About Me
A professional Skateboarder who has evolved into one of the most sought after, cutting edge DJ Ze Gonzales a.k.a. Zegon has carved out his own musical Brazilian niche that is tough to describe. Brazilian break beats? Hip-HopBy the late 80’s Zegon was making his name as a DJ in both Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, playing records by the likes of Cash Money, Schooly D and Public Enemy at a time when most Brazilians were clubbing to the music of heavy metal and limp-wristed pop. But it wasn’t until the early 90’s that he would finally give up on his skateboarding dreams and jump full fledged into music.In 1994, while DJing at a skateboarding contest in Rio, Zegon met the up and coming rap-rock hybrid group Planet Hemp. Noticing that the band was lacking a DJ, Zegon offered his services to the bandleader, fellow skateboarder Marcelo D2. One week later, Ze was introduced to the rest of the band - on stage, without rehearsal - at his first show with the band on the underground rock circuit."It’s funny how Planet Hemp became so mainstream," Ze reflects. "After that first show we opened up for the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill and got signed to Sony." In 1998, after being banned in several cities for their outspoken lyrics railing against corruption in the government and police force and, of course, the rules against marijuana, the group was arrested and imprisoned for inciting a riot in the capital city of Brasilia. After a week in the joint (no pun intended), the band sprung free to find their popularity skyrocketing. Within two months, more than one million Planet Hemp CDs had been sold in Brazil, leading to tours in Europe, Japan and the United States - with Zegon on the wheels of steel.Because of the popularity of Planet Hemp, Zegon found himself thrust into the world of Musica Popular Brasilera (MPB), producing and scratching on records for artists as varied as Tropicalia legend Gilberto Gil, ex-Mutante Rita Lee, Nacao Zumbi and Sepultura while lending his production talent to Brazil’s emerging rap scene, for groups such as Racionais MCs and recently murdered rap-star Sabotage. He produced music for well-known Brazilian films such as "Invasor" and far too many television commercials to list.This isn’t to say that Zegon forgot the hip-hop underground that reared him. Averaging two residencies per week in Sao Paulo, and traveling Brazil’s expansive countryside as well, he still found time to help establish the only weekly club night in Sao Paulo to focus on the underground American hip-hop scene. Club Mood, in the upscale Pinheiros neighborhood, featured guest artists as varied as Jurassic 5’s Cut Chemist, Beat Junkie J Rocc and reticent Los Angeles producer Madlib.No big surprise, then for the last 2 years that Zeh has relocated to Los Angeles to work with longtime friend - and Brazilian fellow - Mario C, producer and engineer extraordinaire behind such artists as Beastie Boys, Tone Loc, Young MC and Bjork. Having already played at the city’s coolest club nights and established a residency at swanky Hollywood nightspot Star Shoes, he’s settling in to producing again
