Songs That Need Their Own Thread: Zion I - Bird's Eye View
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RuffDraft
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb9eWa98IPYFew songs give you chills twelve years after they're released, or make you want to rhyme every line of the track out loud, regardless of whose company you're in, yet Zion I's, 'Bird's Eye View' never fails to make this impression on me and makes all listeners who ever loved hip hop, fall in love all over again.
Spent most of my teenage years, as I imagine most people did here, walking the streets with my headphones and cassette player, listening to hip hop (some of you may have had iPods; in my case, they hadn't been invented yet). I never had a family member who was into hip hop, so I used to visit chat forums back in the days of dial-up and spend the thirty-minutes I had speaking to more knowledgeable heads about hip hop; discussing 90's albums and what makes a good hip hop record in general. The artists and consequent albums that I'd discover by talking to people online, or by reaching out into the hip hop section of different music stores, would be on repeat for weeks.
Therefore, when I listen to Zion I's Bird's Eye View, it takes me right back to those moments of discovering a classic record. Nas' Illmatic; Common's Resurrection or ATCQ's Low End Theory to Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt or Biggie's Ready To Die: whatever album I'd managed to buy that week - or once every two weeks - I'd record it to my cassette tape - later, my Mini Disc player - and bump the albums until I knew all of the words.
Pre-Music Downloads, the CD was always an unknown entity: the cover and tracklist were all you had to go off. I'd visit RapReviews.com for the latest, or later on, I would visit AHH.com to see what the scoop was before dropping my cash on the albums. Sometimes, I'd strike gold, other times I'd be disappointed, but whatever feeling I had, I always loved the feeling of walking into the city, buying an album, getting home, placing it into the CD player and reading the album notes as songs I'd never heard started to play for the first time.
Also, with a limited knowledge of hip hop at that time, there was such a wealth of great music at my fingertips, and I'd often have the chance to pick up classics for 50% off (Nas' Illmatic was one of them). It was an exciting time to 'dig in the crates' and see what you could find. Warren G's debut album is always somewhat of a standout record for its production and the nostalgia it holds with me. I remember thinking that it'd be a one-song album, but Super Soul Sis with Jah Skills and the general production of the album itself was an experience.
I have always been transported back to moments like these when I play, 'Bird's Eye View' and have always felt like it was speaking of my love for hip hop whenever I listened to it, and I know that it's a classic song because it brings about a reflective mind state. If you ever loved hip hop, this song is going to bring back all those memories.
From the first time I saw you, infatuation
Pulled to the side to provide conversation
Wild reputation but you were so cool
Any old fool knew that you was a jewel
Though the song follows a similar format to Common's, "I Used to Love H.E.R.", it's a worthy, more obvious successor, breaking down the feelings, more so than the journey of hip hop.
For me, it's one of the best post-2000 songs to be released.
Anyone here with me?
Comments
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sounds like 97
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I was in 10th grade when this album came out. Had no knowledge of them but was told from an old forum to check it out so I did. Fell in love with it, this song especially. When I first heard birds eye view I listened to it on repeat until I memorized it haha. Played the album for a long time too.
Zion I started getting a buzz and started changing their music to more hyphy type sound but they didn't sound right doing it so I stopped checking for them.
Amplive was always a fire producer though and zumbi is a really good rapper. Wonder what they've been up to -
That song temperature with talib was dope as hell too and actually the first song I heard from them that made me download the album haha
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Lou_Cypher wrote: »I was in 10th grade when this album came out. Had no knowledge of them but was told from an old forum to check it out so I did. Fell in love with it, this song especially. When I first heard birds eye view I listened to it on repeat until I memorized it haha. Played the album for a long time too.
Zion I started getting a buzz and started changing their music to more hyphy type sound but they didn't sound right doing it so I stopped checking for them.
Amplive was always a fire producer though and zumbi is a really good rapper. Wonder what they've been up to
Damn @Lou_Cypher - we were so young back then! Haha! I was 19, so not quite as young as tenth grade, I don't think.
