Born Zane Copeland Jnr. on 11 July 1982 in Yonkers, New York, USA, the artist first entered the rap scene under the name Lil’ Zane. Rapid maturation soon prompted him to drop the prefix, emerging simply as Zane by the release of his second album. At seven his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he quickly cultivated a strong affinity for both rap and soul. By ten he had drawn inspiration from the prepubescent acts Another Bad Creation (ABC) and Kris Kross, prompting him to practice rhymes with a cousin and compete in neighborhood talent shows. Kevin Wales, founder of Worldwide Entertainment and the discoverer of Another Bad Creation, Monica and 112, noticed the eleven-year-old’s skills and secured him a featured spot on 112’s 1999 US Top 20 single “Anywhere” as well as a slot on the group’s tour. Zane next contributed the closing track “Money Stretch” to the Next Friday soundtrack.
His 2000 debut album Young World: The Future, issued under the name Lil’ Zane, came within a hair’s breadth of the US Top 20 and yielded the single “Callin’ Me,” which topped the Billboard rap chart. Acting opportunities followed, including parts in Finding Forrester opposite Sean Connery and Dr. Dolittle 2 with Eddie Murphy, yet music remained his central focus. In summer 2003 he delivered the long-awaited follow-up The Big Zane Theory.
