We had the good fortune of connecting with Zak The Tyrant and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zak, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks are the BIGGEST part of what I do. To push the boundaries of music that’s being created right here in Houston, and being able to create original work that can one day be a staple for my city. Risks can propel you to levels that you would have never even thought twice about. Taking a leap into the unknown is where greatness is found. There is no “safety-net” in life. Those who choose to surrender themselves to one, will only be left within its confinement.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So for those who do not know, I am a fully independent recording artist based out of Houston, Tx. My sound may not carry the common Houston theme, but my voice and my energy is very much original. To the way I write, from the way I handle the stage, my team and I are THE COMPLETE package and will one day be seen by many. Along with that, my local music scene as well. I’m very proud of my team. Even though we may not be charting on The Billboards hot 100, they continually believe and support every decision I make. They stand behind me KNOWING that one day, this will all pay off. I am extremely blessed and thankful to be surrounded by such loving and passionate individuals. I love you guys. And I’m EXTREMELY excited about these up coming MUSIC FESTIVALS that we are booked for!! S/O TUNE OUT CANCER MUSIC FEST! 2021 baby! I got where I am today, because I didn’t give up. I believed in myself when no one else did. When I was told to quit, I continued to better my craft. And eventually found the right people to help push my dream forward. Definitely not easy. I over come doubts and fears every day. I’m human. Any artist who speaks about “not being scared of failing” or “I never doubted myself” is either a fool or not as passionate. Period. I over came challenges by purely facing then head-on. Rolling with the punches and throwing a few back. And lessons that I’ve learned? Well I’m not a super star(YET) so I can’t speak on the point of view from a worldwide successful artist. But I can say that so far, I’ve learned to manage people’s opinions, to the ones who are offering constructive criticism. Every one will have every thing to say. But being wise enough to choose who is genuine, and who is envious is a fine line that must be looked at. So as of right now, the only thing I want the world to know, is that Houston has a problem. And it comes in the shape of A 5’9 Hispanic recording artist who will be the best recording artist that this city can be proud of.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate this shoutout to all of the amazing, talented and driven independent recording artists right here in our city. So this shoutout goes to our local Hip-hop music scene. Even though we don’t pack out arenas (YET), we constantly put our fears and passion to the forefront for world to see.

March 31, 2021 - Shoutout HTX

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zak The Tyrant.

Zak, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Before I became a recording artist, I was a baseball player. I’ve played baseball all of my life up until 2012 or so. In 2011 when I was a junior, I hurt my pitching arm and became disabled during a game. see, I Grew up playing baseball since I was three years old, baseball was all that I knew. Once my career ended because of my injury, I had to fall back on my back up plan. which wasn’t anything. So, my best friend at the time encouraged me to try music. Now, music was never in the ball park at this point. Ever. But I figured why not. So I gave it a shot, without realizing, music became a place of escape. I was able to find a type of confidence and self-belief that I never knew existed. I found a certain type of relief and empowerment that I’ve never had before, little did I know the amount of change that will happen surrounding my life. The moment that I discovered music, I began to grow as an individual, and as a man. But the closest friends that I had at the time took my unwavering focus and determination as a threat and began to drift away.

All of the friend circles that I once knew and loved were gone. Those same circles that use to help me through my rough days, were now filled with loud hatred and doubt. I found out the hard way that everyone isn’t always happy for you. And I found out the hard way that it’s usually the people closest to you that will envy and despise you. This world became a world of self-gratification. People can’t stand to see other people win. The only time someone wants to see someone else on top, is when they are about to pull the ladder from under their feet. Apparently it’s never enough to just win, we need everyone else to praise and glorify what we’ve done or else it isn’t worth anything, So in between my closest friends abandoning me, A broken home with either two parents who despised each other, or just one parent who just couldn’t keep it together, I found myself at 19 years old with no home to go to, no friends to go to, no bed, no food, no place to turn too. I ended up homeless for a few months living out of my car, struggling to find work, struggling to keep faith and struggling to keep pressing forward, But I did. I finally got myself a job living out of my car, got money together and made a way, all with the dream of one day, that my music will reach those who feel like the tunnel just gets longer and darker. The truth is, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. You are the light. And only you can free yourself. So, stop walking in the dark, and start punching at the tunnels and make your own way out, that’s who I am today. A 25 year old recording artist who had to fall deeper in darkness to find the strength within myself, I just hope you can find yours.

Has it been a smooth road?
Not even close. My sound in hip-hop isn’t a sound that matches the culture here in Houston. I am a born and raised Houstonian. But I don’t have the Houston sound. I have my own, but because I have my own sound, the music scene doesn’t accept it. So, I am consistently fighting against the tide. Swimming against the current. Then being homeless, losing all my closest friends. Not having family to turn too. I was alone. Then dealing with the biggest battle of all, the one within myself.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am an Independent Hip-Hop Recording Artist. I book my own shows, manage myself, create my own concepts for visuals and photos, do my own networking and marketing and now I do my own music production and cover arts. I understand the importance of each roll which is why I appreciate every aspect and angle of this job.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I believe in my city, I do not drink, smoke or do drugs. I never have and I don’t plan on changing. I believe that one day, I’ll be able to open the doors in this city for artists like myself, who don’t sound like everybody else. as an artist, it’s not my job to force people to be fans of my music, it’s my job to put content out and allow my fans to find me. - VoyageHouston

Whilst everyone has kept themselves pretty busy investing in the beef between MGK and Eminem over recent weeks they may have missed the debut drop “Zeus” from Zak the Tyrant. With Rap bars just as relentless as the media-grabbing stars, it’s almost impossible not to imagine Zak ascending the ranks.

There was plenty of progression in the haunting Trap-driven mix. Every switch up in the beat was perfectly matched with Zak’s ability to verse with the ultimate command over meter and rhyme. Yet the more stripped back down-tempo bars allowed the lyrics to Zeus to truly resonate. Lyrically, Zak stayed away with the crass archetypal Hip Hop swag. Instead he laced plenty of sentiment into Zeus which made him a triple threat to other emerging Rap artists with his playfully domineering bars, dark beats and lyrics all locked down.

What more can you expect from an up and coming artist’s first single?

You can check out Zak the Tyrant’s single Zeus for yourself by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast - AnR Factory