I had the same response: played it until I could rhyme every line. Apparently the sample used is the same one from Kendrick Lamar's, 'Keisha's Song', which I would never have known? Apparently, Kendrick's getting sued for his use of the sample, but nothing happened to Zion I.
I remember fading away from their music too, but when you have a moment like that song in the booth/on the boards, you're a part of hip hop history, for sure.
I may change the name of this thread, and keep posting songs in here? Would be great to cover the classics of yesteryear. -
Man I remember downloading a Zion I tune on Napster back in the day, it was fire but I cant remember what the name was... Used to play it daum near every day too...
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Dope, been awhile since I heard this one...
Borderline underground classic album too imo...
They dropped a new album last year and also got robbed of a $89k camera at a video shoot for one of the songs a few weeks back in West Oakland... -
Lou_Cypher wrote: »I was in 10th grade when this album came out. Had no knowledge of them but was told from an old forum to check it out so I did. Fell in love with it, this song especially. When I first heard birds eye view I listened to it on repeat until I memorized it haha. Played the album for a long time too.
Zion I started getting a buzz and started changing their music to more hyphy type sound but they didn't sound right doing it so I stopped checking for them.
Amplive was always a fire producer though and zumbi is a really good rapper. Wonder what they've been up to
Damn @Lou_Cypher - we were so young back then! Haha! I was 19, so not quite as young as tenth grade, I don't think.
I had the same response: played it until I could rhyme every line. Apparently the sample used is the same one from Kendrick Lamar's, 'Keisha's Song', which I would never have known? Apparently, Kendrick's getting sued for his use of the sample, but nothing happened to Zion I.
I remember fading away from their music too, but when you have a moment like that song in the booth/on the boards, you're a part of hip hop history, for sure.
I may change the name of this thread, and keep posting songs in here? Would be great to cover the classics of yesteryear.
I say make a new thread for each song, make it similar to a series, bring more attention to each song.
But yeah they released a mixtape after this album that had the song "badlands" on it and that song was great, outside of that though they changed their sound too much for me to ? with it. I had my hyphy phase, but the artists that created it or started it did much better with it than zion I did. Can't go from making true and living to going dumb the next album lol. I'm gonna start looking into any new material they may have and post some gems here if I find them.
Dope thread though, birds eye view still gets Play today. There are a lot of songs like birds eye view, but zion I captured the feeling and emotion perfectly for any true hip hop head to relate to. -
Damn, been so long since I heard this song. Good thread.
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water ur seeds wrote: »Man I remember downloading a Zion I tune on Napster back in the day, it was fire but I cant remember what the name was... Used to play it daum near every day too...
Haha I have no idea which song you'll be thinking of, "One", "Trippin'" and "Critical" are other nice tracks I like around the time of Napster!Dope, been awhile since I heard this one...
Borderline underground classic album too imo...
They dropped a new album last year and also got robbed of a $89k camera at a video shoot for one of the songs a few weeks back in West Oakland...
Jeez! Who owns an $89k camera?! Must have been a Red or something... wouldn't think they'd be ballin' like that.
Did you check the album last year? I haven't checked new stuff for ages. Good to see you still posting, @achewon87.Lou_Cypher wrote: »I say make a new thread for each song, make it similar to a series, bring more attention to each song.
But yeah they released a mixtape after this album that had the song "badlands" on it and that song was great, outside of that though they changed their sound too much for me to ? with it. I had my hyphy phase, but the artists that created it or started it did much better with it than zion I did. Can't go from making true and living to going dumb the next album lol. I'm gonna start looking into any new material they may have and post some gems here if I find them.
Dope thread though, birds eye view still gets Play today. There are a lot of songs like birds eye view, but zion I captured the feeling and emotion perfectly for any true hip hop head to relate to.
I'll do that. I'll make another one tonight.
I can't recall listening to Badlands at the time, but bumpin' it now - thanks for the recommendation! :tu
Yeah, definitely... I think the feeling transcends other songs that are similar like you say. It'll be interesting to re-visit other songs in my Library and write about them. It's amazing how quickly time passes - still feel like I'm in this era of music.Damn, been so long since I heard this song. Good thread.
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Zion I is a HEAVILY slept on group. Love this track too
