His lengthy career has seen him crisscross the globe numerous times, chalking up rave reviews along the way. He returned to Coachella 2010, for his fourth appearance at the festival headlining the Sahara Tent, where the OC Register noted: "Even against two of the biggest draws on the schedule, Z-Trip raked 'em in, filling the Sahara with over 15,000 revelers." His 2009 Detroit Electronic Music Festival performance to over 10,000 stole the festival receiving the lions share of press: "Z-Trip lit up Saturday night, first by jamming with RJD2 then following with a Detroit-saluting mash-up set," beamed Billboard.
At the vanguard of dance music culture, he is at the heart of the DJ Hero™ video game series. Appearing as an avatar and providing several scorching remixes, Z-Trip's relentless vision even defied the advanced technology. An 8-bar scratch that he wanted to incorporate into the game was too much for the game's memory to handle. Beyond being immortalized as a playable character and his contribution of three exclusive tracks to the first installment, he remained a consultant, as well as executive producer, for DJ Hero 2 and created an additional two tracks.
Worldwide sold out shows would be enough for most artists, but not Z-Trip. His career brims with myriad milestones, starting from the now legendary mixtape, Uneasy Listening, Volume 1 , which the Phoenix, AZ native put together with Missouri's notorious DJ P. Back in 2001, the idea of pitting classic rock tracks against hip-hop into a seamless mix that could find the Pharcyde rapping over the Eagles or Metallica grinding it out under the righteous bark of Midnight Oil was unheard of. But instead of hating it as expected, enraptured fans disseminated the initial run of only 1000 CDs across the internet. By year's end, Uneasy Listening had made Z-Trip a burgeoning DJ star. It went on to receive critical acclaim and helped propel Z-Trip to national attention in 2002. It made album of the year lists in Spin, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Wired and XLR8R. More importantly, it also inadvertently created an entirely new genre of music.
Then, on top of being a world-class DJ, Z-Trip established himself as a formidable producer and his major label debut in 2005, Shifting Gears, was given 4 stars by Rolling Stone. Released on Hollywood Records in 2005, the album features guest artists Supernatural, MURS, Lyrics Born, Luke Sick, Aceyalone, Mystic, Prince Whipper Whip, Busdriver, Chester Bennington (from Linkin Park), Chuck D (from Public Enemy) and Zaakir aka Soup (from Jurassic 5). It spawned numerous Top 10 singles in the US and abroad.
A lifelong political activist, Z-Trip was a strong supporter of the Barack Obama's successful campaign to become the President of the United States and released Party For Change and Victory Lap in 2009. Both exceeded 500,000 downloads and favorably reviewed by Wired, URB, BPM, and XLR8R to name a few. Z-Trip's longtime friend and collaborator Shepard Fairey supplied the art.
After 14 months of sold-out shows at his Friday night headlining residency at Rain inside The Palms, Las Vegas, Z-Trip is taking a rest from his crowd-thrilling stint,"Z-Trip's Revolution". Upon displaying his genre bending skills and sharing his stage with many A-level guests including Three 6 Mafia, Common, Rev Run, Too Short, and De La Soul, Z-Trip is taking a rest from stage to focus on his next chapter of recorded music.
SHOCK AND AWE
DJ Z-Trip Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the dawn of the new era
We the people who duck, dive and weave
Were led to believe that we're all naive
Alienation of a radio TV movie nation
No patience in this land of patients
And you know what they doin' just ain't right
See the world's growing hard to vision
When you lost this world and your ass in a mission
Apart from the Bin Laden they're worlds apart
Eighty percent of America's got passports
Watch the Patriot Act keep both camps back
Lords of the pause and the contract
No chance of why their seeds be dancin'
Keep draftin', yeah, I think they're passin'
Draft law, send the poor the caskets
In the name of war, bastards
Iraq, yeah that whole thing is whack
You don't know? So what, are you under a rock?
So I rock, shut the whole damn block
No bird, no train, no dance soul plane
This is the same thing you're all used to playin'
Same style as Saddam Hussein is insane
Shock and awe, let me explain
Me and Z-Trip is to rock it to your brain
And so I rock
Rock, rock on, rock, rock on, rock, rock on
Shock, shock on, shock, shock on, shock, shock on
Shock and awe
It ain't just rappers, the world today
If you wanted to follow us yesterday
But very few cats got something to say
Kept back and stuck to them same old ways
Hate spendin' to pretendin' to be your friend
Making them a goddamn beer wagon
If peaceful revolution ain't possible
Then violent revolution is inevitable
It's suicidal to believe I'm your American Idol
If you can't eat, what the hell is entitled?
Critics don't give no credit to the lyrics
Hypocrites, conflicts, beyond how to hear it
Goin' yeah to the gangsta because of the distance
Pentagon is gettin' gone because what they spend
And you babble on because you invested in Babylon
What happens when it's too far gone?
Things are happening by no mistake
When the walls crumble and the earth shakes
You may pledge allegiance to the goddamn states
God waits for no one, for God's sake
Then pray to God when they're preying on you
When you're praying to God, they're playing with you
Fight the power, the gin and juice
In three years you're for the devil get loose
So you wanna rock?
And we wanna rock, rock on, rock, rock on, rock, rock on
Shock, shock on, shock, shock on, shock, shock on
Shock and awe, shock and awe, shock and awe
Come on, awestruck, awestruck, awestruck
Revolution for your mind, body and soul
Drownin' in the sea of the big dope Saddam
No past, no future, don't go on for a while
Ain't gave them nothin' but robbed a child
From substance don't care for them up with style
Like hip hop's loyalty or well like wow
Turned the game and made them a goddamn shame
Hell with history, you don't even know my name
I ain't the same thing that you all used to playin'
I'm that nonstop rock embedded to your brain
Chuck D, Public Enemy number one
Z-Trip got ya awestruck, awestruck, awestruck
Shock and awe, shock and awe, shock and awe
Shock and awe, shock and awe, shock and awe
Rock it to your goddamn brain
In DJ Z-Trip's song "Shock and Awe," the lyrics reflect on the current state of the world and question the future. The song opens with a sense of uncertainty about what lies ahead, suggesting that it is the dawn of a new era. There is a critique of the media and how it shapes public opinion, with references to being led to believe that people are naive. The lyrics also touch on the alienation of society and the lack of patience in a world filled with distractions.
The song then takes a political turn, referencing the White House and questioning the actions of those in power. It highlights the growing difficulty in understanding the world and the consequences of being caught up in a mission. There is a comparison drawn between Osama Bin Laden and the American government, suggesting that they are worlds apart but also connected in some way.
The lyrics further criticize the Iraq war and express disbelief at anyone who is unaware of its impact. The artist asserts their role as a musician to bring attention to these issues and rock the block with their message. The phrase "shock and awe" is a reference to the military strategy employed during the Iraq war, and here it is used ironically to convey a sense of disbelief and astonishment at the state of affairs.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of frustration and disillusionment with the current state of the world, questioning the actions of those in power and encouraging people to stand up and fight for change.
Line by Line Meaning
I wonder what the future holds
This is the dawn of the new era
We the people who duck, dive and weave
Were led to believe that we're all naive
Alienation of a radio TV movie nation
No patience in this land of patients
Out of sight make that White House right
And you know what they doin' just ain't right
See the world's growing hard to vision
When you lost this world and your ass in a mission
Apart from the Bin Laden they're worlds apart
Eighty percent of America's got passports
Watch the Patriot Act keep both camps back
Lords of the pause and the contract
No chance of why their seeds be dancin'
Keep draftin', yeah, I think they're passin'
Draft law, send the poor the caskets
In the name of war, bastards
Iraq, yeah that whole thing is whack
You don't know? So what, are you under a rock?
So I rock, shut the whole damn block
No bird, no train, no dance soul plane
This is the same thing you're all used to playin'
Same style as Saddam Hussein is insane
Shock and awe, let me explain
Me and Z-Trip is to rock it to your brain
It ain't just rappers, the world today
If you wanted to follow us yesterday
But very few cats got something to say
Kept back and stuck to them same old ways
Hate spendin' to pretendin' to be your friend
Making them a goddamn beer wagon
If peaceful revolution ain't possible
Then violent revolution is inevitable
It's suicidal to believe I'm your American Idol
If you can't eat, what the hell is entitled?
Critics don't give no credit to the lyrics
Hypocrites, conflicts, beyond how to hear it
Goin' yeah to the gangsta because of the distance
Pentagon is gettin' gone because what they spend
And you babble on because you invested in Babylon
What happens when it's too far gone?
Things are happening by no mistake
When the walls crumble and the earth shakes
You may pledge allegiance to the goddamn states
God waits for no one, for God's sake
Then pray to God when they're preying on you
When you're praying to God, they're playing with you
Fight the power, the gin and juice
In three years you're for the devil get loose
So you wanna rock?
And we wanna rock, rock on, rock, rock on, rock, rock on
Shock, shock on, shock, shock on, shock, shock on
Shock and awe, shock and awe, shock and awe
Come on, awestruck, awestruck, awestruck
Revolution for your mind, body and soul
Drownin' in the sea of the big dope Saddam
No past, no future, don't go on for a while
Ain't gave them nothin' but robbed a child
From substance don't care for them up with style
Like hip hop's loyalty or well like wow
Turned the game and made them a goddamn shame
Hell with history, you don't even know my name
I ain't the same thing that you all used to playin'
I'm that nonstop rock embedded to your brain
Chuck D, Public Enemy number one
Z-Trip got ya awestruck, awestruck, awestruck
Shock and awe, shock and awe, shock and awe
Rock it to your goddamn brain
Shock and awe, shock and awe, shock and awe
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Carlton Ridenhour, Klaus Meine, Herman Rarebell, Rudolf Schenker, Zach Sciacca
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DarenUnlimited
My hero, the one and only Chuckie D. Way to keep The Real alive, Z-Trip. Your work with Chuck D, P.E. and the Beastie Boys shows you have impeccable taste and respect for the True School. Keep on keepin' on, brother.
Matthew
I always keep returning to this song!!! Ever since the album was released! SOOO good! Been tearing my hair out for the past 3hrs trying to remember where I heard it!!! If I were still using iTunes, I'd know exactly where in my library - The digital age ay.
Jamy Thompson
Your my hero, I model myself after your style, imitation is the greatest form of flattery! you rock!!!!
Tommy Wimmer
The sample on this song is "Animal Magnetism" by the German heavy metal band Scorpions.
Simone Corrado
Fucking Awesome
ryzlaxx
my fucking godness
BuriedAxblade 20
forgot about Chuck D
BuriedAxblade 20
the first minute....Words?