Cleveland hip hop/pop artist Dave Zup started in music from a young age. His musician father encouraged his creative ability very early on, and Dave was exposed to a wide assortment of his father’s records, which included artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, The Commodores, and La Soul, and was spurred on to develop an interest in writing his own lyrics. He joined a youth theatre, and started developing his love for performance. By the time he was in high school, Dave had been recording himself over beats he’d found online, or had made with his friends.
Since 2011 Dave has produced 3 mixtapes, as well as several singles, and has also performed as support for artists such as PJ Morton (Maroon 5), King Chip, TRAIN, Shwayze, Sean Kingston, Chevy Woods, and MGK.
Dave Zup recently dropped his debut album, ‘Oh, It’s Going’, and followed it up with the single, ‘Get Fresh’.
The album comprises 10 uptempo beat-laden tracks with Dave’s rhymes which draws inspiration from the golden days of hip hop and from 70s funk. Dave’s rhymes take centre stage while paying homage to his influences. Even with 10 tracks it’s just under 25 minutes long, and was recorded during Dave’s 3 month recovery from reconstructive leg surgery. Our favourite tracks are the funky ‘Get Fresh’, with its in-the-pocket flow; and ‘Falling Back’ with half rhymes half singing. Final track, ‘Composure’ is smooth and humorous, with the backing sample reminding us of the Hall And Oates song, ‘Say It Ain’t So’.
All tracks were written and produced by Dave Zup, with additional production, engineering, mixing, mastering, and guitar from Ronnie Pinnell and Benjamin J S Rivet. Additional vocals are provided by Will Morris and BJSR.
Find Dave Zup online on his official website, SoundCloud, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
‘Oh, It’s Going’ is available from Bandcamp.
