MC ZULU achieved notoriety for the combination of Reggae vocals with various forms of experimental Dance music. During a time when lyricists mainly identified with their chosen genre, he would freely write and give his acappellas for remixes. This resulted in open-ended collaborations with producers from around the globe. As most of the genres had yet to be named, Zulu started using Sly & Robbie’s term “Electro Reggae” to give them a common thread.
This cadre of global producers, reinterpreting the acappellas of MC ZULU and other vocalists, helped change the understanding of what dance music could be. The press called what they were doing “Lazer Bass”, and that eventually morphed into “Global Bass”. It became the sound the opened doors for EDM and several associated, mainstream acts.
Beginning as an engineer of House and Hip-Hop in the early 90s, Zulu would lend his voice to various Chicago based projects. While performing live, he would sing his verses over whatever the DJ was playing. In 2006 an uncredited remix of his tune ”Ransom The Senator” made its debut on BBC Radio One. Many of his early acappellas still circulate as bootlegs and white labels. Regarding his unsung influence, MC ZULU is pragmatic. “I knew I wouldn’t get credit for everything. It’s just good to plant as many seeds as possible.”
===-===-===
” If you want a sneak preview of what dancehall reggae is likely to sound like ten years from now, this may be as good a guess as any.”
– All Music Guide –