When DAMN dropped in April of 2017, Zacari was but a little-known contributor listed in the liner notes. Fast forward to Today, and the singer/songwriter is now an enshrined member of the TDE roster with a shiny new single to his credit. To ardent Top Dawg supporters, Zacari's name resonates with clarity.
After receiving his accreditation on DAMN, Kendrick enlisted Zacari yet again on the Black Panther soundtrack for a duet with Babes Wodumo, at which point his buzz was only just beginning to build. Isaiah Rashad and Ab-Soul have also enlisted, the latter doing so before issuing a moratorium of silence.
So it's with great pleasure that Top Dawg Entertainment is handing Zacari his own "chain," so to speak - after proving his mettle several times over. To mark the occasion, Zacari released his debut single under the TDE banner, a midtempo blammer of the quiet storm persuasion. To commemorate his unveiling, Zacari posted a group selfie of himself in the company of Teddy Walton and J-Louis, the producers on "Don't Trip." Grammy-nominated engineer James Hunt also factored into the equation, and the photo itself (pictured 2nd from the left).
It was J-Louis, one half of the aforementioned production tandem, who was instrumental in bringing Zacari into the fold at TDE. Zacari is forever indebted to J-Louis, who also produces and DJs for Bryson Tiller; he said so himself in a post-dated interview with Pitchfork back in 2017.