The son of Colombian and Mexican immigrants, Zapata was born in New York, and grew up on a diet of salsa, jazz, and rock. After playing jazz trombone when he was young, he began DJing after falling in love with the kind of jazz-infused house that much of 90’s New York was all about—not to mention hip-hop, funk, and, of course, mad disco. You can expect anything from these genres to salsa, cumbia, afro, and techno when he spins. It's just gotta have the soul! Zapata also founded, with fellow label head JVXTA, Hardmatter Records in 2015. As a tribute to the jazzy but deep house of both the present and the past, Hardmatter has released music by Detroit mainstays Javonntte and Malik Alston, not to mention his own and JVXTA’s music. The label is about to release its fifth record: a collaboration between Italian legend DJ Soch and Javonntte. His love of disco also saw him moving to Berlin to co-find another label with fellow label head Max Mojo in 2018. Called Streetman Records, the label is an experiment in fat kicks, snappy disco samples, and jamming rhythms. As Stone Cold, his partnership with Max Mojo, he released Streetman 001 to much acclaim in 2018. Following the same passion for live instruments and disco samples, the duo released Streetman 002 in October of 2019, a record currently being sold worldwide. Diversity, genuineness, and being real—that's what defines Zapata's constant love of DJing and production. It's a passion that can be seen when he spins at DiscoDisco, a party which he co-founded, alongside Nils Nilsson and Agha B, at Berlin’s underground Repeat Bar—a monthly get-down which encourages DJs to break the four-to-the-floor mold by playing funk, jazz, afro, salsa, and anything else that falls in between. Music always stands the test of time—that’s why it’s important to believe in the records you play. There should be no such thing as fillers, he believes. Play only what you love, and be real with it!