San Francisco, CA (Top40 Charts/ I AM ZIO Official Website) When it comes to the 2010 Hip-Hop scene it seems emcees are more eager than ever to secure their power at the top of the ranks. Artists like, Drake, Kayne West, Rick Ross, and
Fabolous have already solidified themselves, so who are the new comers for 2011 and the future? Many industry newbie's of 2010 like Big Sean, Nipsey, and J Cole have had their shot to break through the underground and into the mainstream limelight. There is plenty of talent around the United States, so who will be the next to shine through in 2011, would you say
Soulja Boy's protégé
Roscoe Dash, Simmons family jewel Diggy, Willie The Kid,
Jay Electronica or maybe Pittsburgh's underdog Zio?
Go onto Google search, and do your own due diligence on these young emcees, one may just stick out amongst the rest of the running pack. His name is Zio, an emcee born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. The main reason Zio distinguishes himself from the other emcees is very quite simple to see, Hip-Hop in the region of Pittsburgh, PA is very scarce on up and coming talent, however, Zio is looking to break that barrier for future artists in "The 412". Zio has gained significant attention through the range of diversity he brings into local Pittsburgh Hip-Hop music, along with the nature of his appearance. When you first see Zio, you're caught off guard, he doesn't look white, and yet he's not fully ethnic, that in itself automatically attracts you. Once you take the time to dig deeper, after you combine the looks with the sound, within the first 3 minutes your mind is already telling you that Zio isn't like the other 300 artist you have ran into in the past pitching you their material. With new tracks circulating online, his debut mixtape "The Tranzition" (released 4.12.10) gained wider popularity, and other new releases, such as the dream-inspired "Go Alone", and the laid back melodic "Livin This Life" soon appeared. His online presence has built up to well over 22,000 fans and almost 500,000 online views between social networks like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube.
The end of 2010 going into 2011 may become a highlight year for this underdog emcee, with an anticipated end of the year mixtape titled "Cruizin Altitude" releasing soon, Zio is putting any doubters feet to the fire. When asked about haters or critics Zio said, "Judge me and I'll prove you wrong. Tell me what to do and I'll tell you off. Say I'm not worth it and watch where I end up. Call me crazy, you really have no idea." Compare any artist you currently have in your iPod or on your iTunes to Zio, unless they are already making 7 figures, Zio will blow them out of the water.
