Zebra Katz
Zebra Katz | |
|---|---|
 Zebra Katz in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ojay Morgan |
| Born | 1987 (age 36–37)[1] West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.[2] |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | zebrakatz |
Ojay Morgan (born 1987), better known as Zebra Katz, is a Berlin-based Jamaican-American[3] rapper, producer and songwriter who has collaborated with artists including Busta Rhymes and Gorillaz. Fashion designer Rick Owens featured Zebra Katz's song "Ima Read" at his show at Paris Fashion Week in 2012.[4] Morgan identifies as queer.[5]
Musical style
[edit]Throughout his career, Morgan has openly spoken out against the "queer rap" genre coined by Pitchfork and other publications used to classify Zebra Katz, and artists like Mykki Blanco and Le1f,[6] while stating that if it weren't for his sexuality, he'd be generally classified as a "rapper".
"Ima Read"
[edit]Despite not having a strong personal relationship with voguing, Morgan says the movement was pushed onto him as a means for creating context for "Ima Read". The connection between voguing and the track was fueled by the 20th anniversary of the ballroom scene documentary film Paris is Burning and popularization of voguing in 2012. That said, Morgan loves ballroom culture/voguing. He performed at the 2012 GMHC House of Latex Ball,[7] supports House of Vogue founder, DJ MikeQ,[8] and is a forming member of the House of Ladosha.[9]
Less Is Moor
[edit]The basis for the Less Is Moor album started while Morgan was studying at the New School's Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts. His senior thesis project, "Moor Contradictions", was a performance featuring monologues and raps, including "Ima Read", from different personas created by Morgan. Among these characters is Zebra Katz, who Morgan says, was formed as a result of his thesis on identity obsession.[10] Since then, Morgan has been fighting against the various boxes and typecasts created by those around him.[11]
The title of the album is inspired by the Moor people.[12] Zebra Katz's debut album, Less Is Moor, released in 2020, pays tribute to the minimalistic approach frequently imposed upon artists of color, inspired by the likes of James Baldwin, Grace Jones, Nina Simone, and Little Richard, the artist behind Zebra Katz, explains that non-white artists are often required to be more resourceful than their white counterparts.[12] Less Is Moor combines elements of hip-hop, drum 'n' bass, and electronic music to showcase Katz's acerbic lyricism through its biting rhythms.[13]
While studying at New School's Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, Morgan conceived the foundation for Less Is Moor. His senior thesis project, "Moor Contradictions", was a performance featuring monologues and raps from various personas created by Morgan, including "Ima Read" and the character of Zebra Katz. The thesis was centered around Morgan's fascination with identity obsession, and since then, Morgan has been pushing back against the boxes and labels enforced by society.[11]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro to Less" |
|
| 2:22 |
| 2. | "Ish" |
|
| 3:29 |
| 3. | "Lousy" |
|
| 2:46 |
| 4. | "Blush" |
|
| 2:11 |
| 5. | "In in In" |
|
| 3:18 |
| 6. | "Zad Drumz" |
|
| 2:59 |
| 7. | "Monitor" (featuring S Ruston) |
|
| 1:40 |
| 8. | "Moor" |
|
| 2:24 |
| 9. | "Necklace" |
|
| 1:55 |
| 10. | "Sleepn" |
|
| 3:17 |
| 11. | "No 1 Else" |
|
| 2:17 |
| 12. | "Upp" |
|
| 3:13 |
| 13. | "Been Known" |
|
| 2:28 |
| 14. | "Lick It N Split" (featuring Shygirl) |
|
| 3:00 |
| 15. | "Exit 2 Void" |
|
| 1:43 |
Notes
- All track titles are stylized in all uppercase letters.
Mixtapes
[edit]- Champagne (2012)
- Drklng (2013)
EPs
[edit]- Winter Titty (2012) (with Boyfriend)
- Tear the House Up: Remixes (2014) (with Hervé)
- 1 Bad Bitch: Remixes (2014) (with Ten Ven + Ripley)
- Nu Renegade (2015) (with Leila)
Singles
[edit]- "Ima Read" (2013)
- "Tear the House Up" (2014) (with Hervé)
- "Hello Hi" (2016)
- "Blk & Wht" (2017)
- "In In In" (2019)
- "Lousy" (2019)
- "Ish" (2020)
- "Upp" (2020)
Guest appearances
[edit]- Tanika – "Thoughts of Love" from Thoughts of Love (2013)
- Kura – "Our Sun" from Our Sun (2015)
- Gorillaz – "Sex Murder Party", "The Apprentice", and "Out of Body" from Humanz (2017)
References
[edit]- ^ "Booking Agent Zebra Katz". Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Zebra Katz". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Zebra Katz Claims The Anti-Throne". Interview. 20 March 2020.
- ^ "Into the Wild". us.carhartt-wip.com. 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Zebra Katz: 'Creating a strong, black, queer male is something that needed to happen'". TheGuardian.com. 25 May 2013.
- ^ "Queer Rap is Not Queer Rap". Pitchfork. 31 March 2015.
- ^ "GMHC's Annual House of Latex Ball". www.poz.com. 28 August 2012.
- ^ "ZEBRA KATZ DOESN'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR HOT TAKES". ssense.com. 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Spotlight on Brooklyn Playlist". The New Yorker. 13 October 2009.
- ^ "Zebra Katz". Vogue.
- ^ a b "Dazzle-Camo: An Interview With Zebra Katz". thequietus.com.
- ^ a b "Why Zebra Katz Waited Seven Years Before Dropping His New Album 'Less is Moor'". Billboard.
- ^ "Zebra Katz meshes industrial hip-hop and trap on debut album, LESS IS MOOR". thevinylfactory.com. 23 January 2020.
External links
[edit]
- Official website
- Zebra Katz discography at Discogs
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
- Living people
- 1987 births
- People from West Palm Beach, Florida
- Eugene Lang College alumni
- African-American rappers
- American performance artists
- Rappers from New York City
- LGBTQ rappers
- American LGBTQ musicians
- African-American LGBTQ people
- Queer musicians
- 21st-century American rappers
- American queer men
- 21st-century African-American musicians
- 20th-century African-American musicians