Elemental Zazen
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Elemental Zazen

Seattle, Washington, United States

Seattle, Washington, United States
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"Elemental Zazen: The Glass Should Be Full (Review)"

GENRE | CEREBRAL HIP-HOP

VERDICT | ELECTRIFYING

RELEASE | 5.20.08

LABEL | GNAWLEDGE RECORDS

ELEMENTALZAZEN.COM

It's worth pointing out again, while recording The Glass Should Be Full, Cambridge hip-hop artist Elemental Zazen lost a family member, suffered from a brain tumor and lost everything when his house burned down. These tragedies turned a planned album of political protest into the album as it stands—clean as a surgical scalpel and just as sharp. The political aspect is still very much present, but it's accompanied by more introspective tracks. The Glass is what a nervous system would sound like if you plugged it into an amp. - The Weekly Dig


"The Accidental Gangsta"

Elemental Zazen wears Sauconies on stage and has “World Peace” tattoo’d on his forearm. He doesn’t pack toast, flip bricks, or engage in any other euphemistic roughneck activities, and to his knowledge he has zero illegitimate children. But despite all of those stereotypically upper-middle-class characteristics, the Cambridge rapper might be the most gangsta motherfucker on the Boston hip-hop scene — depending, of course, on how one defines gangsta.

Over the past two years, Zazen has endured a raw helping of adversity, from losing his closest cousin to watching his apartment burn down to having doctors discover a raging tumor on his melon. Before that, he lived in his car, beat a heroin addiction, and was diagnosed with manic depression. His newest, The Glass Should Be Full (Gnawledge), hardly resembles a Mobb Deep project, but given the pain that moved his pen at such agonizing angst-addled angles, his sophomore release is as hardcore an opus as Tupac’s Me Against the World.

Thug life began at the International School of Beijing, where the US-born Zazen’s parents taught and where he graduated in 2000. At the time, he was completely uninterested in academics; apart from an interscholastic soccer career that took him through the Orient and an H-sniffing habit, he focused his attention on OutKast albums that were surfacing in China. “When I came to the States in 2001,” he says, “all I wanted to do was make music.”

Following some severe culture shock, Zazen enrolled at the Art Institute of Boston, and soon after at UMass-Boston, where his rap dreams often slipped farther out of reach. “By senior year I was living in my car, starving, and smelling like shit, and I figured I could go to UMass for some mercy. They called me a week later and told me that they were giving me $1000, but on my way to pick up the check I got pulled over with no license or registration and almost ended up in jail.”

Finally settled in a Dorchester apartment, Zazen milked enough credit lines to record his Adolescence Weapon debut, a catchy anti-establishment rookie Mass-terpiece that moved more than 4000 units without distribution. By 2005, he was showcasing with iconic underground outfits including Glue and Non-Phixion while plotting his second album. And then the shit hit.

“My cousin Brandon got in a snowmobile accident in January 2006; he was in a coma for three months, and his kid was born a week before he died. Then, when I was getting my life back together again, my house burned down and it drove me into the depths.”

With production from Kno (Cunninlynguists), Maker (Glue, Qwel), Joe Beats (Sage Francis), and Boston board gurus Confidence and J. Ferra, Zazen used The Glass Should Be Full to negotiate his personal strife. Mortality plays a leading role: after surgeons discovered and removed a massive tumor from his brain last year, he wrote rhymes and picked beats as if they might be his last. The resulting product certifies that honesty, vulnerability, and introspection make for better hip-hop than masked insecurity and bullshit every single time.

“Some of these so-called hip-hop kids hate on me because I’m not ashamed to be white. The funny thing is that I get along better with the hood dudes than those kids. It’s easier for people who are different and who are being themselves to get along on any rap scene. If I was trying to be hood, then I would just look like a clown.”

Now that, my ninja, is wicked gangsta.
-Chris Faraone May 21, 2008 - The Boston Phoenix


"Elemental Zazen: The Glass Should Be Full (Review)"

Elemental Zazen :: The Glass Should Be Full :: Gnawledge Records
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

It's safe to say Elemental Zazen has one of the more interesting names AND hip-hop pedigrees to come across my desk in a while. Jason Trefts has seen a lot more of the world than many of his U.S. peers, given that he grew up both in Saudi Arabia and China as the son of international school teachers. Far from being made submissive and complacent in such authoritarian and strict environments, Trefts' internal focus and dreams of being of a hip-hop revolutionary crystalized and became even more focused. That's only where his story BEGINS though - in 2006 his home and almost all of his posessions burned to the ground in a fire, and in 2007 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor so life-threatening he had to undergo IMMEDIATE surgery.

