HCM. How did you come by your stage name?
Z. My first name is Zaneta and folks just naturally call me Z. People call me a lot of things, but this is the easiest to remember. I gotta keep it simple!
HCM. When did you discover your love for music and what made you realize you wanted to pursue a career in music?
Z. I have been in music most of my life in one form or another. I grew up in church and my youth choir would tour around the area performing and actually won a couple of competitions…literally just like Sister Act 2; we had dance moves and all! Then after I graduated, I was in so many different groups, Pop, an All Girl Hip-Hop/Rock band, a couple of cover bands, then I focused on Go-Go music; that’s the music of DC. But now I am deciding to do my own thing and my own words.
HCM. On your current/upcoming album… How did you come up with the concept for this project?
Z. So I have this black and white composition book I call Nas (my book of rhymes *wink*). I write everything from poetry, thoughts, songs, to drunken scribbles. But I decided to bring some of my art to life. With Freedom, this one was me taking everything off and revealing all of my light. An evolution. I was kind of living a lie; I was putting others before me…dimming my fire so others could be ablaze. But like the song says “…killed the old me and I broke all my chains.” So now the world is getting all this ENERGY, FIRE, and DESIRE!!!!
HCM. What are some of your greatest challenges as an artist, and what is your greatest attribute when it comes to your work ethic?
Z. As a completely independent artist, the actual business part is a challenge. From learning and navigating thru the industry, to gaining connections and marketing…and I suck with social media. It’s so much!!! But I have always been a hard worker and love the art of learning. So even though it’s hard as hell and I sometimes feel defeated, I am learning. And as long as I continue to gain knowledge and grow as an artist, as a person, then I am successful no matter what.
HCM. Is there anyone you’d like to thank, any shout-outs?
Z. Shout out to the Universe and my mama for obvious reasons; my family and friends, X Management, Psyche Sonics, and everyone who supports me now and in the future.
For more details and information about Z, you can visit her website or contact her via email at
Connect with Z on social media
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