The first meeting between Adams and Z-Ro came about just over a year ago, when super-producer Mike Dean brought the two together at his New York City restaurant Belle Reve.
“Mike Dean was like hey, this is my partner, he’s a trial lawyer and a judge,” Z-Ro remembers. Adams’ demeanor and openness struck Z-Ro, he says. Besides you never know when you’re going to need to know someone with a Harvard law degree.
Adams originally met Dean some time ago through their mutual friendship with Bun B.
The group happened to be meeting on the same night as the Dallas police shootings, and they got into a deep discussion over food and drinks. Dean and Z-Ro left the dinner to record “No Justice No Peace,” and they sent it to Adams in the wee hours of the morning. They were looking for feedback from him since he was a former South Houston cop. He loved the song.
That night in New York led to occasional lunches in Houston between Z-Ro and Adams. It didn’t take long for Adams to convince the rapper to join him on the radio.
“I like to hear the sound of my own voice,” Z-Ro says. “But then, I like talking about real issues on a different platform. For the last 20 years I’ve just been rapping. They don’t care about what I’m saying, they’re worried about what I’m making rhyme; they care if I’m singing.
Now, it’s just, ‘OK, well what do you think about this?’ I’m like damn someone wants’ to know what I think?”