In Conversation with Zino ZB
- Valentina Reynolds
- 2 days ago
- 10 min read
There are artists who make music and there are artists who build universes. Zino ZB, born Jayreece, is firmly in the second category. From Stoke-on-Trent, with Ghanaian, Italian and British roots, a combat athlete who competes as seriously as he creates, a clothing brand, a philosophy, and now 99, his most cinematic project yet. The artwork alone tells you everything. A samurai, a wolf, a red moon, Japanese characters framing a young man from the Midlands who has decided there is no ceiling on what he can become. We sat down with him to find out what is actually going on inside the Zinoverse.
When we first saw the 99 artwork, we sat with it for a minute. A samurai, a wolf, Japanese characters, a red moon. It feels like a whole world. What does that imagery mean to you and why did it feel like the right way to introduce this project?
To me, this artwork represents the pinnacle of who I am today, a refined warrior. Real inner strength is built through trials and tribulations, and once you find it, you have to protect and refine it at all costs.
It’s not enough to simply exist. To truly thrive in any world or situation, you must become strong mentally, physically and spiritually. Resilience, patience and perseverance are essential traits for one’s character.
This artwork embodies the transition from survival mode into something greater, more aware, more stable, more powerful. At a certain point in life, you stop bending to the will of the world or other people. You become strong enough to lead your own path, stand on your own ideals, and manifest your own reality. Once you reach that point, nobody can take it away from you.
You have spoken about music coming through you rather than from you. When did you first clock that difference and has there ever been a moment where you tried to push something that just was not ready?
I truly believe we are all divinely gifted if we choose to seek real truth and allow that power to move through us. My voice and lyrical ability have definitely been refined over time, but fundamentally I believe it is a gift from somewhere deeper.
The life I’ve lived has given me a wide range of perspectives, and that naturally fuels the inspiration behind my music. Then the way I articulate those experiences takes them to another level.
I first noticed the difference when I stopped trying to create “viral hits” and started going inward to truly hone my craft and spirit. That’s when the real music began to flow through me naturally, and I think that’s very evident now.
Whenever I’ve tried to force something, you can feel it immediately. Real art has substance and truth behind it. If that substance is missing, then it stops being art and starts becoming performance.
99 is described as ascension in every way. But we want to know what you were actually moving away from. What were you leaving behind?
Ascension from modern-day oppression. From limiting beliefs, fear, and the lies we’re told that make us smaller than we were ever destined to be.
It’s also ascension from division from the constant politics between people, we’re all brothers and sisters just trying to experience life. From a young age, humans are conditioned to compete against each other, when in reality, united human beings are the strongest force on this planet.
The message behind this tape is a reminder that we truly are one. If every soldier in this army plays their part, we can face the dark energies of this world with confidence, unity and conviction.
With God, we shall not falter and i will gladly lead the way for those who wish to follow.
We watched your Thailand content closely and something about it felt different to regular travel content. It felt personal, connected to the music somehow. Was that a conscious decision or did the trip just naturally become part of the story?
That was actually my second visit to Thailand, and honestly, I just love the place. The culture, the energy, the land. There are statues of spirits and great warriors everywhere you look. Constant reminders to slow down, be present, and reconnect with something deeper.
In the Western world, it’s easy to become a slave to a certain idea of success. But over there, the natural gifts of life are appreciated far more - sunlight, fruit, the sea, peace of mind. It shifts your perspective.
My content has always been personal. Like I said before, I am an artist, so nothing is an act. The visuals, the music, the message, they naturally feel connected because none of it is fabricated. Everything I put out carries a part of my essence within it. So whether you’d label it a roll out or not, I don’t think so, it was just real.
We noticed you asked your mates which track to listen to during training the other day and it made us smile because it said so much about how connected your music and your fitness actually are. Do you think the two genuinely shape each other?
Yes, completely. Training combat sports gives you a completely different understanding of what it truly takes to become an athlete - the discipline, the routines, the sacrifices, the constant tests. A lot of those lessons transfer directly into other areas of life.
Once you start competing, it goes to another level entirely. You get a real reality check on what happens when you cut corners or lack discipline. The person standing across from you can take everything simply because you lied to yourself about the work you put in.
Fighting constantly reminds me to sharpen my blade every day because, at the end of it all, it really is you vs you. Only you know whether you’re truly doing what it takes to win.
The same applies to music. The energy, focus and mentality I bring into training naturally carries over into my art. And besides, everyone knows listening to my music boosts your physical, mental and spiritual stats anyway, especially during training. My music is about empowerment and self-esteem.
Thailand, combat sports, a name that means Gift of Zeus, samurai imagery on the artwork. There is a very clear thread running through everything you do around discipline and self mastery. Is that something you have consciously built or has it always just been who you are?
It’s always been who I am. My faith has always been strong, and I’ve always felt connected to the source. But living a disciplined, stoic life is still a choice you have to make every day.
You have to learn to see the whole playing field when moving through life. You become more calculated, more clinical in your decisions. You learn critical thinking, logic and emotional control. You develop your own moral code and stand by it regardless of outside pressure.
In today’s world, where so many people are trying to be anything other than themselves, authenticity becomes a superpower. People can feel what’s real and what’s fabricated.
Never forget that.
Stoke-on-Trent does not get written about in music. What has coming from there actually given you that a city with a spotlight could not have?
There are millions of artists out there, but how many are truly authentic? How many have real substance, spirit and a genuine message behind what they create? Not many, and I say that with confidence.
