| Artist: | Gorilla Zoe |
| Title: | Don't Feed The Animals |
| Producer(s): | Kane Beatz, Zaytoven, Don Vito, Drumma Boy, FATBOI, Dee Jay Dana, K-Rab, Sparkz Tha Trakman |
| Lead Single: | Lost |
| Twitter: | Gorilla Zoe on Twitter |
| Website: | Gorilla Zoe's Website |
| Share: | |
| Buy: |
The landscape of the music industry has shifted seismically in the last five years, and nowhere is this upheaval more prominent than in hip-hop. The rise of the internet and the explosion of the iPod have placed a premium on catchiness, allowing consumers to bypass bulky albums and buy only the songs that move them. This single-centric culture has meant that anyone with a slick hook has a chance at the big time, but while the increased access has made it easier for artists to find themselves on top of the game, it’s also made it harder for them to stay there.
Case in point, Gorilla Zoe. Zoe was catapulted into the spotlight on the strength of his breakthrough single Hood N***a, but he then struggled to launch successive hits and watched sales of his debut album move slower than Fat Joe in a swimming pool of syrup (a fate shared by his peers like Flo-Rida and Mims). It’s the blessing and the curse of the hit single: without one you’d never get heard, but as easily as you came up, that’s how easy it is to be forgotten. It’s a situation Zoe is well aware of, and the reason he’s noticeably upped the musical quality of his sophomore album Don’t Feed The Animals. Don’t worry long-time Gorilla fans, Animals isn’t exactly a conceptual album (it does have a song about talking pussies), but it does show that Zoe’s far more than just a bottle poppin’ machine.
The most obvious example of Zoe’s artistic growth is the shockingly honest Lost, a slowly dripping track that has Zoe admitting that all the money, fame and drugs have left him unhappier than ever (he spends much of the rest of Animals exalting that same material wealth, but we’ll let that contradiction go for now). More importantly, Lost is a display of the lyricist lurking behind Zoe’s gravel-voiced swagger, dropping carefully constructed lines like “I’m losing my mind, I’m losing control…of the wheel swerving on and off the road.” That’s right, Zoe dropped a dope metaphor. Suck on that haters. He’s less successful with the almost pop Echo, Zoe’s attempt at 808s and Heartbreak-esque single complete with auto-tuned singing about a lost relationship. It’s unfamiliar territory for Zoe, as he sounds a little lost on Echo, but it’s worth it to hear the man defy expectations.
Unfortunately, not all of Animals is so impressive, sinking at times into disappointingly disposable depths. The most wanton example is Hood Clap, a record that might be enjoyable if it weren’t such an obvious shot at remaking Hood Ni**a. It’s everything that annoyed me about Yung Joc’s similar Coffee Shop: an attempt at making dope boy life catchy that comes off as strangely childish. “If you’re hood and you know it clap your hands.” Clap your hands? Really? I’d still rather clap my hands than have a Helluvalife. Helluvalife’s a southern smoked track that brings on Gucci Mane (yeaahhhhhhh) and newcomer OJ Da Juiceman (yeah, that’s seriously his name) for a track that’s as forgettable as it is formulaic. The worst offender might just be S**t On ‘Em, an ill advised track that’s essentially a four-minute poop joke, plus auto-tune. Listen, I don’t need Zoe to be Lupe. I’ve got no problem with hard rhymes, but I can’t imagine anyone enjoys a song filled with lines like “s**tin’ on you ni**gas like Niagara Falls.” I rest my case.
If Zoe wants to take it to the next level he needs to combine these two sides of his musical personality. All he has to do is take a look at his southern compatriot Jeezy, who’s increased his versatility without losing his edge (a fitting comparison considering Zoe replaced the Snowman in Boyz N Da Hood). At times Animals manages to strike this balance perfectly, most prominently on Dope Boy, a track that stays addictively catchy without resorting to clichés. Similarly, What It Is, a synth-heavy collaboration with the round mound of rhyme Rick Ross, doesn’t work quite as well, but it should be more than enough to garner some coveted radio play. In the end Zoe needs to learn that once he starts rhyming like he did on Lost over beats like What It Is, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with. In today’s quickly changing music industry it’s adapt or die, and if Zoe can continue to evolve, he might just have a long life in the game.
DJBooth.net Rating:

3 Spins - Average
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Nathan S.'s Picks
Dope Boy Lost |
Ready for Radio
What It Is Hood Clap |
Mixtape Ready
Helluvalife I’m Dumb |
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DJ Booth Member |
thers just something i dont like about zoe i dont even think wayne helped him out on lost... He just fits in the crowd with the rest of the below average people in atl like gucci, oj, ralph, and others that cant find their own style.
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| Posted on Mar 17, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Zoe did his thang on diz 1 as usual da productions iz on point da flow iz crazy he alwayz been 1 of my fav rappers
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| Posted on Mar 17, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Crew Total Ratings: 1621 |
Why isn't anyone really talking about how Zoe completely relied on Autotune for this whole album? Way different look for him, but this CD is pretty good. A big improvement from his first.
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| Posted on Mar 17, 2009 |
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Resident DJ Total Ratings: 222 |
Solid Production. Also, I enjoyed Gorilla Zoe on Autotune, strange enough, it did not annoy me. For example, in the song "I Got It", it actually complimented the piano segment in the background making the song hot. I enjoyed this album, not a classic, but a definite banger.