Few people could come out of such adversity bearing so many emotional and physical scars only to declare "The Glass Should Be Full" instead of looking at everything (including your own skull) as being half-empty. Whether or not you'd be impressed by Elemental Zazen's album you'd have to give it up simply to his resilience, persistence and positivity. In fact according to Zazen's bio he actually started writing the raps for this album while recovering from his surgery, and I'm man enough to admit that I couldn't have done the same. I'd have been lying in the hospital bed with a TV remote instead of a pen and pad, clicking the button for the nurse just so I could bark out "Morphine and keep it coming!" Thankfully this isn't a story of an inspirational artist who overcame the odds just to put out a mediocre album trading on sympathy instead of artistry. "The Glass Should Be Full" wastes no time coming out the gate strong on the Confidence and J. Ferra produced "Silence of the Now," featuring Zazen's rapid-fire delivery over a funky bassline and melodies that fade in and out like passing traffic.

"High on meds die on beds made of Zion's threads
It won't change until we spy on feds
So fuck a bye-gone the sky gone cause Mayan's lead
Us to the future with a calendar of dates & fates
Intertwined like the church and the state
with a merciless taste
Our blank slates turn to virtue less traits
Conditioned in the mind by hurtful debates
Between our mom and her mates
Or between our father and whoever he dates
And we're left to second guess ourselves
until it's too late
Nobody tells us what compels us is shell that relates
We crawl inside with our pride and rebel till we hate
Blaming the world for what we feel words concealed
So deep within our skin, we'll never begin to reveal"

Ponder for a minute that Zazen has a not insignificant chunk of his cranium permanently missing and he can still pen raps with multiple interwoven rhymes and intelligent design. Don't assume Zazen is a poet trying to crossover to rap without worrying about the beat or the flow - his breath control and diction are up to par. It's a minor knock to say that on occasion the production drowns out his vocals, but the verbals that Zazen is spitting are definitely worth a second listen and closer inspection, such as on the Kno (Cunninlynguists) produced "Hanging by a Thread":

"They know what pain is when it's plan-ted
Wandering around enchanted by everything they tell you is romantic
You start to panic cause you've taken it for granted
More than semantics, your opinions unfairly slan-ted
It's dangerous to risk
Use your religion as a trick, accept that you exist
Seek a fix a trip, slit wrists to slip
Further away from the grip, you thought you had on the myth"

There's not a whole lot on "The Glass Should Be Full" to knock Zazen for. He's comfortable over a broad range of beats, from the staccato pulse and piano riffs of "No Survivors" to the slow marching drums and trancelike sounds of "Life Is Priceless." Zazen is also a top caliber lyricist, a rare treat in a genre where being thoughtful and insightful is often treated like a sinful vice instead of a saintly virtue. It's a shame to say Zazen's biggest problem here is that his album is entirely inaccessible to those who like their music real crunk or real pop. It's not as though Zazen is intentionally trying to avoid selling records, it's just literally impossible for Zazen to "Dumb it Down" enough to reach the mainstream. Consider this an arthouse record if you like, but if you want an album that means something to you AND to the artist who made it, "The Glass Should Be Full" is for you.

Music Vibes: 8 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 9 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8.5 of 10

Originally posted: May 13, 2008
source: www.RapReviews.com - RapReviews.com


"Elemental Zazen: The Glass Should Be Full (Review)"

It's a fair assumption that if Eminem wasn't trying so damn hard to impress folks with just how shocking he can be he wouldn't have ended up being so big - it's also likely that if he had lived the life that Zazen had lived he might have just put out an album like this. The whiteness is only one similarity (and since these days half of all good rap is white folks - it's no longer new and exciting), the voice starting out on "Silence of the Now" is eerily similar but the second the words start coming out the similarities end.

Zazen's music is more Rhymesayers than Death Row and the lyrics are more intelligent than just about any rap - or any style - you can find. Maybe the loss of his good friend and cousin, drug abuse, and (fortunately) operable brain tumor gave him the mindset that life actually matters - as does what you say.

