Born Zunaid Lombard on September 9th, 1994 and raised in the south of Johannesburg, ZULO has tampered with film making, video game design, graphic design, poetry and music at the early age of 11. Through mentor-ship from his older cousin, he began recording music under the alias Lil Trix using a Nintendo Wii microphone and later developed skills in areas he lacked as an artist including music production, using an old kids keyboard his younger sister nearly got rid of, and directing and editing his own music videos. He would later craft his own website and album cover arts, which are frequently graced with his cartoon bunny mascot Tricky, the Bunny, often depicted in different poses. ZULO recorded 8 mixtapes in high school, all in which he entirely produced and mixed, and were sold solely to his peers.
In 2021, ZULO released his debut single “Portals”, paying homage to Johannesburg south, appearing on his debut EP Talk to Me Naace, released on April 22, 2022. ZULO continues to evolve as a creative while investing in his craft, eager to globalize his musical palette.
(April 22, 2022 – Johannesburg) – Having gone through a complete rebrand, South African rapper and music producer ZULO unveils his debut EP, cleverly titled Talk to Me Naace. The EP features guest appearances from the multifaceted Money Badoo, Blood & Water-singer Frya and the reggae overlord Don Dada. ZULO’s incredible transition into his newly found perspective promises one heck of a journey for the artist!
The 9-track EP is exactly 35 minutes long and deals with themes of patience, timing and self-empowerment, as well as the aftermath of ZULO’s harsh realities, including his father’s recovery from stomach cancer over triumphant melodies and groovy bass synths while making use of classic South African samples from Miriam Makeba to Benjamin Ball.
On his EP title, ZULO explains: “As coloured people, we’re always told to speak ‘professionally’, especially in work environments. We have to put on this twang to be corporate. The title is taking power from that and now telling people to talk to me at that level they deem so high. Take me seriously!”
Talk to Me Naace spotlights ZULO’s transformation into his Star Wars-inspired moniker, the Supreme Leader. Zulo releases his visualizer for “8” featuring the legendary Money Badoo.
Watch Visualizer below