Zacari was raised in Bakersfield, California. He grew up in a family that was very musically oriented. Not long after turning 8 years old, Zacari found himself enrolled in a school for performing arts, where he could nurture a talent that ran in his family. While at the school, he began learning guitar, drums, saxophone, and keyboard. After finishing high school, he worked as a fishing guide in an Alaskan national park to help fund his enrollment in a music school in Los Angeles.

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Zacari began posting songs online in hopes of attracting attention from the music industry. After months of hard work behind the scenes, established artists like Isaiah Rashad, SiR, and Larry June began to notice his incredible talent.

After releasing his Run Wild Run Free EP in 2019 and SOL EP in 2021, Zacari got his big break and made his way into the mainstream industry. He pitched "Lovely," an original song, to Kendrick Lamar. The song was reworked as "LOVE" and featured on DAMN in 2017, which went on to win a Pulitzer Prize, with Zacari being featured on one of the standout tracks.

After the commercial success of DAMN, Zacari continued to work with Top Dawg Entertainment, eventually becoming a signed artist in 2021. To further boost his visibility, Zacari went on a feature run, working with artists on Top Dawg Entertainment and within the broader music industry. In 2022, he collaborated with Ab-Soul on “Do Better,” Isaiah Rashad on “Bliss,” and Blxst on “Sometimes.”

In 2024, he worked on his own project titled Bliss, which includes 17 songs with a runtime of 50 minutes. The project features artists like James Fauntleroy, Ty Dolla $ign, Isaiah Rashad, Doechii, Blxst, Beam, and Ab-Soul, showcasing Zacari's growth and proving he can stand alone as an artist.

As we start our interview, Zacari humbly shares what a typical day looks like for him. “A normal day for me involves getting up in the morning and going to the gym with my brother. We’ll do a bit of kickboxing and judo. Then, I go to the studio and head home afterward. That’s my go-to routine.”

Zacari admits that Muay Thai has greatly helped him achieve balance in his life, considering the nature of the music industry. “Muay Thai has helped me a lot with balance. When you’re doing it, you can’t really think about anything else.” His love for Muay Thai started when he was 12 years old and has stayed with him ever since.

Speaking on the early stages of his music career Zacari recalls where it all began for him. “I was probably 9 years old when I started performing. I listened to a lot of James Brown growing up. He really influenced me a lot. I still carry a lot of that influence with me today. In the 7th grade I started playing instruments and incorporated singing at the same time. That is also when I started writing. Till this day I just write music with my guitar.”

Known for his gifted pen and incredible writing ability, Zacari shares how his writing process has evolved over the years. “My writing process has changed over the years. I just learned new ways on how to write certain things. The process is also different if I’m completely honest with you Daniel. Sometimes I would get a beat and just write to it. Other times I would just freestyle and take it from there. Then there are times when I would just write with my guitar and other times with a band so it varies – depending on how I want to approach it.”

Acknowledging that the process of change wasn’t always easy Zacari shared that his love for writing got him through it. “I wouldn’t say the process of changing my writing style was challenging. I think that because I enjoy and love it so much it makes things better. Writing and getting my emotions or feelings out is a good thing. Sometimes it can be challenging to put into words how you are feeling during that day or week but I must say that I love the challenge.”

Speaking on collaboration Zacari shares how grateful he is to be able to contribute into the Hip-hop space and help other artists bring their ideas to life. “I love collaborating. Even in the Hip-hop space – I have always been a fan of Hip-Hop I would never take for granted what I’m able to contribute to the genre. I enjoy being able fit into the Hip-Hop space and help other artist bring their ideas to life through collaboration – whether it be with hooks or background vocals.”

As we begin to speak about his journey Zacari reveals that it hasn’t always been an easy one. It was filed with a lot of ups and downs. “It has had its ups and downs but I don’t think about it too much especially while I’m in the moment. All these doors that have opened and the people that I’ve met in my career has felt like everything aligned. It feels good to be able to live a dream. Being able to share my music and connect with fans around the world is a blessing. Having said that the journey has been challenging. There were days when I didn’t know what I wanted to do – whether that be financially or music. There was a period that I was couch surfing just trying to get by. Its times like that where you just have to keep going.”

While going through those difficult moments Zacari shared what kept him going. “In those moments what kept me going is actually doing the work. If I am still able to make music and be surrounded by people who make music, then I feel like I am in the right space.”

As we get into his latest album titled Bliss which Zacari describes as his best body of work. He shares that his favourite song off the project is. “It always changes but I think reverse is one of the best songs that I have ever written. Working with James Fauntleroy is amazing. He pulled up to the studio did his thing with the vocals and even played base live. He freestyled some strings and didn’t second himself one bit.”