Zach Hill
A drummer of volcanic intensity who shattered rhythmic conventions, becoming the chaotic engine behind the experimental hip-hop juggernaut Death Grips.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American musician·Birthday: December 28·Generation X
Biography
Zach Hill operates at the violent intersection of punk, free jazz, and digital noise, a musician who treats the drum kit as a weapon of mass deconstruction. Hailing from Sacramento, California, he first gained notice in the math rock duo Hella, where his blistering, technically absurd patterns sounded like a system crashing in real time. This foundation made him the perfect co-conspirator for MC Ride and Andy Morin in Death Grips, a project that weaponized his percussive chaos into a new, terrifying form of hip-hop. Behind the kit, Hill is a blur of motion, his style less about keeping time than about creating a physical, overwhelming texture. Beyond drumming, he is a dedicated visual artist and co-producer, shaping the abrasive sonic landscapes that define his work, cementing his status as a foundational figure in 21st-century experimental music.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Zach was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Zach Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Zach's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded and provided the explosive drumming for the groundbreaking experimental hip-hop group Death Grips.
- Was a core member of the influential math rock band Hella, known for its complex, frenetic compositions.
- Released numerous solo and collaborative albums that explore the limits of percussion and electronic music.
- His drumming style has been widely cited as a major influence on a generation of rock and electronic musicians.
Did You Know?
He is also an accomplished visual artist and has designed album artwork for his own projects and others.
He briefly played drums for the band The Mars Volta during a transitional period for the group.
He is known for his intense physicality while playing, often breaking drumsticks and drawing blood from his hands.
He was in a band called The I.L.Y's with Death Grips collaborator Andy Morin.
“I want to destroy the idea of what a drummer is supposed to be.”