So from "Handcuffs" to "Dying Planet" he drops straight up knowledge that makes Atmosphere look like he doesn't take his opportunity seriously enough. There's no love for Bush or fake folks but there is plenty of love and so there is a great divide which humanizes Zazem even more - sure he's pissed but he's not being a jackass about it. Production by members of the Non Prophets, Cunnilynguists and Joe Beats (who works with Sage Francis) and some very Jedi Mind Tricks-ish beats makes the whole album flow nicely but never feel stagnant or stuck - it's just a consistently great hip hop album.

What seems most impressive about this album and Zazen in general is that he isn't trying to front in any way; he's comfortable with what he's gotta say and what he's gotta say is pretty damn great. (Gnawledge Records)

www.elementalzazen.com - Performer Magazine


"Elemental Zazen: The Glass Should Be Full (Top 10 Albums of the year)"

Elemental Zazen – The Glass Should Be Full
It took my homeboy Zazen several years to complete this project, and, as I have repeatedly emphasized, it was well worth the stall. As it turns out, the delay wasn’t just so he could secure beats from Kno, Joe Beats and Maker; we had to wait because Zazen was busy re-settling after his apartment burnt down and he had a tumor removed from his brain. There are no pity points here though; I confidently maintain that Zazen is one of the foremost hip-hop poets who shows rather than tells, and that his second album is a musical and lyrical oasis for anyone who’s caught between Immortal Technique’s militant bent and white dudes who talk convincing politics but have never read a newspaper. - JumpTheTurnstyle.com


"On the Verge"

ELEMENTAL ZAZEN Fast, furious, raw, and reflective, this Cambridge-based MC has got a lot on his mind: war, poverty, Third World exploitation, visions of world leaders in handcuffs. Verbally nimble and righteously indignant, Zazen rhymes with a purpose - "pump a fist if you exist to bring the system down!" Soon those rhymes will be collected on his second album, "The Glass Is Half Full." Zazen will be bringing the noise to the Middle East Downstairs Jan. 26. - The Boston Globe


"Glaciers of Ice: A Hip Hop Roundup"

Boston's Elemental Zazen has been through some serious shit over the past few years. He lost a good friend, his house burned down, he battled a brain tumor… all events which have informed his new album, The Glass Should Be Full (Gnawledge Records). The insert even features a picture of what is presumably an MRI image of his head. The album is appropriately serious and relatively thoughtful, as tracks like "Disappear" display an existential flair from this skilled MC. The production, courtesy of a bunch of different producers, is hard and banging, matching Zazen's forceful flow throughout (check "No Survivors" for one of the better beats on the record).
(www.elementalzazen.com) - Lost At Sea


""Handcuffs""

I got hit with this last night, and wasn't able to peep dude's shit until today, and I was blown away. Forget the fact that, when Elemental started working on his The Glass Should Be Full back in 2005 that it was sidetracked due to a load of hard times (from the tragic loss of friends to his house burning down to brain surgery to remove a tumor). Forget the fact that he's got production from cats like Kno and Joe Beats (among others) on this project. Just focus on the revolutionary warfare that dude invokes in his music. In these trying times, Hip-Hop needs cats like Elemental to help convey these messages of fear, struggle and pain from deep within the American Dream, as well as on a more global level. Pump this in your jeeps while you are plotting your next public disturbance, or peace rally. - Rock The Dub


"Elemental Zazen: The Glass Should Be Full (Review)"

"Zazen's flow sets a fearlessly tight example for countless indie rhymers...3/4." Adam Anonymous-Hip Hop Connection - Hip Hop Connection


"Boss Ten (10 to Watch For)"

We've tried to interview Elemental Zazen like four times. We love the fact that he's a revolutionary in running shoes, and that his bedroom produced "The Adolescence Weapon" is one of the most enlightened hip hop discs in recent memory. But despite our nagging, he's turned us away, insisting we wait for his sophomore LP. His first release was framed around clever rock samples of his own jacking, but his new tracks are coming from subterranean hip-hop heroes, including Joe Beats (Sage Francis), Kno (Cunninlynguists), Maker (Glue), and Insight. The result, we believe, will have Immortal Technique fans liking at least one white person.

12.20.06-1.3.07 - The Weekly Dig


Discography

DISCOGRAPHY

"The Adolescence Weapon" (LP)- July 2003.
With over 4,000 copies in circulation, the critically acclaimed "The Adolescence Weapon" includes several tracks that received radio play throughout the US and Europe.

"The Glass Should Be Full" (LP)- May 2008.
Recorded while recovering from brain surgery, "The Glass Should be Full" has been hailed by critics, and placed on several top 10 lists for 2008. Features production from Kno, Joe Beats, and Maker.

