Interview with ZackTV1: The CNN of the Other Chicago
“Chief Keef, without a doubt. That interview definitely changed everything for me,” recalled ZackTV1 on the 5-minute video transformed his life and career.
Strangely, the video that meant the most for the now-seasoned 27-year-old interviewer and cinematographer was one of his least impressive. The audio was low, the definition was nothing to brag about, and his voice gave out halfway through the discussion.
Away from the camera, Keef wasn’t much help either. He mumbled, repeatedly fidgeted, absently looked away from the camera at times, chewed his fingernails, and gave short, dry answers.
There was a strong case to shelve the video, but ZackTV1 went with his routine anyway. He made a few brief edits and uploaded the footage to his YouTube channel like he did many times with other Chicago hip-hop artists and personalities.
The decision to run with the “meh” recording turned out to be a good one.
Keith Cozart, or Chief Keef, shortly thereafter took off to international stardom. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, Zack noticed that his audience quickly grew after the interview. But more importantly, he realized that his services were suddenly in great demand. Artists from all sides of the city wanted time in front of his camera. The idea of broad exposure through an accessible local was an answered prayer to many.
The journey from relatively unknown cameraman to one of Chicago’s most-requested interviewers has its origins in the often-unpredictable neighborhood Roseland in Chicago’s fat South Side. There, Zack (last name withheld for privacy and security) roved the streets and filmed local musicians and characters. The raw footage eventually led to “Welcome to Roseland,” an underground street documentary that was later sold and bootlegged around town.
Little known to the young cameraman at the time, the Roseland days were solid preparation for what was to come. His continued interest in offbeat Chicago hip-hop and personalities coincided with the explosion of drill music in the early-2010s. Coupled with a modest buzz on the South and West sides, and willingness to film people and places traditional media wouldn’t touch, Zack found himself as the street genre’s go-to guy for publicity for those who believed that they were the next Keef– if not something better.
While expansion and success usually bring change in how one conducts business, ZackTV1’s style remained unaffected– even after Google partnership and a growing resume. Interviews and profiles are typically recorded in noisy streets, unwelcoming gangways, hazy recording studios, and dim alleys (the fateful Keef interview was supposed to take place on East 61st, but Cozart was under house arrest at the time). In addition, no censorship or restrictions seem to be at hand. Many uploads are one or two continuous shots that could pass for hidden camera footage of Chicago’s least celebrated places.
“I’ve been told I’m like CNN for the _other _Chicago,” proudly stated Zack.
Needless to say, the presentations are not a family program.
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Naturally, working with unrefined Chicago talents in their natural surroundings included difficulties– Chicago-style difficulties. For example, one video might raise eyebrows over the possible birth of Chicago’s next Kanye West or Lil’ Durk. However, a subsequent clip may leave nothing but shaking heads and grief. Strictly speaking, several people who stood in front of Zack’s camera have later had their lives taken in the same streets they wished to escape.
As a result, the video catalog has assumed roles far from its original purpose. While its first and foremost a talent showcase, its adopted functions as archives of the dead and platform for “what if” conversations must be recognized.
The channel’s additional roles are best emphasized by its most viewed video, a now-viral 2013 back alley interview with rappers Leonard Anderson and Clint Massey, who went by the names L’A Capone and RondoNumbaNine. A month after the video was posted, Anderson was shot and killed while leaving a Chicago recording studio. In 2014, Massey was charged with murder after an altercation on the city’s South Side.
Although the duo has been removed Chicago’s hip-hop scene, their brief recording continually attracts attention and debates from fans around the world. **
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Even worse, the list of the lost continues to grow– a stark reminder of the nature of the Chicago hip-hop business.
After weathering scrappy beginnings, a nearly squandered big break, and even murder, the ZackTV1 brand continues to expand.
Daily, about 30 phone calls are made for interview requests (free for established acts, prices negotiable for the rest). A television station in China has recently purchased an interview. Greetings –as well as subscriptions– come from far away as South America and Western Europe. A DVD of footage too hot for YouTube is under development. Talents far from the South and West sides of Chicago sides are now turning to Zack for exposure.
“Crazy promo. Off my interview alone, I banked over $2,100 dollars in beat sales in the first two weeks,” Tweeted Wisconsin-based music producer Dr. Potter after a sit-down with Zack opened new doors for him.
Zack is more than happy to recognize that he knows the feeling.
To watch everything from Chicago’s hopefuls to heavyweight champs, subscribe to ZackTV1 on YouTube, and check him out on Facebook and Twitter.
-Written by Branko Tubic
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