Z Money is a Chicago-based rapper that made a comeback after he was jail in 2014. He wrote over 300 songs while incarcerated, and after his release, he produced a seven song mixtape in 2016 and signed with Gucci Mane’s 1017 Eskimo record label. Back in 2013, when a solid two dozen Chicago rappers were alleged to be “up next,” ZMoney was really, really up next. Born Zernardo Tate, an appropriately glamorous name for a guy who oozes charisma, ZMoney represented the city’s West side at a time when the spotlight was mostly fixed on the South. And though he’d only started making music in 2012, he rapped with an effortless charm that quickly caught him a lot of attention with his first mixtapes “RichB4Rap & Heroin Music” released on the same day & being featured on Rolling Stones top mixtapes of 2013. Today he has 11 albums out & Like many contemporary rappers, his flow is a mumbled stream of syllables that demands multiple listens for those not rooted in regional dialect to decipher. He's less concerned with uplift or positivity or lyricism or the kinds of consciousness that make an artist an easy sell to the thoughtful classes. Instead, Z's appeal is all about swagger, a subtle brand of cocky humor, and a delicate musical touch. Which isn't to say that it's an empty exercise in style—although he has style in spades. There's an unusual quality at the heart of the Z Money project that's elusive to define, but could be called, simply, "art."