Dave Zup

Musical innovator Brian Eno had some of his biggest sonic breakthroughs while recovering from surgeries or injuries. While local rapper Dave Zup is no Eno, he wisely used recovery time from a snapped fibula from a skateboarding accident to complete his stellar new album, “Oh, It’s Going.”

Zup recently discussed the new release and rebounding from reconstructive surgery after his injury in October 2016.

Rebuilding period: “I had my first surgery last Halloween and then another surgery to remove some of the hardware in January. Since then, I’ve had physical therapy and acupuncture which has really helped. The worst part of being unable to move around was gaining weight. I gained about 15 pounds so now I’m starting to focus on getting back to where I was and living a little bit healthier.”

Finding direction: “The first few weeks I was home, I didn’t really feel like doing anything. I was already in a transitional period with my music and had pretty bad writer’s block for about a year prior to getting hurt. I felt like I lost my direction so being forced to be at home in addition to not feeling very creative made me pretty depressed.”

Recovery rap: “The first spark of inspiration I got was actually from the pain pills I was taking. I hated the medication so one day I was just fooling around with this beat I made and wrote a song about how awful the medicine made me feel. That song ended up being ‘Every4Hrz’ off this album. The hook line is literally just the directions from my bottle of pain medication. It’s such a goofy song but it captures a lot of what I was feeling during recovery.”

Studio sweetner: “(Co-producer) Ben Rivet is a big brother to me and has a way of teaching music that doesn’t feel like he’s teaching. He’s got a great ear and can highlight aspects of a song that the average person won’t notice so that was really helpful on this record. Plus, he played guitar on ‘The Takeback’ and ‘Composure.’ ”

The maestro: “ ‘Oh, It’s Going’ wouldn’t exist without Ronnie Pinnell. Ronnie did so much amazing work on this project. He turned it from a collection of songs into an album.”

Sonic surprises: “There are a lot of easter eggs in this project that Ben and Ronnie are responsible for that you might miss on the first listen. That’s what makes it interesting. They both have new projects coming out in 2018 too.” - Dayton Daily News

Cleveland rapper Dave Zup has flow to spare, which makes a lot of sense. The dude has been putting out a steady stream of credible mix-tapes, singles and records since 2011.

Throughout the ten tracks on Oh, It’s Going, Zup explores an old school instrumental style that is almost always straightforward and easy feeling. Most of the songs blend throwback, 1970’s R&B and traditional roots hip-hop, translating to dusty grooves that are definitely smooth. Tracks like The Take Back and Leg Beat 7 blend his devilish, seductive delivery with a deft production and an ear for hooks. There aren’t many bangers to speak of on Oh, It’s Going. It’s less of a street drop than it is a mix of club tracks. When Zup’s delivery hardens, like on Every4Hrz and Get Fresh he comes off as much less charismatic, which is his strength as a rapper.

Zup doesn’t do gangsta or trap and there aren’t a hundred features on this thing. Instead, he stands forward like an MC in control of a strong set of songs. His lyricism comes off easy, allowing his unforced rhymes room to strike like a force of nature. A few times Zup puts his influence on his sleeve, like when he spins the instrumental Because Donuts a definite call out to the late, great J. Dilla. This record is really more about bucking trends though. Oh, It’s Going wows you because it knows what it is, a balanced, well-produced old school hip-hop album. - Bearded Magazine

Cleveland hip hop/pop artist Dave Zup started in music from a young age. His musician father encouraged his creative ability very early on, and Dave was exposed to a wide assortment of his father’s records, which included artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, The Commodores, and La Soul, and was spurred on to develop an interest in writing his own lyrics. He joined a youth theatre, and started developing his love for performance. By the time he was in high school, Dave had been recording himself over beats he’d found online, or had made with his friends.

Since 2011 Dave has produced 3 mixtapes, as well as several singles, and has also performed as support for artists such as PJ Morton (Maroon 5), King Chip, TRAIN, Shwayze, Sean Kingston, Chevy Woods, and MGK.

