In 2006, Mathis replaced
Young Jeezy as a member of
Boyz N Da Hood. He first saw success in collaborations with
Yung Joc's "
Coffee Shop" and "
Bottle Poppin'," which charted on several
Billboard charts. He was then signed as a solo artist for
Block Entertainment and
Bad Boy South. On April 24, 2007, Gorilla Zoe released his first single, "
Hood Nigga", which was a success, peaking at #38 on the
Billboard Hot 100. His debut solo album,
Welcome to the Zoo, was released in October 2007, peaking at #18 on the
Billboard 200, #8 on
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and #3 on
Top Rap Albums. In 2007, Gorilla Zoe was chosen for the 2008
XXL Freshmen cover along with rappers
Saigon,
Plies,
Rich Boy,
Joell Ortiz,
Lupe Fiasco,
Lil Boosie,
Crooked I,
Papoose, and
Young Dro. On October 7, 2008, "
Lost", Gorilla Zoe's first single from his second album, was released. The full album, ''
Don't Feed da Animals, was released on March 17, 2009, topping the Billboard
Top Rap Albums chart. He released an EP, I Am Atlanta 3''. He also worked on a mixtape with Die-Verse City member Qu1k. On June 14, 2011, Gorilla Zoe released his third solo album,
King Kong. Although not as successful as his previous albums, it charted on the
Billboard 200 at #56, selling 10,300 copies in its first week out.
Allmusic rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five. A single from the album, "What's Goin' On", was released on December 14, 2010, and peaked at #99 at the Billboard
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. On May 6, 2014, after a two-year hiatus, Gorilla Zoe released a new mixtape,
Recovery, and it was revealed that he had signed to rapper
Flo Rida's label International Music Group. In July 2018, Gorilla Zoe released "Fat Jesus", his first single as an independent artist. ==Discography==