9th Wonder Drops New Project "ZION VII"

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.4K Views
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The legendary producer brings 30 tracks together for a rich and robust installment in his "ZION" beat tape series.

9th Wonder is one of hip-hop's most acclaimed and noteworthy producers working today. From Kendrick Lamar's "DUCKWORTH." to Mac Miller's "Rain," he's added lots of modern hits to his historic discography from the 2000s. Recently, with that hype in mind, he released the latest installment in his ZION series. ZION VII is a mostly instrumental album, though, filled with classic beats and 9th Wonder's creative approach to the craft of production.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 02: Record Producer, Record Executive, Lecturer, and Rapper 9th Wonder speaks during a panel discussion at The Recording Academy Washington DC Chapter's Intersection of Music & Sports event at the Kennedy Center on March 02, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

The North Carolina producer is also a hip-hop history professor, and that appreciation comes through in 9th Wonder's artistry. Most of the beats on ZION VII would not sound out of place on a classic New York tape. The soul samples are creatively chopped, the drums hit in a crisp and clear way, and it results in great grooves. On ZION VII's first third or so, Swank and King Draft float effortlessly over these soundscapes. The Jack Moves, Datsunn, and Jalisa also contribute verse performances to a couple of tracks.

These days, 9th Wonder is building his profile through collaborations and production credits on other albums. Even Doja Cat wants to hit the beat-maker up for a collab. But his ZION series has always been about a wide collection of beats in his vault, and VII delivers on that precedent. After seven tracks, the remaining 23 are raw instrumentals with a pretty varied sonic pallet. Previous albums in the ZION series have been up to 59 tracks long, so VII's actually on the shorter side.

The track "DontHurtSoul!!!" has a menacing manipulated vocal loop with some echoed and distant drums. Moreover, the soft, spoken word in the sample shows off 9th Wonder's ear for eeriness and atmosphere on ZION VII. However, other points like "AndYouToo!!!" are much more breezy and melodic by comparison, with its bright keys and groovy percussion. Sometimes the sampling is very clean and straightforward like on "BeSuperStar!!!" Yet the very next song, "AbyssJam!!!", takes that sample and distorts it with some chops. As such, ZION VII always dives into a new sound with every turn, and 9th Wonder is having a ball on that journey.

You can check out ZION VII on your preferred streaming service and also peep the tracklist for 9th Wonder's new album below.

Tracklist

  1. Remain!!! (feat. The Jack Moves, Swank & King Draft)
  2. I Saw You!!! (feat. Jalisa, Swank & King Draft)
  3. Waste My Time!!! (feat. Swank & King Draft)
  4. Lust 4 U!!! (feat. Swank & King Draft)
  5. All Good!!! (feat. Datsunn, Swank & King Draft)
  6. The Chase!!! (feat. Swank & King Draft)
  7. Know I!!! (feat. Swank & King Draft)
  8. DontHurtSoul!!!
  9. BeenChanged!!!
  10. 704Chop!!!
  11. AndYouToo!!!
  12. LilSpinnaNightBag!!!
  13. Tried Everything!!!
  14. InMotionJam!!!
  15. BeSuperStar!!!
  16. AbyssJam!!!
  17. GunClappaLove!!!
  18. MissinYouJam!!!
  19. TabunaJammy!!!
  20. Sheneneh!!!
  21. FonkyDanny!!!
  22. WorldWindSoul!!!
  23. DreamBlessed!!!
  24. ForPlay!!!
  25. GQSilky!!!
  26. ManWomanWill!!!
  27. NCSunset!!!
  28. HowGoodIsIs!!!
  29. IndyLaughin!!!
  30. TooMuch!!!

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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