Zo Boy Fresh

In 2002, Ice Cube rocked a Heat jersey through most of his starring role in the film All About the Benjamins. The motion picture featured a Slip-N-Slide-era Rick Ross on the soundtrack, and the plot dealt with diamonds, shootouts, and a fish named Zo. Scour the Internet and you’ll find no mention of said fictional fish, but on the streets of Miami, Zo is a noun with clout. Its Kreyol connotation goes to Little Haiti rap pioneers Zoe Pound, but the one-syllable name is also NBA legend Alonzo Mourning’s running moniker, one associated with a nationally recognized five-day weekend of immense charitable proportions. This year’s Zo’s Summer Groove introduces Dwyane Wade and his Wade’s World Foundation.

It kicks off with a $500-per-ticket Queen Latifah concert, titled the Publix Charities ZSG Beach Ball, at the Hotel InterContinental, from 6 to 10 p.m. Other (more affordable) scheduled events include basketball camps, beach volleyball, Chris Tucker’s long-awaited return to stand-up comedy Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock, a free block party outside the AAA Sunday, and an all-star basketball game. Both Mourning and Wade take their community outreach efforts seriously, and their events attract deep pockets. Expect celebrity- and pro-athlete-filled afterparties at nightclubs and strip bars all over the city. Events will take place through Sunday, and you can find the official calendar at www.zsg.com.
July 11-13, 2008