Macedonia born musician ZuP is releasing a new EP called Macedonia Commons, a project built around memories of growing up in the Nordonia Hills area during the 1990s. The genre fluid artist blends hip hop with alternative, R&B, reggae, and other styles depending on what a song calls for.
From Basement Recordings to Album of the Year
ZuP grew up in Macedonia and lived there until his early 20s. He started recording music in his parents’ basement at age 14, which led him to teach himself how to write and produce his own songs. He has won awards for both his music production and charitable concerts over the years.
He stepped away from music in 2014 following the passing of his mother. He returned in 2023 with the album For Me, which Scene Magazine named its Best Album of the Year. Since then he has consistently released new music and performed throughout Northeast Ohio at local venues, festivals, and community events. He has also hosted an annual Halloween show at Ground Xero every year since 2023.
The Story Behind Macedonia Commons
Macedonia Commons is described as a love letter to growing up in Macedonia and the wider Nordonia Hills area. The EP does not focus on when ZuP first started making music. Instead it centers on the places, friendships, and small pieces of childhood that stuck with him long after he grew up, and that ultimately inspired him to make music in the first place.
ZuP records at Signal Flow Studios, which was originally located in the Steel Yard near downtown Macedonia before moving to Northfield in October 2024. Chris DiCola serves as his engineer. Recording an album about growing up in the Nordonia Hills area while working out of a studio located right in that same community held special meaning for ZuP.
Honoring a Friend’s Memory
The passing of ZuP’s best friend and fellow musician, Veeno, in January 2025 shaped the direction of the project. Losing Veeno pushed ZuP to document these memories while he still could. The project shifted from simply being an EP to something closer to a way of preserving a place and a time in his life that meant a great deal to him.
Macedonia Commons was produced entirely by Evan Lackney Broda. The EP also features guest vocals from Shannon Hogarth of local band Rubix Groove on the track Fell Lake. Both Evan and Shannon are Nordonia born musicians, which made their involvement feel fitting for a project centered on the community.
The Band Behind the Live Show
ZuP writes all of his music by himself, but when he performs live he is joined by his full band nine out of ten times. That lineup includes RC3, Jade Ring, Jack Conrad, and Mandy Jade. The band has become a major part of what ZuP has grown into as a live act, and the live show is intentionally different from the recorded versions of the songs.
At its core, Macedonia Commons is about memory. It is about the ordinary moments from childhood that only become meaningful with age. ZuP hopes the EP captures what it felt like to grow up in the area and encourages others from the community to reflect on their own memories as well.
