Local artists might have a better shot at long-term, serious success if there was more support from local DJs, says Fort Lauderdale-based rapper and hip hop artist ZoeBaby101, whose work features smooth beats reminiscent of Ice Cube and other music-focused rappers, along with a hint of Caribbean flair that pays tribute to his Haitian roots.
(He spent time in Haiti after getting into a bit of trouble back at home, and although he spent much of his time playing football in the streets, he couldn’t help but find influence in the smooth, relaxed rhythms of his surrounding Haitian community.)
Upon his return, he mulled over his options and determined that music would be his best choice for a sustainable future.
He’s not alone.
Podcast helps launch many careers
“We got a lot of talent in my city,” he said in a 2021 interview with an Atlanta-based podcast. Those artists are extremely supportive of each other, and everybody wants to support everyone else, among the artists, at least.
Local DJs, on the other hand, don’t usually introduce local music, ZoeBaby101 said, which seems like a mistake as they could help launch the careers of many local artists, and be among the earliest in the industry to recognize local trends born out of Broward County, a music hub despite its close proximity to the retirement community of Boca Raton.
But ZoeBaby101 isn’t bitter about it.
“It is what it is,” he matter-of-factly told the Atlanta podcast Off the Porch, from the production company Dirty Glove Bastard, which began as a single blog and is now a YouTube video series celebrating new artists nationwide. In its way, by sharing stories from the artist, Off the Porch and written forums take the place of local DJs in terms of promoting great indy artists.
Named for Strength, Endurance
Through his name, ZoeBaby101 pays tribute to his deep connection to his mother.
“That’s my Zoe [Zoe means “bone” in Creole as in something strong and hard to break”] and I’ll always be her ZoeBaby,” he added, a reference to his own strength.”
For her part, his mother is thrilled that he has found somewhere to harness his energy and focus on a positive end game.
“She loves it,” he told Off the Porch. “As long as I’m not on the streets, she loves it. I’m doing something good, and she loves it.”
In another interview, this one with the online BeazyTV, he was asked why he came home to Fort Lauderdale to work on his career, and his response was instant. “My girls made me come home. I felt like I was running. But it wasn’t running, and it’s chess, not checkers. I had to have all my pieces on the board. You gotta know how you’re going to move.”
His future plans, he said in an online video, include plans to knock “the music wall down.”
He expressed his self-confidence clearly when he said he his inspiration was, “Me, myself and I. I’m my own inspiration.”
He does find himself offering advice to others.
He tells up-and-comers to “keep rhyming, keep working, going to get that, but if it’s what you love, it what you want to do, don’t let anyone tell you different.”