Don’t Feed Da Animals - Gorilla Zoe
March 27, 2009 | Author: Rhydian H.M.
“Don’t Feed Da Animals” is Atlanta rapper Gorilla Zoe’s sophomore album, following his debut LP “Welcome To The Zoo” (2007).
Gorilla Zoe’s second album reveals him as a more developed artist than in his disappointing debut, which didn’t meet the expectations set by the hit single “Hood N*igga”. In “Don’t Feed Da Aminals” Zoe follows in the footsteps of Lil Wayne and Kayne West to modify his raspy vocals on a number of tracks with the increasingly popular auto-tune effect.
The stand out track is the first single, “Lost”, which differs from the rest of the album, as Gorilla Zoe exhibits skillful lyrical ability, interchanging pitches as he sings and raps an increasingly depressing story of losing his mind, with the backing of Lil Wayne. “Lost” delivers a mesmerizing beat from Drumma Boy, which helped it to reach No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks charts and bring the album into the popularity.
Another track to listen to is the second release “What It Is”, in which Gorilla Zoe gets rid of the auto-tune for the most part, using it sparingly on the chorus, but otherwise unleashing his course, heavy rap voice throughout the verses. Zoe interlocks with Rick Ross and Kollosus over a banging bass beat accompanied by distinct synthesizer sound.
Gorilla Zoe uses the auto-tune more heavily later on, with the other best tracks being those in which he uses the technology to create a pop feel akin to Kanye West. Such tracks include “Echo” and “So-Sick” in which Gorilla Zoe provides more worthy lyrics and vocals than some of his native ghetto or boastful songs, such as “Hood Clap” and the erotic and blunt “Talk Back”, which features porn star Roxy Reynolds. Also, “Man I” and “Watch Me”, become more entertaining with the auto-tune effect than they would otherwise be from their lyrical base.
“Don’t Feel Da Animals” has reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Rap Albums and No. 2 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts. With a majority of entertaining and creative tracks backed by some good production, it shows Gorilla Zoe is making positive moves towards being a more rounded artist. It was released on iTunes on March 17 (you can check it out here).
Rating: 4/5