"Mass Movementz: The Album" (LP)- February 2009. Collaborated with Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers on an internationally released compilation album featuring Ill Bill, Fatlip, Termanology, U-God, Slaine, Esoteric, Casual, and many more.

"The Write Off: Vol. 2" (LP)- December 2010. Contributed 3 tracks, including collaborations with Qwel and Vast Aire, to a compilation album featuring several other prominent hip hop artists.

"Nothing To Lose But Change" (LP)- March, 2011. Features guest appearances from Jean Grae, Fashawn, and Canibus; and production by Jake One, Eligh, Blue Sky Black Death, Joe Beats, Kno, M-Phazes, Metaform, and more.

"Blinded By The Night" (LP)- Fall 2012. Features guest appearances from Gift of Gab and Esoteric; and production from Blue Sky Black Death, Eligh, and DJ Vadim.

Photos

Bio

The son of international school teachers, Elemental Zazen (Jason Trefts) was born in the US and raised in Al Taif (Saudi Arabia) and Beijing (China). Zazen saw a similar pattern of injustice everywhere he called home, and focused his fury into his 2004 debut The Adolescence Weapon - which The Weekly Dig praised as "one of Boston's most enlightened hip-hop discs in recent memory." (5/07)

When Elemental Zazen started working on his sophomore release "The Glass Should Be Full," he envisioned the album as a political manifesto for radical social change - revolutionary hip-hop in the tradition of Public Enemy. Over the next two years, a series of tragedies in his personal life interrupted his plans and forced Elemental Zazen to shift his focus to survival.

In 2006, he lost a close family member in a tragic accident, and then lost his possessions in a five-alarm fire. On June 6, 2007, Zazen was taken to the ER after suffering a concussion. The consequential MRI revealed a tumor in his right occipital lobe. A month later, shortly after being featured in The Weekly Dig as one of "10 to watch for in 2007," he checked into the hospital to undergo brain surgery. During his recovery period, Zazen had to relearn how to walk and also to cope with his newly acquired handicap- the surgery robbed him of a large portion of his sight. Zazen started writing about his too-soon confrontation with death, recorded the bulk of "The Glass Should Be Full," and before too long got back to touring with his five-piece band. "The Glass Should Be Full" narrates the fear, hope and anger of a disillusioned revolutionary struggling against both political injustice and personal tribulations.

In The Boston Globe's "5 Locals on the Verge in 2008," Zazen was described as " fast, furious, raw, and reflective...verbally nimble and righteously indignant." The Boston Phoenix added "given the pain that moved his pen at such agonizing angst-addled angles, his sophomore release is as hardcore an opus as Tupac's Me Against the World... it certifies that honesty, vulnerability, and introspection make for better hip-hop than masked insecurity and bullshit every single time." (5/08).

In the summer of 2008, Elemental Zazen embarked on his first european tour, featuring shows in England, Spain, Germany, France and The Netherlands.

In the spring of 2011, Zazen released his third album, "Nothing To Lose But Change", on Gnawledge Records. Although the new record maintains Zazen's dense lyrical style, it is a departure of sorts in that it is his first solo release to contain collaborations with other emcees. Guest vocalists include Jean Grae, Fashawn, and Canibus; guest producers include Jake One, Blue Sky Black Death, Eligh, Metaform, M-Phazes, Joe Beats (Non Prophets) and Kno (Cunninlynguists). In their review of NTLBC, Rap Reviews stated "it's not very often that you listen to a rapper with an activist agenda that has not only the ability to express those ideas eloquently but the music to back it up and the flow to keep you listening. Zazen has achieved that trifecta."

Currently, Zazen is hard at work on his fourth album, titled "Blinded By The Night". The album will be largely produced by Zazen himself, and contains guest production from Blue Sky Black Death, Eligh (Living Legends), and DJ Vadim. Guest vocalists include Gift of Gab (Blackalicious) and Esoteric.

Zazen has also recorded tracks with Fatlip (The Pharcyde), Vast Aire (Cannibal Ox), Wise Intelligent (Poor Righteous Teachers), Insight, and Qwel.

Zazen has shared stages around the world with artists such as Immortal Technique, Kool Keith, Mr. Lif, Cage, Animal Collective, Devin the Dude, and many, many more.

Zazen has spent the past four years pursuing his PhD in sociology at The University of Washington. Before graduate school, he supervised residential counselors at a Department of Mental Health group home for six years.