out almost a year ago, is another auto tune song. Everybody has heard this song at least once. The remix with Lil’ Wayne on it should have been on the album.

I’m Dumb
Produced by FATBOI
Gorilla Zoe takes a swing at making some new slang for the hood. I like the song, but it the flow sounds like “Hood Nigga”. Not like that is a bad thing. The beat on this one is SICK. The beat is “dumb” to quote Zoe on this one.

Shit On Em’
Produced by Zaytoven
This is another song where Zoe uses the auto tune where the hook says “I doo doo, I boo boo, I poo poo, I shit on em’.” It did not take much imagination to make this hook. I would expect a song like this from Gucci, maybe because Zaytoven did the beat

Hood Clap
Produced by Dee Jay Dana
Earlier I said “I’m Dumb” sounded like “Hood Nigga”, I have to take that back because this one sounds like “Hood Nigga.” Same flow and same bass line they used the first go round. The song is not bad; it just feels like we have done this before.

Helluvalife
Featuring Gucci Mane & OJ da Juiceman; Produced by Zaytoven
Who would have thought the day would come that putting Gucci on your album would boost your sales? Gucci and OJ outshined Zoe on his own track. They seemed more at home on the production, and yes, OJ did “Aye” you to death in 3 minutes.

I Got It
Featuring Big Block; Produced by Drumma Boy
I guess this is his attempt at a love song, which he breaks out the auto tune…again. I have to disagree with the overuse of the tool on this project. I am thinking this is his “Whatever You Like.” The beat goes hard though.

Watch Me
Featuring Yung Chris; Produced by Drumma Boy
Drumma Boy got SICK on this beat…the rhymes just did not live up to the beat. I wonder how producers feel when they put out a nice track and the artist lays an egg. The song gets boring to you after a couple of listens. If you hate the word “swag”, you might want to avoid this song.

Man I
Produced by K-Rab
I am going to make this one easy for you…SKIP!

Talk Back
Featuring Roxy Reynolds & Ebonylove; Produced by Sparkz Tha Trakman
Your eyes are not deceiving you; Roxy Reynolds is on the song. She did not do that bad for a porn star. She obviously did not write the rhyme, but she sounded good doing it. This puts you in the mind of Trina’s “Look Back at Me”, just not as nasty.

So Sick
Produced by Zaytoven
Once again, Zoe brings out the auto tune, but this time I like this offering. This is the song for all the people out there that love to buy clothes and accessories from their local bootlegger. Hey, some people want to look expensive without spending for it. HILARIOUS!

Echo
Produced by Drumma Boy
Zoe uses the auto tune on this one…AGAIN! Damn, did Zoe sing this much before? What is funny is that he sounds like Akon on this song. How are you going to end the album on this note?

Bottom Line:
You can tell that this album was supposed to come out in 2008 by the heavy use of the auto tune. I did not know that Zoe sang so much. He seems like he is lost on this project with the different directions he took on this journey. This release is not as good as his previous, so I have to say he took a step backward. He cannot blame the shortcomings on the production, because the production was good. He has to question the heavy use of the auto tune and all the singing that Zoe did on the album. The album was not worth all the delays and if I were a Gorilla Zoe fan, I would be disappointed.

Overall Score: 2/5Similar Posts:

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Via DJ Booth The landscape of the music industry has shifted seismically in the last five years, and nowhere is this upheaval more prominent than in hip-hop. The rise of the internet and the explosion of the iPod have placed a premium on catchiness, allowing consumers to bypass bulky albums and buy only the songs that [...]

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