Dave Zup recently dropped his debut album, ‘Oh, It’s Going’, and followed it up with the single, ‘Get Fresh’.

The album comprises 10 uptempo beat-laden tracks with Dave’s rhymes which draws inspiration from the golden days of hip hop and from 70s funk. Dave’s rhymes take centre stage while paying homage to his influences. Even with 10 tracks it’s just under 25 minutes long, and was recorded during Dave’s 3 month recovery from reconstructive leg surgery. Our favourite tracks are the funky ‘Get Fresh’, with its in-the-pocket flow; and ‘Falling Back’ with half rhymes half singing. Final track, ‘Composure’ is smooth and humorous, with the backing sample reminding us of the Hall And Oates song, ‘Say It Ain’t So’.

All tracks were written and produced by Dave Zup, with additional production, engineering, mixing, mastering, and guitar from Ronnie Pinnell and Benjamin J S Rivet. Additional vocals are provided by Will Morris and BJSR. - Essentially Pop

This won’t be the last time you hear the name Dave Zup.

The Cleveland native and University of Dayton alum just graduated in 2014. Now, he and his band can be heard over sound-waves all around the world.

They’re competing for the chance to win the TouchTunes Breakout Band Competition, which promises the winner a live audition with an audio and recording executive from Warner Bros. Records, $3,000 and a national music promotion on TouchTunes.

Over 1,500 bands nationwide entered. Zup and his band were one of 300 bands picked to compete, and Zup is the only contestant from Dayton.

We caught up with Zup, who told us everything about the competition, his love for music and his love for Dayton.

Describe the connection between you and your band members.
Zup: My band is composed of three people including myself. I actually play with my roommate, who has been my engineer and one of my producers for about four years now. His name is Bobby Trick and he plays keys and bass. I also play with my drummer Sean McGrath, and we just call him Buddha. He’s been playing drums with me for about two years now.

How did the band get started producing music?

Zup: I met Bobby when I was a student at UD. I was involved with the recording studio there. I was just working on a mixtape at that time. He was in the studio and came in. He was a senior when I was a freshman or sophomore. We just started working together. He’s an audio genius, so I was able to learn a lot from him. Then I met Sean because he was in a band with Bobby in high school.

When/why did the group decide to enter?

Zup: I just came out with my first single. It’s called "Wired." It’s been up on iTunes, and it’s been up since Dec. 18th. We were just shopping it around sending it to different places and radio stations. I am originally from Cleveland, and I do a lot of marketing and stuff up there, and I live in Dayton now. We came across the competition and we actually submitted our song on the last day to submit. There were about 1,500 submissions, and they picked about 300 nationwide. I believe we are some of the only people from Ohio participating, if not the only.

Describe the feeling now that you’ve been selected to compete.

Zup: It was crazy. They picked us and now you can stream “Wired” on any TouchTunes across America. They are picking the top 10 people in February and then in March the winner will be announced, and it’s been a really crazy opportunity. I’ve been hit up about it from a few people, so it’s been really great for exposure and it’s been great to see what kind of music is out there. It’s been fun.

One minute you’re a student at UD, the next you’re performing in front of the world. How have you adjusted?

Zup: It has been crazy. I actually graduated from the University of Dayton in 2014, almost two years ago. I’ve just been down here working on my album. We’ve done some small tours before but nothing of the magnitude of nationwide. This was kind of crazy because the actual song in and of itself really only took us about 15 minutes to come up with in terms of the raw idea. We never necessarily thought it would be a bigger song. So, the timeline was crazy. Pretty much six months after we tracked it and did all the instrumentation and everything. You can now play it anywhere across the country. It just goes to show that you never know when things are going to pop off for you. It was interesting. It’s been a pretty awesome ride.

How has Dayton supported you?

Zup: Dayton has been awesome. The thing about Dayton that I tell people all the time — people who are always like ‘oh, why did you move to Dayton?’ — is that it is a very collaborative city. That is because it’s focused on self-growth and the people here really understand the importance of working with each other to make the environment and the city better. So whether that’s in art or music or business or politics — whatever — there is a very strong sense of collaboration that permeates throughout the whole city. It’s been awesome. We’ve played the song for a bunch of different people and some people more notable than others in the city — their responses have been awesome. I channeled a lot of funk in the song. There is a lot of inspiration that comes straight from Dayton. It was cool to pay homage to that a little bit. It’s an awesome city with a lot of really great people who support.

