Z-Man
Rapper and Traditional Artist
Introduction
Z-Man is an underground rapper and painter from the San Francisco Bay Area.
“My art is most faithful to me. I go to sleep with it and wake up with it.” – Z-Man
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Biography
Z-Man
Z-Man is a multifaceted underground hip-hop artist and painter hailing from the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area. Renowned for his distinctive voice in the hip-hop community, Z-Man has an impressive repertoire of full-length studio albums, many of which are self-recorded and released, showcasing his commitment to his craft and his independence in the music scene.
Z-Man collaborates extensively within the Gurp City collective with artists including Sacred Hoop, Grand Invincible, G-Pek, Conceit, Topr, MC Oroville, and the renowned Eddie Def. His collaborative efforts extend to working with well-known groups such as Hieroglyphics Crew, Disflex.6, and Refill Records.
Beyond music, Z-Man is an accomplished painter known for his acrylic-on-canvas works. His art features cartoon-style hybrid creatures, depicted in vibrant, bold color schemes with thematic references to black culture. Not only does Z-Man create all of his own album covers and T-shirt designs, but he has also provided artwork for numerous other hip-hop artists, showcasing his dual talents and his deep connection to both the musical and visual arts communities.
Z-man’s first-ever album appearance was in 1996 with his group 99th-Demention, self-titled, which consisted of King Maz, Young Slim, Rev-Cope, Rated R, and Z-man. The group released another album in 1998 “RSP Student ” which only featured Z-man and Young Slim on it. The next two projects were Z-man’s solo projects that Young Slim would then produce. In that same year Z-man dropped “A Verse or Two” and in 1999, “4 Hours of Sleep” which gained him some buzz in the streets, notoriety, and recognition as an MC.
In 2003, Z-man was then signed to Refill Records/Hieroglyphics Crew which led to “Anti Nerd”, an EP prequel to the LP “Dope Or Dog Food?”. After these brief but impactful dealings, he then dropped another independent album, “Don’t forget to Brag” in 2005. Released around that same time in 2004 was another group effort with L.A.-based members Marty James and MDA to form One Block Radius. They released “Long Story Short” which was a very different project musically and more in the alternative genre. In 2008, One Block Radius was signed to Mercury/Island Def Jam Records.
In 2010 Z-man put out another EP called “Show up Shut up and Rap” independently through Machete Vox Records. He soon collaborated with fellow MC, Rapper White Mic of Bored Stiff to create the “Vegetable and the Ferret” in 2011. In 2013 Z-man went solo again to release “California Brainwashed”, followed by his 2014 project, “The Opening Act”.