Toronto’s Zavier Croft checks in from Los Angeles to revisit the songs that built him — from Brampton basement jams to a P‑Funk plea to the cosmos. Bridging the gap from family funk lineage to today's West Coast, his recent work includes curating the "A Toast to the Boogie: Art in the Name of Funk(adelic)" exhibition in D.C., and behind the scenes work for Death Row Records, Snoop Dogg, and Jay Worthy.
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What song reminds you most of your childhood?“Every Girl in the World” by Young Money. Actually, I should say that whole album, really. My older brother put me on to Lil Wayne. He was, and still is, my favorite rapper of all time. At that time, you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t part of Young Money - I had the hat and the shirt. I didn’t have the dreads yet, but I do now, so I might still claim it! They were my heroes. When that Young Money compilation album dropped, that was everything. “Every Girl in the World” got played everywhere - at school, on the radio - and I knew all the lyrics. Obviously I couldn’t rap it in front of moms, but I was nine years old rapping that song. |
What was the first record you remember buying?
I was born in 2000, so I grew up into a digital world, but I still had a CD player. There were always CDs laying around the house from my mom, and my brother - I remember the Carter III CD. But the one I bought was Michael Jackson, Dangerous. It had “Jam” on it, with Heavy D. That was one of the first rap verses I memorized.
What song is the best representation of your hometown?
For Toronto, the song is “Black Challenger” by Booggz. It has the same beat as “Commas” by Future. I remember being in high school when it dropped. In Brampton we had these jams in the basement—house parties. When you heard the intro, the first five seconds, you didn’t know if it was Future or if it was going to be Booggz on it. That was always a cool part. When it dropped, everyone went crazy. It was like “Faneto” by Chief Keef. That was Toronto’s anthem. The accent, the slang, the drama, the aggression. It’s our Toronto. It’s the Toronto that people don’t know. It was a party staple for a while.
What song reminds you of traveling to a specific place?
Before I was in the music industry, I used to play basketball, so we used to travel a lot for AAU. Also, my mom has worked at Delta for 30 years, so as a kid I was travelling all the time. The song that I always listen to when travelling is “Connect” by Drake on Nothing Was the Same. That song is real Toronto too; it’s got an ominous beat. There’s a part where it goes "same city, same friends, if you’re looking for me," and no matter where I was in the world, it kept me grounded. I never forget where I’m from. Even now, traveling, it’s going to be in the playlist.
What song do you wish you had written?Tupac, “Me and My Girlfriend.” That’s absolutely poetic. The metaphorical concept of a woman and a gun, and him speaking so passionately about missing it and using it in rough times, is genius. My favourite line is “I'm waitin' by the phone, this is true love, I can feel it / I’ve had a lot of women in my bed but you the realest.” Something about that is vulnerable in the most gangster way possible. I wish I had written it. It’s so poetic and genius. |
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What song would you want played at your wedding?
I'm going to go with “Let‘s Lay Together” by the Isley Brothers. It's kind of on the sensual side of things, but it's still romantic. Ernie Isley is one of my favorite guitar players of all time; I actually got to meet him last year, and I freaked out. In my opinion, he's just the best when it comes to Soul and R&B, and he delivers such a smooth solo on this track. It’s beautiful, and it’s also the right tempo for a slow dance, so I think it works well for a wedding.
What’s the best song to play at a house party?
“Back That Azz Up” by Juvenile. That song came out in ’99, but it doesn’t get outdated. When I think of house parties, I think of songs that break the ice between men and women. A couple of drinks in, the women are going to do what they do when they hear that song and dance, and the guys are going to be like, “OK, we can act up too.” It’s a classic.
You’re abducted by aliens, and when you wake up on the spaceship, they pass you the aux. What is the song you’re playing to convince them not to destroy Earth?
Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove.” That title alone shows unification. The track is about bringing everyone together under funk, in peace. Another reason I chose it, not just because they’re family, but because I’ve traveled with George and P‑Funk for years around the world. I’ve seen a thousand shows, and wherever we are and they perform that song, everyone becomes one nation. Plus, the aliens will probably already know all about the Mothership.