ZellyZel

Clinton, MD, USA

My name is Renzel Danforth, but most people know me as Zelly Zel. I’m an independent artist, rapper and engineer from Maryland who fell in love with music at an early age, writing and recording by age 14. My life took a dramatic turn after high school. One night, while riding in the back seat beside two girls, the car hydroplaned in the rain and crashed into a utility pole. I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and the impact left me in a near-death coma for nine days. When I woke up, I was facing a severe brain injury, major memory loss, and the challenge of relearning how to walk, talk, and rebuild my life. At age 20, I survived another fight for my life when I was shot six times during an altercation at a West Virginia gas station. I stabbed him in self-defense. Surviving both experiences changed my perspective on life and strengthened my determination to keep it up. Music became my ultimate healing. When I left the hospital, I turned back to the studio to process the trauma and rap my so