Need ItX-Games gold medalist snowboarder Zeb Powell is dead set on bringing hip-hop culture to the mountaintop.Interview: Joey EchevarriaEditor’s Note: This story appears in the Summer 2025 issue of XXL Magazine, on newsstands now and available for sale on the XXL website.
World-class snowboarder Zeb Powell is just as passionate about hip-hop as he is about the world of extreme sports. In fact, the athlete often dubbed as the most creative man on a snowboard describes rap music as something he can’t live without.
In 2020, Zeb Powell became the first Black snowboarder to win a gold medal at the Winter X-Games, the sport’s premier competition event. The Waynesville, N.C. native takes immense pride in breaking down that barrier and uses hip-hop as a conduit to add more diversity to hissport.
Zeb tapped in with XXL via Zoom during a springtime snowboarding trip to Colorado. Here,he tells tales of shredding the slopes with top-notch hip-hop artists, the tracks he vibes to, histop five rappers and more.
XXL: How would you describe your relationship with hip-hop?
Zeb Powell: Well, sh*t, I can’t really live without it. Half my life is just hip-hop, whether it’s mellow or energetic. Rap music is so influential to everyone. Whether it’s relatable via what they’re saying, what they’re rapping about or just the energy in the song. Everyone can relate to at least one rap song.
Do you have a top five favorite rapper list?
I have a pretty prominent top five. Off the bat, Mac Miller is probably first, just because he covers so many genres. Not just his party music, but all of his music and everything. His producing, I think that sh*t’s so sick. He just matches every vibe that I have. Then, I got Freddie Gibbs, Travis Scott, Don Toliver. But oh, my God, the list goes on. Isaiah Rashad. That’s a big one for me.
What have been your most memorable experiences with rappers?
We got the opportunity to take A$AP Ferg snowboarding. That’s really when I saw a differentenergy on the mountain. I really didn’t know how to introduce myself or introduce this whole snowboarding thing to him, but I put it into perspective by saying that there’s only been two fellow Black [pro] snowboarders. Russell Winfield and Stevie Bell were the first to do it. [Ferg]really resonated with it. Just to see him approach the mountain, that’s when it really was like, Oh, my God. This is such a different energy. It’s so cool, and it was captured beautifully.
I linked up with Isaiah Rashad. The way that we kick it when we are in front of our audiences is very similar. It’s just mad genuine. I was with Bia the other week. She pulled up to our event, Red Bull Heavy Metal in Boston and she’s from Boston. She popped out and I got to kick it with her. She’s mad cool.
Have you ever snowboarded with a rapper who surprised you with their skills?
I snowboarded with Travis Scott. He was pretty good that day. I think he was recovering from his knee injury, so he was a little rusty, but he FaceTimed me from Aspen a few weeks ago with my homie. I saw the clips of him boarding and he’s mobbing them. He was following my friend off the X-Games jumps. He wasn’t hitting them, but he was filming them and those rollers, it’s like you’re dropping off a building. So, it definitely takes some skill to go down that. He’s in the mix, for sure.
What songs are on your playlist when you ride?
Off the rip, SahBabii. The song “On Film.” I got “Skinny Suge” by Freddie Gibbs. “ILMB,” Sheck Wes and Travis Scott. Dude, that’s fire. That’s been on repeat at the moment. “That’s Not Gangsta,” Young Nudy is another one on my top, whatever. “Nice N Slow” by Cash Cobain. That sh*t’s addicting right now. “Believe It” by SahBabii. “Olympian” by Playboi Carti. I’ve been bumpin’ that one a lot.
What would you like to accomplish that would strengthen the relationship between hip-hop and extreme sports even more?
I want to do a festival that just clashes my world with the hip-hop world. We’re definitely on the right track. I’m just getting all the things in place, building my team, living and learning from events. Something like that’s on the way. I’m making these connections with these rappers. Just trying to be intentional with them and build energy.
Realizing where I am and the impact I have, I’ve been trying to get the snowboard world and sponsors to let me break into this world of culture instead of just fully doing the snowboard thing. I want to do these community events that bring energy and connecting the rappers to do them, that’s the next step.
Watch XXL’s Interview With Zeb Powell
Watch Zeb Powell’s Snowboarding Highlights
The summer 2025 issue of XXL magazine featuring Zeb Powell’s interview is available to purchase here. The issue also includes interviews with all 12 members of the 2025 Freshman Class and producer Cardo Got Wings, as well as conversations with Key Glock, Larry June, Aminé, Monaleo, Nardo Wick, Tech N9ne and more, plus a look back at what the 2024 XXL Freshman Class has been doing and a deep dive into who’s the biggest and best XXL Freshman ever.
