One On One With Sippizone

Meet Zone. Born and raised in the most poverty stricken state in the USA, Mississippi, Zone has a story to tell. In a small town right on the Mississippi River, Natchez, Zone was raised in a single parent household in the infamous River Oaks projects where his grandmother also helped raise him. At the age of 10, the gang wanted him to join but his grandmother kept good tabs on him telling him to get his mind right and that the streets were no place for a young man. His grandmother got him involved in the church and made sure he stayed on the straight and narrow. At the age of 13, the very person that kept him on the right track, his grandmother, left him all alone when she died. With his guiding light gone and his mother in failing health, Zone was the man of the house and was forced to turn to the streets to pay the bills. The gang quickly embraced him by showing him love and offering protection. Life was starting to get better for Zone, that is, until he was kicked out of the house after his mom found out about gang life. Despite not having a place to call home, Zone did have two reasons to smile and enjoy life—he graduated high school with a full scholarship to play football and he had a son. Shortly after graduation, Zone married his son’s mother. Feeling that he could not provide for his new family, Zone decided to turn down the scholarship and join the Marine Corp. It was there that he gained structure and strength to face anything. Zone moved to Minnesota to start over. It was at this point that he started to express himself by writing poetry and songs that defined his life. After realizing that his story needed to be heard, Zone hooked up with Q-JAMM and Muhammad who would help broaden his horizons and showcase his talent.