Zion I will perform a free show tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the University Union Ballroom provided by UNIQUE Programs. The Oakland hip-hop duo will be headlining the show, which also features Bay Area hip-hop acts Crown City Rockers and Deuce Eclipse, as well as Bucho, a neo-soul and funk band from Sacramento.

“The Sacramento State show is part of a preliminary run that Zion I will be doing before they go on tour,” said Tim House, manager for Zion I. The upcoming tour will begin on Oct. 7 in Long Beach, Calif., and will be a promotion for “Heroes in the City of Dope,” the duo’s latest album and a collaboration with Oakland MC, The Grouch. The album features 15 tracks and will be released on Oct. 10.

Zion I and The Grouch will perform nationwide, stopping in various cities including Seattle, Salt Lake City, Austin, Brooklyn and parts of Canada. So far, the tour has over 40 dates booked.Bay Area MC and long-time collaborator, Deuce Eclipse, will perform his own material while opening for Zion I and The Grouch.

Zion I consists of MC Zion and producer/DJ, Amp Live. Both worked together with two other MCs in a group called Metufour before deciding to team up. They released an extended play CD called Starship in 1998, gaining exposure with their single, “Inner Light.” Zion I later put out its debut, full-length album, “Mind over Matter,” in 2000. The album received much acclaim, being named the Independent Album of the Year by “The Source” magazine.

Since then, Zion I has released “Deep Water Slang V2.0” in 2003 and “True & Livin'” in 2005. Each album demonstrates the duo’s solid creativity. MC Zion’s socially conscious lyricism effortlessly flows through Amp Live’s lush instrumental and electronic beats. The songs often center on themes of unity, family, politics and spirituality.

In a sense, Zion I is much like hip-hop artists Blackalicious and The Roots, in that it is constantly pushing toward innovative songwriting and beat-making. Zion I mixes various styles of hip-hop, soul and drum and bass, resulting in a unique blend of hip-hop.

As respected underground hip-hop artists, Zion I has had numerous collaborations with hip-hop and R and B artists like Talib Kweli, D.U.S.T., Gift of Gab, Aesop Rock, Goapele and Planet Asia. For more information, visit the Zion I website at www.zionicrew.com.

Karen Balmes can be reached at [email protected]