About

About Rated Z Recordz

Rated Z Recordz was founded by Johnny Z in 1989 in a commercial building at 710 Marin St. in downtown Vallejo, California. While working with a group 3DEEP which would later become N2DEEP, a label and production company with recording studio was needed to record, release and distribute their records, therefore RZR was born. The studio at Rated Z began with a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder, an Akai X7000 sampler, an EMU SP-12 drum machine, and a Roland TR-808 drum machine. The first release from RZR was, “Work That Body” by N2DEEP. The up-tempo single was released on vinyl and cassette (CD’s weren’t invented yet).

A couple of years later Johnny Z and N2DEEP were working with Ken Franklin at KLOU Studios in Richmond, CA because he was running an 8-track reel-to-reel recorder, and had better recording tools. They put together an EP titled, “Back At The Hotel,” which would prove to be their big break. The cassette tape of the EP would be over-nighted to Cory Robbins of Profile Records out of New York, and the next day RZR was offered a production deal through Profile, mainly because of the song, Back To The Hotel. Johnny Z and the group went back to the KLOU studios and recorded some new songs as well as cleaned up some old ones. Soon after, the single and album, Back To The Hotel would be released on Profile and go on to be certified gold. RZR was on the map.

The RZ studio was upgraded to a ½ inch 16 track recorder and a larger Tascam 24 channel mixing console, along with some other new toys. Through the mid to late 90’s and early 2000’s, Rated Z Studios was the place to be and record. Groups like, Run DMC, Spice 1, E-40 & The Click, Potna Deuce, Mac Dre, Mary Jane Girls, Young DRU, Ron C, Da Unda Dogg, Scapegoat Wax, and Baby Bash were seen recording and hanging out at the studio. In the late 90’s the studio was renovated and to this day continues to be a recording studio.

Today, RZR continues to be an active label releasing different genres of music, including Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Lounge, and Metal. Although the majority of the releases are digital downloads only, RZR continues to make a presence as an independent label. The label and recording studio, which is now called, Dirty Martini Labs, are still run by Johnny Z, but now out of San Diego, Nevada.