Rapper Jackzebra Went Apeshit With This Playlist

Photo courtesy of Drew Cwiek.

Welcome to SOUND ADVICE, Interview‘s weekly destination for playlists curated by our friends, enemies, and lovers. In recent weeks, we’ve featured playlists from Mechatok, Rico Nasty, and Mel Ottenberg. This week’s installment comes from cloud-rap misfit Jackzebra, who’s putting a new spin on sadboy swagger with his slurred vocal delivery and Auto-Tuned Mandarin verses layered over moody, dream-soaked trap beats. Before signing with New York’s Surf Gang, the Chengdu-born artist had been quietly carving out a cult following—dropping two mixtapes, 王中王 (“King of Kings”) and Above and Beyond, and headlining his first West Coast show at a UCLA fraternity house (Sigma Pi Upsilon). Now, from the other side of the firewall, Jackzebra is taking a break from the studio to make us a playlist and answer our questionnaire, where he shares what he’d wear to his own funeral, what keeps him up at night, and where he goes apeshit.–SIMON DWIHARTANA

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What was your first concert? Imagine Dragons at Shanghai Grand Stage, 2015-08-19.

Bluetooth or wired headphones? Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Where’s the afters? Xujing, Qingpu.

First rap verse you memorized?
All I wanna do is
And a, and take your money
All I wanna do is
And a, and take your money

Favorite SoundCloud rapper? 南部犯罪份子.

Where do you go apeshit? Stage, during my set.

Number one rule for being in the studio? Red Bull Sugar Free.

What song on this playlist describes where your life is headed? “Magic” by Lil Dude.

Other than China, what’s the best country to get Chinese food? U.S.A.

What designer are you wearing to your funeral? Thom Browne.

What movie do you wish you could soundtrack? White Oleander.

What song gives you nightmare fuel? FE!N by Travis Scott, Playboi Carti.