How has Dayton inspired your music?

Zup: Dayton has a big city aesthetic in a very small town. You can go a lot of different places and to the naked eye, it might not look like there is a lot going on but there is such a rich cultural history — in Ohio in general. I’ve lived all around Ohio, and I get that a lot... You never necessarily feel like you are alone in Dayton. You can tell that there has been such a rich history here. I just try to pull from that. It’s a very funky town and it has a lot of character and a lot of different things that make it unique, and that’s funky to me.

What advice do you have young people in Dayton looking to break into the industry?

Zup: Never stop looking for a sound. Never settle. I am a hip-hop musician in the traditional sense, but “Wired” is more of a pop-funk song and it really just came from me being myself and throwing all of the conventional — "this is what hip-hop should sound like" — just throwing that out of the window and doing what I was raised on. My advice is to do what inspires you and never really lose your imagination. - Dayton.com

The Ready Set put out their hit song, Love Like Woe, a while back and I downloaded this real nice freestyle over it by Dave Zup and just forgot to post it. Came up on shuffle and I’m not forgetting to post it this time. Also a nice bonus rap over “Sweat Dreams” by Yung Luv - DML.com

The Ready Set put out their hit song, Love Like Woe, a while back and I downloaded this real nice freestyle over it by Dave Zup and just forgot to post it. Came up on shuffle and I’m not forgetting to post it this time. Also a nice bonus rap over “Sweat Dreams” by Yung Luv - DML.com

This mixtape dropped a little while ago, and it’s been sitting in my library since it came out, but I’m just getting around to posting it now. I’ve had his shit on repeat since I first heard of him, especially his song over the Lights remix by Xaphoon. #Hashtags is quite good and I like how he has some feel good songs, and then he gets more serious on others. Thoroughly impressed with this kid and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
- Empty Throne

This kid is quite fresh. Dave Zup popped up on my radar just over a week ago, and I’m definitely pumped it happened. He is from Ohio and in college at The University of Dayton, so he is doing the damn thing. His raps are smooth with a lot of pop culture references, which I love. The first song is a rap he does over Xaphoon Jones’ remix to Ellie Goulding’s Lights (Didn’t I just get done talking about her?). Dave’s rhymes over this track are absolutely unreal. The second is him going over Otis by HOV and Ye. Both are great songs, so I suggest you check them out below, and then download.

Sidenote: He shouts out Mr. Knobby in the Xaph track, who has a very legit music blog. - Empty Throne

This kid is quite fresh. Dave Zup popped up on my radar just over a week ago, and I’m definitely pumped it happened. He is from Ohio and in college at The University of Dayton, so he is doing the damn thing. His raps are smooth with a lot of pop culture references, which I love. The first song is a rap he does over Xaphoon Jones’ remix to Ellie Goulding’s Lights (Didn’t I just get done talking about her?). Dave’s rhymes over this track are absolutely unreal. The second is him going over Otis by HOV and Ye. Both are great songs, so I suggest you check them out below, and then download.

Sidenote: He shouts out Mr. Knobby in the Xaph track, who has a very legit music blog. - Empty Throne

Dave Zup’s music has been blasting in the University of Dayton Ghetto, Eastside Cleveland, and everywhere in between, since the release of his mixtape, “HASHTAGS”. There is no doubt that one will be blown away with the much anticipate release of his newest mixtape, The Olympic Club. Zup fell in love with music and its culture from a young age when he released his first basement freestyles back in 2009, his junior year of high school. Now a junior at the University of Dayton, Zup has graduated his music to all new meanings. The Olympic Club has something to offer to all its listeners. The album’s creation began one and a half years ago during uncertain times of Zup’s career, influencing songs like “Watching Me Fall” and “Phony Homies” that provide strength and encouragement towards chasing one’s dreams. The Olympic Club also features party tracks showing “there is something for everyone.” In the end, the album serves as constant reminder to Zup and his friends, fans, and followers that “it’s all about just being who you are and paying no mind to anybody who talks down. In the end, you are the one who is living your life, so live it for you and the people you care about.” Dave Zup invites all his friends and fans to join the club tomorrow with the release of #TheOlympicClub! Follow @DizzoKillIt

