Zaytoven Returns To Birthday Bash XXX For A Full-Circle Moment
Hot 107.9’s DJ Misses and DJ Holiday linked up with super producer Zaytoven backstage at Birthday Bash XXX, calling him “the biggest producer to ever touch any type of instrument.” For Zay, pulling up to the sold-out 30th anniversary was non-negotiable. He said the night instantly reminded him of when Gucci Mane first hit the Birthday Bash stage 20 years ago and he stood beside him as a relative unknown. With Gucci going up again this year, Zaytoven knew he had to be in the building to experience that history come back around.
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Gucci Mane, “So Icy” And Timeless Trap
When asked who he was most excited to see, Zaytoven answered Gucci Mane without hesitation. He explained that the music they made together back then still sounds just as relevant now, which makes him feel like he is getting a fresh start all over again. His most memorable Birthday Bash moment is that first time on stage with Gucci around the “So Icy” era, when Gucci rocked the Bart Simpson chain and Zay was just starting to get noticed. Seeing those records still shake crowds decades later confirms the impact of their sound on Atlanta and global hip hop.
Atlanta As Home After A Life Of Moving
DJ Misses asked what Atlanta truly means to him, and Zaytoven shared a bit of his journey. Born in Germany to a military father, he spent his life moving from place to place before landing in ATL. Now, he calls Atlanta his city and says nowhere else has ever felt like home the way it does. It is the one place he never wants to leave, and the city that embraced his church-trained keys and turned them into a signature sound recognized worldwide.
Gospel Albums, Orchestra Shows And What’s Next
The conversation also highlighted Zaytoven’s range beyond trap bangers. He pointed out that he has already done full-blown gospel projects, including work with 1K Phew, Lecrae and Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s latest album. DJ Holiday then saluted his recent orchestra show, where classic records were reimagined with live piano and a full orchestra.
Zay admitted he was skeptical at first because he is a producer, not a traditional performer, but the response was so strong he wanted to do another show the very next day. He revealed there are plans to take the orchestra experience back on the road starting in September, giving fans another unique way to feel his catalog live. Even on a different island recently, Holiday said crowds who did not even speak English were chanting “Zay got the bass pumping,” proof that once you hear those keys, you know exactly what is going on.
