Zhang Zhengkai (born 2002), known professionally as jackzebra (stylized in lowercase), is a Chinese rapper, singer and record producer based in Chengdu, Sichuan. His discography spans genres such as cloud rap, plugg, and trap music. He is a member of the American music collective and netlabel SURF GANG.
Early life Zhang was born in Xujing, Shanghai, in 2002. Growing up, his favorite musicians included Imagine Dragons, Coldplay and M.I.A. He began making songs in 2018, after setting up his own bedroom studio, initially freestyling in English. Zhang later caught the attention of Chinese cloud rap pioneer, Bloodz Boi, who supported his musical direction, and encouraged him to focus on rapping in his native language, Chinese. He recorded his first Chinese song in 2021.
Career Jackzebra is a part of the Chinese underground rap scene, alongside other contemporaries like Billionhappy, 1kpbs, and Chalky Wong. On April 25 2025, Jackzebra performed his first show in the United States at University of California Los Angeles, facilitated by the student music organization DAW at UCLA in the Sigma Pi Fraternity house. This west coast debut Jackzebra gave established his role into the western underground music scene giving him more traction. He released the mixtape "王中王" (King of Kings) on October 29, 2024, which was rated a 7.8 by Pitchfork, and gained wider prominence online. The Fader described jackzebra's style as "[...] zealously Auto-Tuned slurring interlaced with atmospheric soundscapes that further distort lyrical meaning," further stating that his work had gone viral on social media platforms like Reddit and Chinese microblogging site Weibo. In late 2024, Zhang went viral online being labelled "Chinese Bladee".
On June 13, 2025, Jackzebra released the single "Givenchy," produced by evilgiane, elipropperr, and fleadiamonds, followed by a performance of the track on the popular online radio show On The Radar. He would also sign to internet rap collective and netlabel SURF GANG.
Additionally, Dazed described Jackzebra as "perhaps the only artist ever to enjoy simultaneous virality on both sides of the Chinese firewall," as well as "the voice of post-industrial China".
In December 2025, he released Hunched Jack Mixtape. Pitchfork rated it a 7.4 out of 10 stating, "On his first release for Surf Gang, the Chengdu plugg rapper embraces his outsider persona atop the strongest, most cohesive production of his career".
On March 20, 2026, Jackzebra and Bloodz Boi teamed up to release their collaborative album, titled Bloodzebra. Pitchfork rated the album a 7.9, with reviewer James Gui describing the album as "where slurred Mandarin intersects with stuttering synths, the Chengdu rapper and his mentor interrogate the disconnect between social life and our internal worlds."
Discography
Albums TitleAlbum details孙 Released: May 29, 2022 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingApple Released: September 18, 2023 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming拾 Released: September 13, 2024 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingBloodzebra Released: March 20, 2026 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming
Mixtapes TitleAlbum detailsHotel Exclusive Mixtape Released: December 8, 2019 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingGood Wife Good Life Mixtape Released: April 21, 2020 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming6 Winter L Released: January 6, 2021 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming626 Two Year Anniversary Tape Released: July 9, 2021 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming我和你的水晶之恋 Released: December 19, 2021 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingJack1888 Mixtape Released: January 1, 2023 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingJackPrblmTape Released: 6 April, 2023 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingYoung Powerful Run Mixtape Released: March 13, 2024 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming王中王 Released: October 29, 2024 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingAbove & Beyond Released: February 14, 2025 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingHunched Jack Mixtape Released: October 3, 2025 Label: Surf Gang Format: Digital download, streaming
References