Don’t get left out of the Club! - Blue Monster

Dave Zup is a Hip-Hop artist from the eastside of Cleveland, Ohio. Currently a sophomore at the University of Dayton, he is working on his college degree in addition to his music. Ever since he was a kid he new how to keep people entertained. In grade school, he started acting in the drama club, singing in the choir, and began to develop his own unique style. His father was a struggling entertainer who sadly passed away when Dave was in second grade. Zup gained the majority of his knowledge of music and acting from his dad. His feel for Hip-Hop and Rap came mostly from living in inner-city Cleveland. He saw a lot of things happen around him that really shaped who he is and what he is about. Moreover, in the past 10 years, the Cleveland music scene has really grown, especially in Hip-Hop.

Starting off in his friends basement with just some simple freestyles over Jay-Z and Nas instrumentals, Dave began to fall in love with not only the music, but the culture. Early 2009 in his junior year of high school, Dave passed out his “first” mixtape. Despite the “rock band microphone” quality and terrible mixing of vocals, people were surprised, and still gave it a chance. Zup says that: “In my mind, the rhymes sucked and I had no idea what I was doing, but I had so much fun just messing around.”

When he went to college at UD, Dave met two guys who really are responsible for where he is today. One being Philadelphia-based producer, Delco, and the other being Isomatic, a producer, sound engineer, and DJ from the Dayton area. After hearing beats from both of them and talking about his own plans for the future, Dave and the two artists decided to work together. Within the past year, the three of them have collaborated on multiple projects before finally coming out with Dave’s first mixtape, Almost Time, on May 4th, 2011. Although the tape consisted mostly of remix’s over popular beats, it was the first time Zup had provided a tape to the public that was viewed by thousands. The tape gained recognition on various music blogs, college campus’s, and the social networks. Also, the mixtape was recorded in a professional studio in Dayton, which was a nice scene change from an unfinished basement or dorm room.

Since then, Dave has grown exponentially. He has developed his own style allowing him to dive deep into who he is and pull out the emotions that he has. In March of 2011, Zup was introduced to Atlanta native and fellow UD alumni, James Wade. Wade was then in the process of recording his second mixtape, The Ugly Show, and asked him and the others who were present at the session to come in the studio and help with some backing vocals. Dave says: “That whole experience was incredible for me. The song he was recording turned out to be the first single off the The Ugly Show titled Lights On. I remember standing in a circle with about 7 other people with Wade in the center just screaming “Lights On!”, and the whole time I was thinking how amazing it was that I was apart of it.” From then on, the two became friends. Wade taught Dave so much about life, music, and how to handle oneself in the industry. In August on 2011, Wade even extended an invitation to Dave to be in his first music video. Ironically, the video was shot for the very song that Zup had laid his voice on the first time the two met.

On October 4th, 2011, Dave Zup released his second official mixtape titled: HASHTAGS. It was released to the public as a sponsored mixtape on DatPiff.com. Shortly after its release, DatPiff made HASHTAGS a “featured” tape for a full 24 hours. It was on the front page of the site which made it visible to everyone who went to the website that day. Dave made his presence known. HASHTAGS was also his first all-original project using beats specifically made for him by Delco, Isomatic, Dee Evils, and Malcy. Ronnie Pinnell (DJ RP), who is James Wade’s producer also had a major hand in production. Furthermore, Zup introduced his listeners to a deeper and more real side of himself.

In the future, the Cleveland emcee plans to continuing writing, recording, and making music. Everyday he is learning more and creating a stronger foundation for his career to stand on. Currently, he is working on his third mixtape as well as recording a collaboration project with the band OneSecond’s piano player, Dr. Trick, titled, Trick AND Treat. The 3-song compilation is set to be released digitally on 10-31-11.