A lot of the industry is built on fast fashion and takeaway music - things that might feel good for a temporary escape but leave no lasting impact. I want to create something deeper than that. I want to inspire real change and build a movement that lives on long after I’m gone through the memory of what I gave to people.
Coming from Stoke also taught me not to seek validation. When you truly know who you are and stand firmly in your own truth, outside opinions stop having power over you. You don’t need constant approval when your purpose is already clear within yourself. That mindset keeps me grounded regardless of attention, praise or doubt.
Most importantly, Stoke gave me resilience. Coming from a place that isn’t constantly in the spotlight teaches you how to believe in yourself before anybody else does. I’m proud of where I’m from, and I already know I have a whole city behind me. My message is for people all around world, we are all the same in my eyes.
Both music and combat sports put you in situations where the pressure is completely real and you have to be fully present. What has one taught you about the other?
They’ve both taught me how to master the flow state.
When you’re in the studio, you’re relaxed, you’re present, you’re creating freely. You’re working, but you’re not forcing anything. At its core, making music is supposed to feel natural, it’s art.
Fighting is often viewed as something life-or-death, but I think that mindset can become toxic. Combat sports taught me to approach mastery more like a martial artist, calm, disciplined and always learning. Pressure only overwhelms you when your ego is attached to the outcome.
Both music and fighting showed me that true mastery has no ceiling. You might want a song finished immediately, but it will be done when it’s truly ready - and then you’ll go on to make an even better one. Fighting is the same. You refine techniques, then realise you need new ones. New patterns, new reactions, new levels of understanding.
There is no final form in any art. Only practice, refinement and evolution. That’s what both paths have taught me about each other.
The Zinoverse clearly goes way beyond a music project in your head. How far does it actually stretch and what does it look like when it is fully realised?
The Zinoverse is bigger than music. It’s an entire world built around the brand, the philosophy and my character as a whole. It’s raw, it’s real, and honestly, the ceiling for it doesn’t exist.
I have a very vivid imagination, so creating has never been a problem for me. Music is only one expression of the world I’m building. I have a clothing line called Zoneboy launching this year, I want to produce skits and short films around it, and I’ve already started writing an anime script titled Souls of Liberation.
The Zinoverse can expand endlessly into music, fashion, film, fitness, even a gym one day. Anything connected to my philosophy and identity can have its own place within that universe.
The ideas will never dry up, I can promise you that. This is only the beginning of something much bigger and more magical than people realise right now.
You have Ghanaian, Italian and British roots. When you are actually in the studio making something, which part of that is loudest?
Honestly, I’d say it’s a perfect balance of both.
The Italian side of me values structure, pride, presentation and family. Italians carry themselves with confidence, they’re well put together, business-minded, and they don’t mind standing on their own two feet when necessary.
The Ghanaian side of me brings a different kind of strength - something deeper and more spiritual, more primal and tribal. Our roots are powerful, grounded and connected to the earth. That resilience, energy and presence is something I carry naturally within me.
Both cultures shaped who I am today. They gave me strength, morals, ambition and identity. Together they created the man I’ve become - disciplined, proud, grounded and driven to leave a real impact on the world.
Has there ever been a moment where you genuinely lost the zone and had to find your way back? What did that actually look like for you?
There have definitely been moments where I’ve felt lost and questioned whether any of it was worth it, like many of us do at different points in life.
But that always brings me back to the very first thing we spoke about - walking the path of the warrior. Whether you’re male or female, once you commit yourself to growth, discipline and self-mastery, the day-to-day worries of life begin to lose their power over you.
You stop running from challenges and start evolving through them. Every setback becomes refinement. Every difficult period becomes another lesson.
That mindset has always brought me back to myself, stronger than before.
The wolf on the artwork. We had a feeling it was not just a design choice. Tell us about that.
Funny enough, the wolf actually connects back to my dog. I moved out of my family home when I was only 17, and during that period he was my only real companion. He’s a Husky-German Shepherd cross, built almost like a wolf.
Those years were some of the most important and difficult years of my life. I was facing a lot of battles with both the world and myself. I had to confront the man in the mirror and go through real shadow integration to become who I am today.
At the same time, raising a dog with such a powerful nature taught me a lot. He had instincts, aggression and strength, but he also had to learn discipline and control to exist peacefully in the world around him. Nobody wants a violent wolf roaming through the neighbourhood.
That taught me something deeper about human nature too. No matter what exists within you, you can learn balance. You can be both the predator and the protector. You can carry strength without becoming consumed by it.
To me, the wolf represents loyalty, instinct, resilience and controlled power. It’s a beautiful spirit, and in many ways, I see parts of myself within it.
Hearing that, it tracks. Looking back through your content there is a real connection between you and animals, dogs especially. It comes through in a way that feels very genuine, like they are part of how you move through the world rather than just pets in the background.
Last one. Plan A, Dark Side, Yu Gi Oh. What is the film in your head when you hear those records and if you had unlimited budget and access, who is directing it?
To be honest, the main vision for all of them is quality. I want to create deeper cinematic experiences within the Zinoverse and use my creativity as a way to bring people together through the production of these ideas.
I have a message to spread and something meaningful to offer the world, and I’m excited to express that in my own unique and stylish way. The visuals are never just visuals to me - they’re extensions of the music, the philosophy and the world I’m building.
As for a director, honestly, me and my guy IJD Films "Its Just Darren Films -Video Director & Editor." That’s who I work with now. Give us unlimited resources and we’ll give you unlimited movies. Right now, we create according to the budgets we have, but the vision has always been much bigger than the limitations around us.
People should definitely stay tuned, because there’s a lot of high-quality work still to come. ZB to the world, I’m doing this for the people.