If you already know Zio (ZEE-YO), you already know he’s not right here to play the sport by anybody else’s guidelines. The Pittsburgh veteran has been a pressure in hip-hop for the reason that MySpace period, the primary from his metropolis to hit 1,000,000 streams at simply 18, and a nominee alongside Wiz Khalifa for “Best Male hip hop Artist.” Mitchel Ok. Malizio is resilient but when the previous 12 months has proved something, it’s that Zio’s profession is a narrative of full possession.

After a messy chapter with Warner music Group that noticed his catalog stripped, Zio may have stayed bitter. Instead? He flipped the web page.

“I’ve got love for Warner now,” he says with a shrug. “Would I work with them again? Yeah — hell, I’d even take an acting deal from them. People don’t even know yet how deep my acting chops go. Still undiscovered in that world, but it’s coming.”

That steadiness between seasoned poise and relentless ambition is throughout Sabbatical, his new album dropping in an unconventional rollout. It kicked off with the shock drop of “The Truth” on Thursday, August 7 no teasers, no countdowns, simply influence. From there, the plan is easy: a brand new single each Friday beginning August 15, constructing the album observe by observe as a part of the worldwide #NewMusicFriday wave.

The technique is surgical. Each Friday drop feeds the algorithms, giving each music its personal highlight as a substitute of letting it get buried in a bulk launch. Zio’s not chasing virality he’s positioning his work to be plain.

“This isn’t about proving I’m the best,” he says flatly. “I already know I am. I’ve been doing this longer than some of these kids have been alive. I’m a vet. I’ve dealt with the politics, the race inequalities in my own city, the industry sleeping on me and at some point I said, ‘F### it.’ I built my own businesses. They pay me more than music ever has. I release when I want, how I want.”

And that freedom? It’s priceless.

“Man, I’m 36 pushing 37. I can party and rage, blow money to keep up with the Joneses, chase women… or I can just create music that matters to me. I choose the second. I’ve already won.”

Now working a number of ventures outdoors of music, Zio’s “Entrepreneurial Lone Wolf” persona is greater than only a model, it’s his actuality. He’s unbiased not as a result of he must be, however as a result of he needs to be. And with Sabbatical, he’s displaying the world that stepping outdoors the rap machine doesn’t imply stepping away from greatness.

“I love Warner. I love the industry. But my catalog is already fire as hell. If you don’t know, you better catch up. This time, I’m not here to ask for a seat at the table. I built my own.” Follow him at @lonewolfdta on Instagram or discover his music movies on YouTube the @Fam1stent412 subscribe and observe!

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