Recently, Dave Zup started a group called Lot90. The lot is simply a group of artists influenced by the 1990's, and is not limited to Hip-Hop. It is a conglomerate of talented individuals ranging from painters, rappers, skateboarders, designers, poets, and dancers. Not much is known about the crew or any of it’s members yet, but the official website is expected to arrive soon. Until it does, keep up with Zup on Twitter, @DizzoKillIt, and become a fan on Facebook. For links to other sites, interviews, all of his music, and his personal blo - Alwayz Therro

Dave Zup is a Hip-Hop artist from the eastside of Cleveland, Ohio. Currently a sophomore at the University of Dayton, he is working on his college degree in addition to his music. Ever since he was a kid he new how to keep people entertained. In grade school, he started acting in the drama club, singing in the choir, and began to develop his own unique style. His father was a struggling entertainer who sadly passed away when Dave was in second grade. Zup gained the majority of his knowledge of music and acting from his dad. His feel for Hip-Hop and Rap came mostly from living in inner-city Cleveland. He saw a lot of things happen around him that really shaped who he is and what he is about. Moreover, in the past 10 years, the Cleveland music scene has really grown, especially in Hip-Hop.

Starting off in his friends basement with just some simple freestyles over Jay-Z and Nas instrumentals, Dave began to fall in love with not only the music, but the culture. Early 2009 in his junior year of high school, Dave passed out his “first” mixtape. Despite the “rock band microphone” quality and terrible mixing of vocals, people were surprised, and still gave it a chance. Zup says that: “In my mind, the rhymes sucked and I had no idea what I was doing, but I had so much fun just messing around.”

When he went to college at UD, Dave met two guys who really are responsible for where he is today. One being Philadelphia-based producer, Delco, and the other being Isomatic, a producer, sound engineer, and DJ from the Dayton area. After hearing beats from both of them and talking about his own plans for the future, Dave and the two artists decided to work together. Within the past year, the three of them have collaborated on multiple projects before finally coming out with Dave’s first mixtape, Almost Time, on May 4th, 2011. Although the tape consisted mostly of remix’s over popular beats, it was the first time Zup had provided a tape to the public that was viewed by thousands. The tape gained recognition on various music blogs, college campus’s, and the social networks. Also, the mixtape was recorded in a professional studio in Dayton, which was a nice scene change from an unfinished basement or dorm room.

Since then, Dave has grown exponentially. He has developed his own style allowing him to dive deep into who he is and pull out the emotions that he has. In March of 2011, Zup was introduced to Atlanta native and fellow UD alumni, James Wade. Wade was then in the process of recording his second mixtape, The Ugly Show, and asked him and the others who were present at the session to come in the studio and help with some backing vocals. Dave says: “That whole experience was incredible for me. The song he was recording turned out to be the first single off the The Ugly Show titled Lights On. I remember standing in a circle with about 7 other people with Wade in the center just screaming “Lights On!”, and the whole time I was thinking how amazing it was that I was apart of it.” From then on, the two became friends. Wade taught Dave so much about life, music, and how to handle oneself in the industry. In August on 2011, Wade even extended an invitation to Dave to be in his first music video. Ironically, the video was shot for the very song that Zup had laid his voice on the first time the two met.

On October 4th, 2011, Dave Zup released his second official mixtape titled: HASHTAGS. It was released to the public as a sponsored mixtape on DatPiff.com. Shortly after its release, DatPiff made HASHTAGS a “featured” tape for a full 24 hours. It was on the front page of the site which made it visible to everyone who went to the website that day. Dave made his presence known. HASHTAGS was also his first all-original project using beats specifically made for him by Delco, Isomatic, Dee Evils, and Malcy. Ronnie Pinnell (DJ RP), who is James Wade’s producer also had a major hand in production. Furthermore, Zup introduced his listeners to a deeper and more real side of himself.