4.5 stars out of 5 |
| Posted on Mar 17, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
the album is hot nice sound not too mutch gunshot @*#$! and rapping about drugs
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| Posted on Mar 17, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Gorilla Zoë “Don’t Feed Da Animals”
Upon purchasing Gorilla Zoë’s new album I had no clue what to expect because I never picked up his solo debut. The first track Untamed Gorilla could be the theme song for a new installment of the Rocky series. The tune immediately had my head bobbing and weaving. The main single that has been blowing up the charts Lost is probably the best track on the cd. The concept of this song is great because he speaks of heading down the road trying to find his way in life. The song is a metaphor for life because all of us are trying to find our purpose on this earth. A track that caught my attention with its funny lyrics was @*#$! On ‘Em and the line goes “diarrhea on ya nigg%s like Niagara Falls.” Track eight Helluvalife is an up tempo track that everyone can relate to because it just talks about the hectic life that Gorilla lives. It is good to be able to relate to an artist and to see that their lives are just as busy as ours. The track Watch Me could see some major play in clubs. Gorilla says, “Watch me pull my swag out” this track gives everyone on the floor the courage to show their swag on the dance floor. Everyone has had struggles in their life like not being able to pay the rent. Gorilla tackles issues like these on the track Man I. He says, “Back in the day I used to be broke, I used to be sleeping on the floor, but now I’m riding 28’s.” This track gives listeners hope that they can overcome their struggles to reach their dreams. The second best track on the cd is Echo where Gorilla blames his broken down relationship on his girlfriend. Gorilla seems to be saying I’m doing fine without you and all you have left of me is your echo at your house. Overall this album gets 3/1/2 stars out of 5. The album has great production, beats, and lyrics. If Gorilla hopes to make it to the 4 star status he has to show us his rawness and that Untamed Gorilla. |
| Posted on Mar 17, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
thought this was gonna be better...i loved some of his mixtape @*#$!...still got love for zoe
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| Posted on Mar 17, 2009 |
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Resident DJ Total Ratings: 502 |
Theres alotttttt of songs on this album that im feeling, I actually think the autotune works to Zoe's advantage on some songs, It just sounds good with his voice IMO, He has some very radio worthy songs on here, I only found about 2 or 3 songs I really dont like at all, but other than taht I didnt find a song I didnt listen to more than 2 or 3 times.. But for the most part, Untamed Gorilla got the punch of best song on the album for me, the production was fireeeeeeee, Zoe and JC did there thing on that one..
Dont Feed The Animals: 1) Untamed Gorilla 2) Helluvalife 3) I Got It 4) Lost 5) Echo |
| Posted on Mar 17, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
4.5 out of 5 stars
Theres only like 4 songs I disliked on this CD. First of all, Zoe + Autotune = YES! His voice sounds great on it and he's a guy who really wants to sing about his stuff but who can't so autotune fixed that problem. Untamed Gorilla sounds like an epic song and I love Zoe's rawness and JC on the hook is fire. Kinda sounds like Chamillionaire's Morning News at times, but nonetheless one of the best songs on the album. I also liked I Got It. Drumma Boy's piano beat is magnificent and Zoe killed it all around and it sounded like a great piece of art to me. Despite disliking Gucci Mane and OJ, Helluvalife is a great song with a catchy chorus, and Zoe outshines the others with his verse. Echo is the obvious pop joint on the CD and I hear his passion on this song. Not as good as I Got It, but it still is a banger. Lost is just the chill track that anyone can really relate to. These songs stood out to me the most. Man I is a nice joint too, very nice piano beat there. Top 5 1. I Got It 2. Untamed Gorilla 3. Echo 4. Helluvalife 5. Man I |
| Posted on Mar 17, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
nice album nice production
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| Posted on Mar 18, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
banger
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| Posted on Mar 18, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member Total Ratings: 60 |
i like it, banger album
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| Posted on Mar 18, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Crew |
I HIGHLY doubt that this album is anywhere near four stars, but hey, that's just me.
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| Posted on Mar 18, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
An improvement for Zoe, considering his debut was completely forgettable. Here it's evident he went for the charts, (possibly from label pressure), the results were bittersweet. I fully agree that "S*** On Em" is a filler and complete waste, "Hood Clap" is too similar to "Hood N****", "Echo" should have been sung by someone that can ACTUALLY sing. "What It Is" isn't bad, but the best track, has to be "Lost". I was disappointed that Zoe went for such a commercial sound with the autotune, but there are some likeable tracks. Decent album that has some summery bangers, but its a slight improvement because there are so many autotune oriented tracks.
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| Posted on Mar 19, 2009 |
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| Posted on Mar 20, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member Total Ratings: 143 |
I liked this album nothin special but better than most out now
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| Posted on Mar 21, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
I LIKE ZOE BUT THE TRACK WITH OJ THE JUICEMAN IS NOT THAT HOT.
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| Posted on Mar 24, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
Zoe is nice and this album is also solid. I wish he would have done a track or two more like Welcome to the Zoo or Back up in the Chevy, but it is still nice.
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| Posted on Mar 24, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
this album is Straight up fire, u kno bad boy stay bringin that heat kid
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| Posted on Mar 24, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
album is amazing especially "echo"!!!
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| Posted on Mar 25, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
oh good !
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| Posted on Mar 31, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
cute and has a irritating name
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| Posted on Apr 06, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
This album sucks @$$. I think he shouldnt even have made it because it f%&*#n sucks
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| Posted on Apr 21, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
StabCitysFinest can S### my d### u do not know what you talkin about this is the @*#$!
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| Posted on Apr 23, 2009 |
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