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Music Review: Gorilla Zoe finds niche with new CD
03/16/2009 12:00 PM, AP
Gorilla Zoe, "Don't Feed Da Animals" (Block/Bad Boy South/Atlantic) With the exception of his hoarse voice, Gorilla Zoe seemed like every other self-professed street hustler-turned-rapper, introducing listeners into his world of a drug-selling past on his debut album, "Welcome to the Zoo." But the burly, bearded Gorilla Zoe tweaked his raspy tune on his sophomore disc, "Don't Feed Da Animals," delivering a clearer message to digest by becoming a harmonizer. The Atlanta-based rapper's new approach flourishes on top of well-produced tracks, especially on his first single, "Lost," a melancholy track about him venturing into depression. Gorilla Zoe doesn't diverge from his typical drug-dealing tales on "Dope Boy." And he maintains the same talk about going from poverty to a lifestyle filled with luxury cars on "Man I" and "Helluva Life," featuring Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman. But Gorilla Zoe's husky delivery as a crooner makes his sometimes harsh words an easy listen. When he chooses to sing on "So Sick" and "Echo," which both sound more like pop songs, each melody seems to fit him. On one of the few tracks where Gorilla Zoe decides to rap, he trades bars with porn star-turned-rapper Roxy Reynolds on the sexually explicit "Talk Back." In all, his distinctive singing shows as a versatility he can carry on to his next album, though there is still more room for growth as a rapper. CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: Other than "Lost," Gorilla Zoe's next best track is "What It Is," featuring Rick Ross.
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