In the future, the Cleveland emcee plans to continuing writing, recording, and making music. Everyday he is learning more and creating a stronger foundation for his career to stand on. Currently, he is working on his third mixtape as well as recording a collaboration project with the band OneSecond’s piano player, Dr. Trick, titled, Trick AND Treat. The 3-song compilation is set to be released digitally on 10-31-11.

Recently, Dave Zup started a group called Lot90. The lot is simply a group of artists influenced by the 1990's, and is not limited to Hip-Hop. It is a conglomerate of talented individuals ranging from painters, rappers, skateboarders, designers, poets, and dancers. Not much is known about the crew or any of it’s members yet, but the official website is expected to arrive soon. Until it does, keep up with Zup on Twitter, @DizzoKillIt, and become a fan on Facebook. For links to other sites, interviews, all of his music, and his personal blo - Alwayz Therro

University of Dayton students will enjoy the sounds of headliner Sean Kingston, along with performers Shwayze and UD junior Dave Zup at Dayton 2 Daytona from Tuesday, May 7 to Sunday, May 12.

Megan O’Mera, a senior communication major and executive director for the D2D committee, said the committee compiled a list of potential artists for the trip. After asking trip participants via social media, she said the committee finally decided Kingston’s “free-flowing” sound would go well with the beach atmosphere.

“He was really the No. 1 choice on our list to start with,”O’Mera said, also a Flyer News staff writer. “The music that he makes has such a strong influence. His sound also goes very well with our beach-vibe.”

Kingston will take the stage at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 9, O’Mera said.

Prior to his performance, Shwayze will perform on Wednesday, May 8. She said the committee revealed the artist via Facebook on April 16.

The committee also considered a country band for the trip, but it seemed there were not as many fans, O’Mera said.

The organization of the performances differs slight from past years, she said. Shifting from a five-band lineup to a headliner performance with some student-band features was something the committee wanted to try, she said.

“We had several student bands approach us in past years looking to perform during the trip,” O’Mera said. “So we hosted a competition where they could make songs about Daytona and post their videos to social media and YouTube.”

For the contest, Zup said he wrote a song featuring junior chemical engineering major Ryan Dillion and a sampling from Semisonic’s “Closing Time,” which received 1,284 hits on YouTube as of April 17.

With such a large fan base on campus, O’Mera said Zup will be a hit in Daytona.

Zup, a junior communication major, said performing at Daytona was one of his goals after arriving on campus his first year.

“I’m so psyched to perform for my fans at Daytona,” Zup said. “I want to show people that my music is bigger than just performing at house parties.”

Zup said he is hopeful to meet Kingston and Shwayze at some point during the trip.

“It’d be pretty sick to meet those guys in real life,” Zup said. “But I’m really focused on letting people know that they should share their talents, whatever it is, just like I’ve tried to do with UD.”

The committee is still deciding when Zup will perform, although it will likely be Wednesday, May 8, O’Mera said.

Feedback about the musical artists from the participating students has been mostly positive, she said.

“So many students were excited with our selection so we’re pretty happy,” O’Mera said. “There was some negative feedback and we addressed it by thanking them for their opinion, usually through social media, and encouraging them to apply for a committee position next year.”

She explained that having a “high-profile” artist like Rihanna or Justin Bieber is just simply not in the budget.

The majority of the budget was already spent on entertainment and associated costs like the stage, sound, artists’ flights and hotel rooms, etc., she said.

She said she could not disclose specifics for the entertainment costs for the sake of the artists’ privacy.

“Funding for the musical artists depends on how many people participate in the trip each year,” she said. “If we have a high head-count, we will have more money to spend on the artist. Some artists also have contracts that say they can only perform for a certain amount of money, and we may not be able to offer that. But we think Sean Kingston has potential and will be up-and-coming.”

O’Mera said they have provided students with a “concert experience” for the past six years.

“The fact that we’ve had musical guests for the past couple of years is just a testament to how much the trip has grown,” O’Mera said. “It’s great that we can provide not only a vacation but a concert as well. It’s a pretty cool thing.” - Flyer News