After making a big splash in the world of sports, professional basketball player Lonzo Ball set out to do the same in hip-hop under the alias Zo. Lonzo Ball was born in Anaheim, California on October 27, 1997. His parents, LaVar and Tina Ball, both played basketball in college, while LaVar also briefly played professional football in the U.K. Lonzo started playing basketball when he was just two years old, and by the time he was in high school, he'd become a player to watch.

At Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California, Ball led his team to an undefeated season in his senior year, becoming one of the most scouted high-school players in the country, and in 2016 he enrolled at UCLA, where he became a point guard for their basketball team, the Bruins. Ball proved similarly successful on the court for UCLA, averaging 14.6 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game in the 2016-2017 season. Ball opted to put his talents to more profitable use, and he joined the 2017 NBA draft, where he was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Ball was named MVP of the 2017 NBA Summer League, and enjoyed a successful regular season until he was sidelined by injuries in late 2017, though he was back in action after the All Star Game break.

After making his debut in the NBA, Ball launched a side career as a rapper, dropping his first single in September 2017 under the handle Zo. "Melo Ball 1" was a track that paid homage to Ball's brother LaMelo Ball and his signature athletic shoes (marketed by LaVar Ball through his company, Big Baller Brands; the single was released by the affiliated Big Baller Music Group). Within a month, the song had racked up nearly three million online plays, and before September was out, Zo's second single was released, "ZO2," in which he rapped about himself and his own Big Baller signature shoe. The song was another online success, and a third track, "Super Saiyan," was posted in October 2017. Having demonstrated that he was a viable commodity in hip-hop as well as basketball, Zo delivered his first full-length album, Born 2 Ball, in February 2018. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi