Z-Trip

Obama Mix

The Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am proved this election cycle that the line between inspiring and cheesy is a thin one. Unlike those black-and-white YouTube sensations, Z-Trip’s Obama Mix (free download at www.djztrip.com/obama) aims squarely at the hip-hop generation without fear of alienating soccer moms and NASCAR dads. Swing voters won’t be swayed by Chuck D condemning COINTELPRO, and Gil Scott-Heron’s righteous spoken word plays too the Rev. Wright for this mix to earn Barack’s presidential seal of approval. Z-Trip weaves Obama’s convention speech – and some of George Bush’s and John McCain’s greatest misses – with songs of hope and protest crescendoing to the Democratic candidate’s treatise on race over the cinematic hypnotism of Red Snapper’s “Belladonna” before sliding into Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” When Z-Trip takes the stage, America may have just elected a president who nods to Jay-Z on his iPod. (8:10pm, Stage 4.)

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This article appears in November 7 • 2008.

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Thomas Fawcett has been freelancing for The Austin Chronicle since 2007. He likes good music and does not fake the funk.