Artist Zuvie is changing the Chicago rap game.
Growing up as “The quiet kid” didn’t stop the Somali artist from finding his voice…
Bridge: Thanks for chatting with us! Go ahead and introduce yourself to our readers…
Z: Bridge Music Family what’s up!! It’s the Quiet kid with the Voice AKA Zuvie! Just like you guys, I have great music taste and that’s why we’re all fans of the Bridge Music Magazine! I don’t want to get to in depth with who I am so to make a long story short I’m just a laid back kid from Chicago who loves music
Bridge: (laughs) I will absolutely take that plug! Thank you, friend, you’re too kind!
Alright let’s get to the good stuff…What is the story behind your name?
Z: Assuming that your talking about the nickname (laughs) because the story behind my stage name Zuvie is just a play off my government name. (laughs) My friends started calling me Zuvie when I started rapping so I stuck with it. But the meaning behind “The Quiet Kid with the Voice” is that growing up I was really shy and introverted. I really didn’t talk much and I really didn’t know how to express myself. I learned to speak up and express myself through music. Music really gave me my confidence. My friends like to say that I found my voice on a beat (laughs) That’s where the nickname comes from the quiet kid who found his voice through music!
Bridge: I love that! It’s interesting when introverts like us end up becoming entertainers!
So, what inspires you to make music?
Z: Honestly my “Youngins” my little cousins and siblings really motivate me to make them proud. Also my team my manager/engineer; Aych, my Producer; Moe, and my musically talented brothers; MazenDaKidd, Big O3x, 01RIIDI, Baba G. They really inspire me to succeed! We’re a group called SLE, Stay’N Lifted Ent. the crazy part is we’re all family lol this is like a family business. I feel like I’m going on too much (laughs) but also my older brother, Abdul, he helps me out a lot because I can count on him to always give me the hard truth and to want what’s best for me
Bridge: No, it’s not too much! We want to get to know everything about you!
I know you talked about your family. Besides them, did anyone in particular inspire you when you were growing up?
Z: Growing up I was heavily Influenced by the late, great Nipsey Hussle. That was all my brother used to play so I caught a heavy influence by him. Not just as an artist but as an individual he taught me a lot. I was also influenced by rappers like Lil Durk, the late Lil Lonnie, Meek Mill and J. Cole. Lil Durk showed me that it was possible for an artist out of Chicago to flourish, Lil Lonnie showed me it was possible to chase your dreams at a young age and I just really likes Meek Mill and J Cole’s Music!
Bridge: So many great artists gone too soon!
Have you always been sure you would make music?
Z: Honestly.. No. I always loved music but I didn’t expect to take it serious because I didn’t like the idea of being famous (laughs). I’m a lowkey person so I was just doing music for fun. I was in school to be a preschool teacher and I actually taught as a teacher’s assistant teacher for a year! What a crazy transition from preschool teacher to rapper (laughs) But over time I realized this is what I was born to do
Bridge: A pre-school teacher! You’re right, that is one hell of a 180 (laughs) Now you’ll still be teaching young people, just in a different way!
Tell us what drives or motivates you to succeed?
Z: I’ve actually never talked about this out loud but there was a time in my life about eight months ago that I retired from music. I was really depressed dealing with a bad heartbreak and I was sleeping in my car. It was the lowest point in my life. I would distance myself from all my loved ones and I really just hated myself. I had decided to come back to music dropping a heart break song called “Cold Blooded.” It was my biggest song bringing in over 45K views on SoundCloud and 20K views on Spotify. I let the world in on my pain and they showed me comfort. Ever since then I remember those nights in my car crying thinking I would never be happy… that’s what drives me everyday to work hard and succeed
Bridge: Wow, thank you for sharing that with us. That is heavy! I’m so glad you chose to share that with the world, you never know who you can help just by telling your story in song.
Let’s backtrack for a minute, what was 2020 like for you in regards to your music?
Z: 2020 was a crazy year for me! It’s the year that I actually started taking music seriously! But 2021 was the craziest year of them all, this is the year that everyone started taking me seriously, with a rough start to the year and a great ending 2020/2021 will be a time I’ll remember forever.
Bridge: That’s awesome, all that time in quarantine has shown so many people their passions!
I gotta know, who in the industry would you like to work with in the future?
Z: Lil Baby for sure!! I see him as the GOAT!! If I had to name five artists that I would love to work with in the future they would be Lil Baby, Toosii, Rod Wave, Lil Poppa and Lil Durk.
