"Man, that shit is tight!"- Steve, (Hip Hopper, Oakland).
mc zoe zee was born in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, Aotearoa/ New Zealand. She now lives in the inner west of Sydney. Zoe's words have been heavily influenced by the Hip Hop and spoken word movements from the U.S.A. In the late 1990's she discovered the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York, and has been inspired to write Hip Hop style spoken word ever since. Her words are straight up, tough, thoughtful and a calling to spirit.
From 2004 Zoe has been a regular at Sydney performance / poetry nights around town, performing her poetry and, at times, mc-ing: Citizens of Language, Token Word, Bardfly's, Fusion and The Local Showcase. Main performances of 2005 include; The Amnesty International Freedom Festival, Cockatoo Island Music Festival, Wilderness Society World Environment Day Benefit (with band), and Sheila Autonomista (queer womens festival). In 2004: The National Poetry Slam, and the Newcastle This Is Not Art Festival.
To welcome in the new year of 2006 Zoe had the honor to perform for the Friday night slam at the Nuyorican Poetry Cafe in New York. She also performed at Bar 13 and The Bowery Poetry Club.
While living in San Francisco she performed her poetry at Cell Space, the CoCo Club (for Sister Spit events), 848 Community Art Space, and busted out rhymes under a condo in Oakland to an audience of one.
Zoe is inspired by the awesome music coming out of Aoteaora; Che Fu, Trinity Roots, Katchafire and Fat Freddy's Drop. And by the conscious lyrics of Hip Hoppers and poets from the world over; Te Kupu (Dean Hapeta), Ursula Rucker, Macromantics, Mos Def, Michelle T Clinton and Romanie Moreton.
By day, Zoe works with young people who are having a hard time, using hip hop and performance as a means of engagement, expression and positive self-determination. This keeps her in contact with a diversity of subcultures, especially underground hip hop and youth culture. By night, Zoe is busy jamming with friends, and experimenting with putting poems to music.
"Before hip hop became the music business money maker, I loved it because it was the underdog. The skinny scrawny underfed dog, in a tiny backyard, neglected by its parents, cornered by the majority culture, and howling its ass off anyway. Hip hop reinvented music; got creative with what was in the rubbish bin, made music from nothing, and kept on singing! Hip hop still has those roots, and still holds strong to them, and I feel proud to associate myself with such a movement." mc zoe zee.
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